HERMES black Togo leather KELLY 28 RETOURNE Bag w Gold
View Similar Items
HERMES black Togo leather KELLY 28 RETOURNE Bag w Gold
About the Item
Kelly Bag
In 1837, Thierry Hermès (1801–78) founded his eponymous luxury goods company in Paris as a saddle manufacturer, serving the era’s carriage trade. In 1880, under the stewardship of Thierry's son Émile-Charles, fine riding gear was added to its offerings to complement the saddles. The company expanded their workshops to design handbags nearly half a century later. The Kelly bag, originally introduced as the Sac à dépêches (“the dispatch bag”) in 1935, was created by Robert Dumas, son-in-law to Thierry's grandson Émile-Maurice Hermès.
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 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.
The Kelly 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 and continued to carry it long after the movie wrapped. Months after marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, she was spotted carrying a brown pigskin Sac to shield her pregnancy from the paparazzi. And while the oft-repeated claim that Kelly and her bag appeared on a Life magazine cover isn’t true, photography of the actress and her cherished accessory began to appear everywhere at the time, and the bag’s profile suddenly skyrocketed.
In 1977 Hermès officially changed the item’s name to the Kelly bag. Less than a decade later, Hermès introduced another handbag to its line, also named after a style symbol, the Birkin bag. The Paris-based British actress Jane Birkin sat next to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas — Robert's son — on an Air France flight. He noticed her overflowing handbag, and she told him she longed for “a handbag that is bigger than the Kelly but smaller than Serge’s suitcase,” in reference to her then-romantic partner, the French musician Serge Gainsbourg. The Birkin bag was created in 1984, joining the Kelly in Hermès’ permanent collection.
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.
- CELINE black & olive CALF HAIR MINI LUGGAGE Tote Shoulder BagBy CelineLocated in Zürich, CHCéline 'Mini Luaggabe' tote in olive calf hair with black calf hair gussets and black leather details. Zipper pocket on the front. Closes with a zipper on top. Lined in black leather...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags
$3,512 Sale Price20% Off - DOLCE & GABBANA black leather MISS ROMANTIQUE Shoulder BagBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Dolce & Gabbana Miss Romantique bag in black calfskin with details and trimming in patent leather. Opens with two magnetic buttons on top and is lined in black canvas ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- LOUIS VUITTON Ebene Damier SISTINA MM Hobo Shoulder BagBy Louis VuittonLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Louis Vuitton Sistina MM Hobo Bag in brown and camel Ebene Damier canvas with brown calfskin trimming. Opens with a zipper on t...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Hobo Bags
- CHANEL black leather LAX SMALL VERTICAL QUILTE Clutch Shoulder BagBy ChanelLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Chanel quilted mini shoulder bag in black calfskin. Opens with a zipper on top and is lined in black nylon. Has been carried once an...Category
Early 2000s French Structured Shoulder Bags
- CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN multicolor leather TRIBALOU PASSAGE Shoulder BagBy Christian LouboutinLocated in Zürich, CHWelcome to LUX Authentic Designer Consignment in Zurich 100% authentic Christian Louboutin Tribalou Passage Shoulder Bag is artfully desi...Category
2010s French Structured Shoulder Bags
- BOTTEGA VENETA dark brown CROCODILE CAMPANA MEDIUM HOBO BagBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Bottega Veneta shoulder bag in espresso brown matte crocodile. Closes with a magnet on top. Lined in light beige suede with a cell phone pocket against the front and a...Category
2010s Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- Fendi BLACK ZUCCA CANVAS & CALFSKIN LEATHER VINTAGE MAMA BAGUETTEBy FendiLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireFendi BLACK ZUCCA CANVAS & CALFSKIN LEATHER VINTAGE MAMA BAGUETTE CONDITION NOTES The exterior is in excellent condition with light signs of use. The interior is in excellent condit...Category
2010s Italian Top Handle Bags
- Chanel Black Lambskin Maxi Flap BagBy ChanelLocated in West Hollywood, CAChanel classic maxi flap bag with signature oversize "CC" logo. Turn lock closure. Black quilted lambskin and goldtone hardware. Very good con...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoulder Bags
- Faux Tortoise Shoulder Bag/Clutch, c.1980sLocated in Alford, MAConvertible clutch in faux tortoise shell features a textured goldtone clasp and gold chain. The chain folds away to convert to a clutch. Fabric interior with side compartment. Made ...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- Chanel Eggs Bag Jewelry BoxBy ChanelLocated in Paris, FRCollector. Chanel jewelry box eggs bag in black plexiglass Attention, this egg-box bag is straight out of the 2014-2015 Chanel ready-to-wear fashion show so th...Category
2010s French Evening Bags and Minaudières
$13,943 - Lanvin Brown Leather Double Strap Purse W/ Silver HardwareBy Lanvin ParisLocated in Los Angeles, CALanvin Brown Leather Double Strap Purse W/ Silver Hardware. In Excellent Condition. Original Price $1745 Measurements: Height - 8.5 Inches Width - 16.4 Inches Height with Stra...Category
2010s Structured Shoulder Bags
- See by Chloe Black Leather Women's Shoulder BagBy See By ChloeLocated in New York, NYThis is brand new without tags See by Chloe Black Leather Women's Shoulder Bag. Dust-bag is Included. Dimensions: L13*H11*D8.5Category
2010s Unknown Shoulder Bags
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Iconic Hermès Bag Is Made from an Unexpected Material: Wood
From a house that specializes in covetable objects, this version of the Kelly is the rarest of finds.
A Short History of the World’s Most Iconic Designs
Of the million-plus items on 1stdibs, some seem to have transcended time, looking as fresh today as when they were first produced. The pieces highlighted on our new Iconic Designs page stand out for longevity, functionality and quality of design and manufacture — just the tonic for the present unsettled moment.