Why is Hermès so special?

Hermès is so special for a few reasons. The French luxury house is one of the most storied fashion labels in the world and has a rich heritage that dates back to 1837.Hermès began in Paris as a maker of leather equestrian goods for European noblemen. The house later 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 jewelry to pillows and handbags .Hermès artisans spend years honing their craft as apprentices before they produce Hermès pieces in premium materials. For example, the Kelly bag , which was named in tribute to one of its biggest fans, Grace Kelly, takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce , and its 680 hand stitches are made by one Hermès artisan. Each Birkin tote is also hand-sewn according to Hermès’s centuries-old saddle-stitching technique, and its exotic leathers , a variety that includes ostrich and crocodile , are subsequently painted and polished by house craftsmen in France.On 1stDibs, explore a selection of vintage Hermès handbags and accessories.

Hermes Kelly25

Kelly Sellier Hermes Gold Hardware

Hermes Sac

Sac A Depeches

Hermes Kelly Bag 25 In Iris Or Dark Green

Hermes Kelly 25 Strap Length

Hermes Box Leather Kelly Shoulder Strap

Hermes Kelly 25 Gold Epsom

Princess Grace Kelly Hermes Bag

Unavailable

Unavailable

Hermès Kelly Dépêches 25 handbag in Biscuit Togo leather, PHW

By Hermès

Located in Paris, IDF

Beautiful Hermès Kelly Dépêches 25 cm handbag in Biscuit togo leather, silver palladium metal trim, single beige leather handle for hand car...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Pouches and Wristlets

Unavailable

H 8 in W 10 in D 4 in

Hermes Kelly Handbag Bleu Paon Epsom with Palladium Hardware 25

By Hermès

Located in NY, NY

Accessories: Lock, Keys, Clochette, With Strap Measurements: Handle Drop 3", Height 8", Width 10", Depth 4", Strap Drop 17" Designer: Hermes Model: Kelly Handbag Bleu Paon Epsom with...

Category

By Hermès

Located in Zürich, CH

100% authentic Hermès Birkin 40 bag in Orange Togo calfskin leather (100%). This luxury Hermès handbag is crafted from richly grained Togo calfskin leather (100%) in the Maison’s vib...

Category

2010s French Top Handle Bags

Hermès Birkin 30 Black Togo Gold Leather

$26,999

H 8.4 in W 6 in L 12 in

Hermès Birkin 30 Black Togo Gold Leather

By Hermès

Located in West Hollywood, CA

This Birkin 30 in black togo leather. The bag features rolled leather top handles and gold tone hardware. Partial lastic on hardware. The top opens to a matching goatskin leather int...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

1970 Hermes Black Supple Box Leather Kelly Bag

$16,750

1970 Hermes Black Supple Box Leather Kelly Bag

By Hermès

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Vintage black box leather 32cm supple Kelly bag with gold hardware. Dates from 1970, as told by the Z blind stamp. Top handle, lock and key fob. Very minor scuffing on surface on maj...

Category

1970s French Top Handle Bags

Hermès Birkin 30 Black Togo Palladium

$24,999

H 8.5 in W 6 in L 11.5 in

Hermès Birkin 30 Black Togo Palladium

By Hermès

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Hermès authentic birkin 30 cm in black Togo leather and palladium hardware. Comes with clochette, tirette, lock and two keys. First letter X. Comes with rain protection, booklet, ori...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

HERMES Gold camel Togo leather KELLY 32 RETOURNE Bag GHW

$26,000

HERMES Gold camel Togo leather KELLY 32 RETOURNE Bag GHW

By Hermès

Located in Zürich, CH

100% authentic Hermès Kelly 32 Retourne bag in Gold (camel) Veau Togo leather, a warm, versatile hue showcasing the house's most celebrated silhouette in its softer Retourne construc...

Category

2010s French Structured Shoulder Bags

Hermès BNIB Birkin 30 3 in 1 Bag Gold

$42,999

H 8.5 in W 6 in L 11.75 in

Hermès BNIB Birkin 30 3 in 1 Bag Gold

By Hermès

Located in West Hollywood, CA

The HERMÈS Birkin 3 in 1 bag is one of the most valuable and collectible bags there is. It is absolutely stunning. This piece is in brand new condition. Date stamp U for 2023. Bareni...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

$16,800

Hermes Birkin 35 TAD Etoupe bag

By Hermès

Located in New York, NY

Hermes Birkin 35 TAD Etoupe bag. A stamp. PHW. Good pre owned condition. Bag had a spa. Bag comes with dust bag, keys, Clochette and locker.

Category

2010s French Top Handle Bags

Hermes Birkin 30 Beton Bag Togo Leather Gold Hardware

$45,445

Size: 30 cm

Hermes Birkin 30 Beton Bag Togo Leather Gold Hardware

By Hermès

Located in Miami, FL

Mightychic offers this Hermès Birkin 30 crafted in Beton Togo leather, a sophisticated neutral that delivers understated elegance with modern appeal. Beton is a soft, cool-toned grey...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

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Pharrell Williams Runway Louis Vuitton Fringe Leather Calfskin Duffel Keepall 50

By Louis Vuitton

Located in Palm Beach, FL

The Keepall Bandoulière 50 from Pharrell Williams’ Louis Vuitton runway collection reinterprets the maison’s signature travel silhouette through a more expressive, utility-driven des...

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21st Century and Contemporary Duffel Bags and Carry-On Bags

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Hermes Kelly25 For Sale on 1stDibs

Surely you’ll find the exact vintage or contemporary hermes kelly25 you’re seeking on 1stDibs — we’ve got a vast assortment for sale. Black is a pretty popular color, but we also have Blue, Brown, Pink and more in stock now. If you’re looking for a hermes kelly25 from a specific time period, our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and you’ll find at least one that dates back to the 20th Century while another version may have been produced as recently as the 21st Century. When shopping for these accessories, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for men or unisex today than there are for women.

How Much is a Hermes Kelly25?

On average, a hermes kelly25 on 1stDibs sells for $21,525, while they’re typically $6,995 on the low end and $499,925 for the highest priced versions of this item.

Hermès for sale 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.

Finding the Right Handbags And Purses for You

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.

Questions About Hermès

Why is Hermès so special?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024
Hermès is so special for a few reasons. The French luxury house is one of the most storied fashion labels in the world and has a rich heritage that dates back to 1837.

Hermès began in Paris as a maker of leather equestrian goods for European noblemen. The house later 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 jewelry to pillows and handbags.

Hermès artisans spend years honing their craft as apprentices before they produce Hermès pieces in premium materials. For example, the Kelly bag, which was named in tribute to one of its biggest fans, Grace Kelly, takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches are made by one Hermès artisan. Each Birkin tote is also hand-sewn according to Hermès’s centuries-old saddle-stitching technique, and its exotic leathers, a variety that includes ostrich and crocodile, are subsequently painted and polished by house craftsmen in France.

On 1stDibs, explore a selection of vintage Hermès handbags and accessories.

Beyond the Birkin: 10 Hermès Bags with ‘If You Know, You Know’ Appeal

What these styles lack in name recognition they more than make up for in cachet.

Dress Like Your Favorite NFL Player with an Hermès HAC Bag

Before the Birkin there was the Haut à Courroies, which has become the chic carryall of choice for the league's most stylish athletes.

This Hermès Picnic Garden Party Bag Is Elegant and Errand-Friendly

Does wicker get more high-end than this?

The Hermès Passe-Guide Bag Might Not Be as Well Known as the Birkin or Kelly, But It’s Every Bit as Chic

Find out why this under-the-radar piece is so exceptional.

How to Spot a Fake Hermès Birkin Bag

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.