Hermès Kelly 25 HSS Lime Perso & Bougainvillier GHW
By Hermès
Located in Antwerp, BE
Hermès Kelly 25 HSS Lime Perso & Bougainvillier GHW Can we take a moment for this one of a kind and oh so stunning HSS Hermès Kelly 25?
Hermès Kelly 25 HSS Lime Perso & Bougainvillier GHW
By Hermès
Located in Antwerp, BE
Hermès Kelly 25 HSS Lime Perso & Bougainvillier GHW Can we take a moment for this one of a kind and oh so stunning HSS Hermès Kelly 25?
Hermès HSS Kelly 25 Rose Sakura/Nata Chèvre Mysore BGHW
By Hermès
Located in Antwerp, BE
This dainty and feminine Hermès Kelly 25 has the prestigious horseshoe stamp which means the bag is a special order. With the unique combination of two soft Hermès shades Rose Sakura...
HSS Hermès Kelly 25 handbag strap in Rouge Casaque/Beton Togo leather , CHW
By Hermès
Located in Paris, IDF
Exceptional & Rare Hermes Kelly 25 handbag strap special order (HSS) in red casaque Togo leather and Beton grey, champagne gold metal trim...
Hermes Kelly 25 Sellier Bicolor HSS Gris Asphalte and Craie
By Hermès
Located in West Chester, PA
Hermes 25cm Kelly Hermes Kelly 25cm Special order Gris Asphalte and Craie Contrasting topstitching detail Brushed Gold Hardware A perfect neutral Kelly Epsom sellier Plastic on t...
Hermes Kelly 25 Sellier HSS Crisp White Fresh Bamboo Epsom Palladium
By Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
Guaranteed authentic gorgeous 25 Hermes Kelly Sellier Horseshoe in crisp White and fresh Bamboo. Created in Epsom leather. Accentuated with palladium hardware. Comes with signature...
Hermes Kelly Sellier 25 HSS Bag Rose Azalee/Gris Mouette Leather Permabrass
By Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
Mightychic offers an Hermes 25 Kelly Sellier bag features creamy neutral perfection - Craie. This colour is fast becoming a unicorn and a collectors treasure! Created in Epsom leathe...
Hermès Special Order (HSS) Kelly Sellier 25 Black and Craie Epsom Brushed Gold
By Hermès
Located in West Chester, PA
This Special Order Kelly, in the Sellier style, is in Black and Craie epsom leather with brushed gold hardware Contrast Stitching, so chic! Removable shoulder strap Original plastic...
HERMES Sesame beige & Rouge H Epsom leather KELLY 25 SELLIER VERSO HSS Bag Ghw
By Hermès
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Hermès Kelly 25 Sellier bag in Sesame (beige) Veau Epsom leather with gold-plated hardware.
Hermes Kelly 25cm Bordeaux Craie HSS Brushed Gold Bag
By Hermès
Located in West Chester, PA
Hermes Just arrived Brand New Kelly 25 HSS Special Order Bordeaux and Craie Contrasting Top Stitching Brush gold hardware One of the prettiest combinations Very Rare Hermes Box, Tis...
Hermes Kelly 25cm Black Craie HSS Brushed Gold Bag
By Hermès
Located in West Chester, PA
Hermes Brand New Kelly 25 HSS Special Order Black and Craie So desired!
Hermes Kelly Sellier HSS 25 Rose Extreme / Trench Alligator Bag Palladium
By Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
Mightychic offers an Hermes Kelly Sellier HSS 25 bag featured in Rose Extreme Alligator with Trench interior.
New Hermès Kelly 25 HSS handbag strap in Craie/Jaune Soufre Togo leather , GHW
By Hermès
Located in Paris, IDF
Exceptional and extremely rare Hermes Kelly 25 Retourne bicolor handbag strap special order (HSS), in Craie and Jaune Soufre Togo leather, w...
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.
Usually characterized by simplicity and sporting a classic and beloved silhouette, vintage and designer top-handle bags can easily find a place among your wardrobe staples. From the Haut à courroies — Hermès’s original top-handle bag, created in 1892 — to the smaller and timeless Sac à dépêches that inspired both iconic accessories the Kelly bag in the 1950s and the Birkin in the 1980s, the discerning shopper has had no shortage of options to choose from.
Small and mini designer top-handle bags, including vintage top-handle box bags and micro clutches, offer an alternate dynamic and usually feature sleek lines and modest features to perfectly complement your evening look. Styling with jeans and a comfortable sweater works, too — a classic top-handle bag or other type of handbag designed by the likes of Prada, Celine or other widely loved fashion label is an ideal accessory to pair with casual attire. For a personal touch or pop of color, add a key chain, a patterned scarf or a handbag chain.
On 1stDibs, you can find vintage top-handle bags from Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and more. The numerous styles of this cherished accessory that we have available also include the Louis Vuitton Monogram Vernis Alma GM handbag, Fendi Baguette purses and modern leather Longchamp handbags.
What these styles lack in name recognition they more than make up for in cachet.
Before the Birkin there was the Haut à Courroies, which has become the chic carryall of choice for the league's most stylish athletes.
Does wicker get more high-end than this?
Find out why this under-the-radar piece is so exceptional.
The iconic Birkin bag is much coveted — and often copied. Find out how to tell the real deal from a convincing fake. Of course, you don't have to worry about this on 1stDibs, where every seller is highly vetted.
More than a fashion statement, this iconic style continually appreciates in value.
A symbol of luxury and elegance, the design has a storied past and a legion of devoted collectors.
When the name of a bag is as well-known as its brand, you know it's a classic.