Hermès Color Block Gown
View Similar Items
Hermès Color Block Gown
About the Item
Hermès
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.
- Yves Saint Laurent Velvet Couture EnsembleBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent, couture, purple and black velvet dress and jacket ensemble. Dress has long sleeves with a fitted silhouette having a sweetheart neckline . Body of the dress is pu...Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- Galanos Halter Neck Gown with Pleating DetailBy GalanosLocated in New York, NYGalanos, purple, silk, crepe halter neck, evening gown with diagonally placed, pleating detail on the bodice. Skirt of gown has a deep inverted pleat o...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Geoffrey Beene Cocktail DressBy Geoffrey BeeneLocated in New York, NYGeoffrey Beene, halter neckline cocktail dress with matching fitted jacket. Dress bodice is very fitted with halter back and neck in a pink and and white small check woven fabric. Th...Category
Late 20th Century American Cocktail Dresses
- Geoffrey Beene Lurex Knit EnsembleBy Geoffrey BeeneLocated in New York, NYGeoffrey Beene, gold lurex knit ensemble, having an elastic puckering mid elbow sleeved, boat neck top and a gathered skirt. Top and skirt are edged in a go...Category
1970s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Galanos Multi Layered Chiffon Cocktail DressLocated in New York, NYGalanos, taupe tone, multilayered silk georgette, cocktail dress, having a halter cut sleeve, a soft ruffled neckline, and a bodice that is slightly blouson. Skirt is gathered with m...Category
1960s American Cocktail Dresses
- Galanos Wool Halter Dress With Braiding DetailBy James GalanosLocated in New York, NYGalanos, black, wool crepe, halter neck cocktail dress having thick braiding detail along the neckline. Back is open. Simple sightly A line silhouette.Category
1960s American Cocktail Dresses
- Versace colour block runway gown, FW 1997By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBMy Runway Archive presents this very rare runway gown from the Versace FW 1997 collection in the signature Versace colour block. Material: Viscose, nylon, silk...Category
1990s European Evening Dresses
$1,331 Sale Price20% Off - Mariano Fortuny Amethyst Delphos GownBy FortunyLocated in Riverdale, NYThis dress is made of finely pleated amythest colored silk with silk cording along side seams, and multicolored glass beads threaded through the cording. Named after a Greek cla...Category
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Delphos Gowns
Price Upon Request - 19c. Indian Tribal Violet Silk DressLocated in Sharon, CTHand woven violet silk dress with gold braid appliqué decoration on hem and sleeve cuffs. Fully lined in cotton and fine linen. Length of sleeve 20.5", shoulder to shoulder lenghth ...Category
19th Century Indian Wedding Dresses
- DOLCE & GABBANA purple silk RUCHED SATIN Sleeveless Cocktail Dress 44 LBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Zürich, CHDolce & Gabbana sleeveless satin ruched dress in orchid purple silk (96%) and elastane (4%) with a round neck. Closes on the back with a zipper. Lined in black silk (90%) and polyest...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
$768 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping - PRADA purple silk BELTED RUFFLE Sleeve Dress 38By PradaLocated in Zürich, CHPrada sleeveless dress in grape purple silk (100%) with a straight cut features a belt to create a silhouette. Detailed with a side-ruffle fro...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Cocktail Dresses
- COSTARELLOS lilac purple lavender embroidery belted midi dress FR34 XSLocated in Hong Kong, NTCOSTARELLOS lilac purple lavender embroidery belted midi dress FR34 XS Reference: AAWC/A00058 Brand: Costerellos Color: Purple Pattern: Floral Closure: Zi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
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.