Hermes Kelly Bag Pink

Shopping for an Hermès pink Kelly bag or a pink mini Kelly?

Pink sets the ideal tone. It can be happy, sensual and calming, and what could be more calming than a pink Hermès bag, specifically a pink Kelly? 

Initially designed for independent women who wanted a piece that was both luxurious and efficient, the Kelly bag has a trapezoid shape, two triangular gussets, a sculpted flap and handle. To this day, the understated Hermès bag comprises 36 individual leather pieces, 16 studs and a signature padlock and leather key cover, with three layers of leather at the base to ensure the bag can stand upright. Each Kelly bag takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches owe solely to one Hermès artisan.

In contrast to traditional Hermes Kelly bags, a pink mini Kelly won't feature the padlock and or the hanging clochette. Instead, there is a turn-lock closure and a matching removable leather strap for added versatility. The smallest of the Kelly bags, the original Hermès mini Kelly bag is stylish and compact. Whether it’s an Epsom mini Kelly bag or a mini Kelly crafted in exotic skins, this accessory has long been coveted by fashion lovers everywhere, and iterations of the mini Kelly — as well as 2016’s Hermès Mini Kelly II — have become difficult to hunt down on the market. Fortunately, you can find your next Hermès mini Kelly bag on 1stDibs.

For devotees, the classic Hermès Kelly bag has a visual poetry and meaning that transcends the bag itself. The bag earned its name during preproduction on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 film, To Catch a Thief. Costume designer Edith Head sourced products from Hermès to outfit actress Grace Kelly, who fell in love with the Sac à Dépêches — the house’s original name for the accessory — and continued to carry it long after the movie wrapped. In 1977 Hermès officially changed the item’s name to the Kelly bag.

“The Kelly silhouette has been repeated by brands like Chanel, Ferragamo, Valextra and Gucci,” says Graham Wetzbarger, certified appraiser and authenticator. “That says something about its iconic shape. It’s more important as an example of good design than as an example of social iconography, like the Birkin.”

The Kelly and the Birkin are the most famous of all Hermès bags, and they are considered luxury investments. Though these bags are typically priced at up to $10,000, rare Kelly bags and rare Birkins can get up to the hundreds of thousands. And Hermès crocodile Kelly bags are extraordinarily rare collectibles in the world of luxury fashion. 

There are two types of Kelly bags, Sellier and Retourne. Apart from its iconic shape, the Hermès Kelly is also defined by a variety of skins and leathers whose individual characteristics determine how a bag hangs, ages and weathers damage. Just as you might fixate on a certain color for your Kelly bag, durability and texture are important, too, and when it comes to exotic leathers and hides, an Hermès crocodile mini Kelly bag is a widely sought version of this beloved design (other exotic materials include lizard, alligator and ostrich).

Find your Hermès pink Kelly bag 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.

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.