As two iconic symbols of French luxury, it’s a shame that Marie Antoinette and Hermès didn’t overlap. The final queen of France’s penchant for gowns, shoes and jewels is well-documented. So, although Hermès wasn’t founded until 1837 — 44 years after Marie Antoinette’s death — it’s easy to imagine her and her ladies cavorting through the grounds of the Petit Trianon, gathering flowers in an Hermès Picnic Garden Party bag.
Made in very limited quantities, the bag, a version of which is offered on 1stDibs by Iconic Archive, is a fetching combination of whimsy and practicality. Its body is composed of osier wicker, deftly twisted and braided in a low-relief weave. The base and straps are made of Barenia leather with contrasting stitching that elevates the bag’s rustic charm. A type of calf leather used by Hermès since the 1970s, Barenia is prized for its rich tone, taking on a beautiful patina over time. The two materials are joined at the base by a row of complex knots that exemplify the house’s superior craftsmanship.
The Hermès Garden Party bag, the precursor to the Picnic Garden Party, was introduced in 1964 — 20 years before Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas conspired mid-flight to create the house’s Birkin bag. The tote’s casually chic design and accessible, open interior made it the perfect everyday companion. It is typically seen in combinations of toile and leather, but no Hermès bag is immune to the house’s proclivity for limited-edition riffing.
The Picnic series, one of Hermès’s rarest and most prestigious, first welcomed wicker bags into the family with the Picnic Kelly, in 2011. Designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, the Picnic Kelly had a clean-lined body sculpted from woven wicker and topped with rich leather trim. The Picnic family later expanded to include, among other styles, the Bolide, the Birkin and the Sabot, or “Hoof,” an homage to the house’s equestrian beginnings.
So, whether you’re imagining an alternate time line for one of France’s most famous royals or just thinking about the chicest way to carry home your organic gooseberries from the farmers’ market, the Hermès Picnic Garden Party is the ideal bag for summer daydreaming.
