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.

Pink Hermes Bags

Hss Hermes

Hermes Rose Confetti

Kelly Pink

Pink Birkin Gold Hardware

Hermes Berken

Hermes Magnolia

Pink Tote

Kelly Bag With Shoulder Strap

Recent Sales

Hermes Cyclamen Chevre Mysore Leather Calvi Card Holder

Unavailable

Unavailable

H 4.73 in W 7.88 in D 2.37 in

Hermès Mini Kelly II Ostrich PHW Color E5 Brand New

By Hermès

Located in Hong Kong, HK

Stamp Z Brand New Full Set. This item is final sale and not eligible for return.

Category

2010s French Top Handle Bags

Unavailable

Hermes Birkin 30 Rose Lipstick Gris Perle Special VIP Bag

By Hermès

Located in West Chester, PA

HERMES Special Order (HSS) Birkin Bag in 30cm Chevre Leather One of the prettiest combinations ever! Rose Lipstick Gris Perle One of a Kind If you like special Collector pieces this...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

Hermes 25cm Gold Hardware Rose Azalea Swift Birkin Bag

Unavailable

Unavailable

H 9.5 in W 14 in D 5 in

Hermes Pink Fuchsia Kelly Ostrich 35cm Palladium Hardware Shoulder Bag

By Hermès

Located in Singapore, SG

Fresh out from spa! Highly sought after hot pink fuchsia colour in ostrich! This piece comes complete with Hermes dustbags, shoulder strap, clochette, 2 keys, lock and spa receipt. P...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Shoulder Bags

By Hermès

Located in New York, NY

Listing Title: Hermes Bubblegum Epsom Constance Elan SKU: Z146274 Condition: Pre-owned Condition Description: In 1967, an Hermès bag was born. When Jean-Louis Dumas was the creative...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Shoulder Bags

$19,996Sale Price|20% Off

Hermes Birkin 30cm Fauve Natural Barenia Faubourg Bag

By Hermès

Located in West Chester, PA

eBoutique is pleased to present this stunning Hermes Birkin 30cm Barenia Leather Birkin with Palladium Hardware One of the most collected leathers of all, where it all began with ...

Category

2010s French Top Handle Bags

Hermes Kelly 40 Togo Leather Rouge H Deep Red Palladium Hardware 2014

$9,717

Hermes Kelly 40 Togo Leather Rouge H Deep Red Palladium Hardware 2014

By Hermès

Located in AUBERVILLIERS, FR

Hermes Kelly 40 Togo Leather Rouge H Deep Red Palladium Hardware 2014 These are professional photos of the actual bag offered by Luxbags. Condition: VERY GOOD CONDITION Overall signs...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

$19,999

H 8.5 in W 4.5 in L 11 in

Hermès Kelly Retourne 28 Geranium Togo

By Hermès

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Hermès kelly 28 retourne geranium togo with gold tone hardware. Preloved in excellent condition. Date stamp X for 2016. Comes with clochette, tirette, lock, keys, strap, dust cover, ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

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Chanel 2014 Blue Beige Canvas Quilted Bandana Medium Classic Flap Shoulder Bag

$24,920

$4,600

HERMES New Bleu Jean blue Clemence leather EVELYNE 16 Bag

By Hermès

Located in Zürich, CH

This 100% authentic Hermès Evelyne 16 TPM Crossbody Bag is crafted from New Bleu Jean (jeans blue) Taurillon Clemence leather and features a matching uni wool sangle strap. The desig...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

Hermes Constance 18 Desert Lizard Bag Palladium Hardware

$52,645

Size: 18 cm

Hermes Constance 18 Desert Lizard Bag Palladium Hardware

By Hermès

Located in Miami, FL

Mightychic offers an Hermes Constance 18 bag featured limited edition Desert Lizard. Exquisite markings with fresh Palladium hardware. HERMES PARIS MADE IN FRANCE is stamped on front...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags

Hermès 2013 Kelly Bag Ruby Red Togo Leather 35cm Women's Handbag

$26,990

$18,313

H 11.42 in W 15.75 in

Hermes Kelly Clemence Leather Retourne 40cm Bag

By Hermès

Located in London, GB

Collectors Item - Hermes Kelly Clemence Leather Retourne 40cm Bag True investment piece - Kelly bag crafted from Hermes's iconic Clemence leather in Blue Jean with palladium hardwar...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags

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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.