HERMES Brume blue Epsom leather MINI KELLY 20 SELLER Bag w Gold
View Similar Items
HERMES Brume blue Epsom leather MINI KELLY 20 SELLER 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.
- BOTTEGA VENETA beige KARUNG & PYTHON PATCHWORK Tote Shoulder Bag LTD EDBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Bottega Veneta Limited Edition tote shoulder bag in espresso, cognac, brown and khaki patchwork leather and snakeskin. Lined in espresso lambskin featuring Intrecciato...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
$2,632 Sale Price20% Off - BOTTEGA VENETA brown red blue TRI COLOR AYERS Shoulder BagBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Zürich, CHBottega Veneta shoulder bag in brown, dark brown and red snakeskin featuring blue trim. Can be worn as a shoulder bag , clutch or crossbody bag. Opens with a magnetic flap and is lin...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
$3,112 Sale Price20% Off - CHLOE Motty grey suede PIXIE MEDIUM DOUBLE HANDLE BagBy ChloéLocated in Zürich, CHChloé 'Pixie Medium Double Handle' circle shoulder bag in Motty grey paneled calfskin and suede with stud trim. Brassy round tote handles. Removable and adjustable shoulder strap. Fl...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- CHRISTIAN DIOR black leather DIORAMA CLASP MEDIUM FLAP Shoulder BagBy Christian DiorLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Christian Dior Diorama Clasp Medium Flap Bag Cruise 16 in black embroidered calfskin with baby pink, white and beige CD logo stitching featuring silver-tone metal chai...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- VALENTINO brown leather GLAM LOCK SMALL EMBROIDERED Shoulder BagBy ValentinoLocated in Zürich, CHValentino 'Glam Lock Rockstud' embroidered shoulder bag in cognac brown calfskin featuring light gold-tone hardware. Opens with a flap and push-lock closure to a cognac brown suede i...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
$2,120 Sale Price20% Off - TOM FORD black leather NATALIA Shoulder BagBy Tom FordLocated in Zürich, CHTom Ford 'Natalia' crossbody bag in black calfskin featuring flap top with oversized gold-tone turn-lock closure. Slit pocket on the back side. Lined in black microfibre with one zip...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags
- 1930's Hand Woven Fish Basket Purse Bucket BagLocated in New York, NY1930's hand woven circular fish basket purse with double drop handles to carry in hand or under arm. The bag can also be used to enhance home decor and as a catch all. Beautiful piece.Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Shoulder Bags
- 2011 Chanel NEW Limited Edition watercolor graffiti tote beach bagLocated in Miami, FL2011 Beautiful watercolor tote; Very sought after bag, hard to find this bag in NEW condition. Brand new never used with box, dust bag, authenticity card Very spacious, can be worn ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags
- 1996 Chanel vintage jumbo snake chain flap bagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLExcellent vintage condition Minor scratches to interior lambskin flap lining some minor knicks to patent leather Very rarely carried and always stored in dust bag Collectors dream ...Category
1990s Structured Shoulder Bags
- Chanel large CC coated canvas beach toteBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLNever worn As seen on Sex and the City the movie Has a large detachable interior pouch insert XL shopping tote with rope detail perfect for travel or vacation Very spacious tote th...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags
- 1990s Chanel ICONIC CC vintage navy blue drawstring bucket bagLocated in Miami, FLNavy Blue extremely rare color ONLY ONE on the market! Gently used with minor scratches to CC hardware Minimal wear on bottom corner barely noticeable other areas are in excellent condition includes interior pouch to place cosmetics or credit cards in drawstring closure Gold Hardware CC's all around bottom Serial number is not present has faded Interior is in excellent condition; lambskin navy blue interior lining Chanel name...Category
20th Century Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- 2004 brown Lambskin leather pleated rings hobo shoulder bagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLNew condition with faint scratches to hardware. Includes box, dust bag and authenticity card. Extremely rare bag, super soft buttery leather. Large CC silver hardwareCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian 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.