Hermes Himalayan

“The Hermès Birkin Himalayan is the holy grail of handbags,” says L. Kiyana Roberson, founder of Newfound Luxury. Want proof? How about the record-breaking $500,000 sale of a 35cm Niloticus crocodile Himalaya in 2019. (Renowned for its large grain, Niloticus crocodile skin is sourced exclusively from crocodiles in the African Nile River region.)

Apart from its iconic shape, the Hermès Birkin is also defined by a vast range of leathers and skins whose individual characteristics determine how a bag hangs, ages and weathers damage. Just as color matters when you’re contemplating an investment in a Birkin — new and seasonal colors are often in great demand — texture and durability matter, too. With respect to exotic leathers and hides, an Hermès Himalayan Birkin is among the most popular iterations of this accessory.

The Hermès Birkin is less a handbag than a design object. Coveted by collectors around the world, Birkin bags are not merely worn. Instead, they’re collected. 

The Birkin is named after French actress and singer Jane Birkin, who played an integral role in its conception. Sitting next to Hermès‘s chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight to London in 1981, Birkin’s weekend tote spilled her belongings on the plane. Witnessing Birkin’s luggage mishap, Dumas set out to design a durable and dynamic leather bag for her. Since its first appearance in 1984, the Birkin’s popularity has skyrocketed, due in equal measure to its deft, hand-crafted construction and its exclusivity. Handmade in France by a fleet of lifelong Hermès craftsmen, one bag can take several days to complete. Accordingly, prospective Birkin buyers often must endure a lengthy waiting list for their dream bag.

“The process to create the color gradation in the crocodile hide to resemble the Himalayan mountains is quite extensive,” says Roberson. “So, these are made in extremely limited quantities.” 

The Himalayan Birkin has consistently made the list of the world’s most beautiful and expensive handbags. Its collectors are similarly elite. The Himalayan has been spotted on the arms of Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Marjorie Harvey and Singaporean influencer Jamie Chua. In a pure superstar gesture, J. Lo has used hers as a gym bag.

The Himalayan Birkin bag has increased in price over the last decade, a not uncommon feat for Hermès items. “Hermès and Chanel are the only brands in handbags and accessories that are truly an investment-quality purchase,” says Virgil Rogers, owner of Only Authentics. “If you buy a Chanel or Hermès bag and keep it for five years and take good care of it, you can always sell it for more than you purchased it for.”

For a collector, rarity means profit. In fact, some consider buying an Hermès bag to be “like investing in a GIA-certified diamond.”

Find your Hermès Himalayan Birkin bag or the Himalaya Baby Birkin on 1stDibs.

For Hermès, what began as a maker of leather equestrian goods for European noblemen would eventually grow into one of the most storied fashion labels in the world. In 1837, German-born French entrepreneur Thierry Hermès opened a saddle and harness purveyor in Paris. Gradually, the house extended into accessories and luggage for its riders, and today, in paying homage to its origins, the family-run luxury brand resurfaces horse motifs in everything from clothing and modernist jewelry to pillows and handbags.

The first top-handled bag ever produced by Hermès was the Haut à courroies, which made its debut in 1892. A tall bag secured with a folded leather flap (fastened with bridle-inspired straps), it was designed to transport riding boots and a harness.

As the world made the switch from horse to automobile, the bag adapted, becoming a multifunctional travel satchel instead of a designated saddlebag. Today, 120 years later, the HAC remains in Hermès’s line — and its distinctive flap and clasping straps have laid the groundwork for some of the house’s other iconic bags.

In the 1930s, Robert Dumas (son-in-law to Émile-Maurice Hermès, Thierry’s grandson) designed a smaller, trapezoidal take on the flap bag with a handle and two side straps. Later, actress Grace Kelly, then engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco, is said to have used one of these bags to conceal her pregnancy during the 1950s. Because she was photographed constantly, the coverage catapulted her handbag to international popularity.

In 1977, Hermès officially renamed the model for her, and the Kelly bag was born. Each Kelly bag takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches owe solely to one Hermès artisan.

Robert Dumas was also responsible for another one of the brand’s most iconic offerings: the launch of its first silk scarf on the occasion of Hermès’s 100th anniversary in 1937. Based on a woodblock designed by Dumas and printed on Chinese silk, the accessory was an immediate hit.

Today, vintage Hermès scarves, typically adorned in rich colors and elaborate patterns, serve many functions, just as they did back then. Well-heeled women wear it on their heads, around their necks and, in a genius piece of cross-promotion, tied to the straps of their Hermès bags. Kelly even once used one as a sling for her broken arm.

In 1981, Robert Dumas’s son Jean-Louis Dumas, then Hermès chairman, found himself sitting next to French actress and musician Jane Birkin on a plane, where she was complaining about finding a suitable carryall for the necessary accoutrements of motherhood. After the two travelers were properly introduced, Birkin helped design Jean-Louis’s most famous contribution to the Hermès canon: the Birkin bag, a roomy, square catchall with the HAC’s trademark leather flap top and the addition of a lock and key.

Owing to the brand’s legendary commitment to deft, handcrafted construction, the Birkin is an investment that is coveted by collectors everywhere.

While the Kelly and Birkin may be standouts, gracing the arms of everyone from royal heiresses to hip-hop stars in the past few decades, the handbags are but a small part of Hermès’s fashion offerings.

Since the 1920s, the brand has produced some of the most desirable leather goods in the world. There’s the Constance bag, a favorite of Jacqueline Kennedy, the recently relaunched 1970s-era Evelyne and, on the vintage market, a slew of designs dating back to the 1920s.

Good design never goes out of style. Find a variety of vintage Hermès handbags, day dresses, shoes and more on 1stDibs.

An integral part of fashion, handbags and purses have been indispensable accessories ever since we began to carry around personal items. Level of craftsmanship, style and shape matters — from coin purses in ancient Greece to early 20th-century opera bags and onward, handbags have evolved considerably over the years to meet our needs and desires, whether or not you happen to be prioritizing functionality over a flashy exterior.

Once, a single “It” handbag ruled each fashion season. No more. Today, lovers of vintage handbags are savvier and have a wider range of shopping options. Nevertheless, classics created by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior and Balenciaga still rule.

“It is not a fashion bag — it is a statement bag,” says Mightychic's Debra Kent of Hermès's widely beloved accessories. “When you carry an iconic Hermès bag — Birkin, Kelly, Constance — no one knows how long you have been into this culture or if you are a newbie. Your status is validated immediately.”

First released in 1997, Fendi's Baguette rose to fame along with Carrie Bradshaw, the Sex and the City character portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker. Recently, the design has seen such a resurgence in popularity that Fendi has reissued it.

They are part of design history, so owning a handbag has meaning. As New York–based fashion historian Sarah C. Byrd says, “You have made the choice to invest in this piece because you understand the value of it in the past and in the future to come.”

From a 1980s Chanel black leather quilted mini buckle bag to the rare Hermès Birkin 30cm Himalayan with diamond hardware to a range of 19th-century bags, find a rich variety of vintage and designer handbags and purses spanning numerous brands on 1stDibs — seasonal “It” designation no longer needed.