Hermes Birkin 30 Etain Gray Gold Hardware
View Similar Items
Hermes Birkin 30 Etain Gray Gold Hardware
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.
- Hermes Birkin 30 Blue Pale Togo Leather Gold Hardware NewBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLStunning Rare Hermes Birkin 30 Gris Mouette Absolutely Stunning As New 2020 Hermes Birkin 30 Blue Pale Leather complimented by Gold Hardware. As...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Birkin 25 Etain Gray Togo Leather Handbag Gold Hardware 2020By HermèsLocated in Miami, FLClassic Absolutely Stunning Rare Hermès Birkin 25 Etain Togo Leather Gold Hardware. Y Stamp 2020. One of the most coveted hardest combinations ...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Birkin 30 Vert Amande Epsom Leather Gold Hardware Green Gray 2021By HermèsLocated in Miami, FLUltra Rare Absolutely Stunning Hermes Birkin 30 Vert Amande Epsom Leather, Complimented by Gold Hardware. Pristine Condition with plastic on all Hardware. Excellent corners and struc...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Birkin 25 Poppy Orange Togo Leather Gold HardwareBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLStunning Rare Hermes Birkin 25 Poppy Orange Togo Leather Gold Hardware. Pristine Condition with Plastic on Hardware, perfect corners and structure. 2016 X Stamp. Shop With Confiden...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Birkin 30 Special Order Blue Ciel Lime Yellow Chèvre Palladium HardwareBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLStunning 1 of 1 Hermes Birkin 30 HSS Special Order Blue Ciel & Lime Chèvre Leather Complimented by Palladium Hardware. Excellent condition with plastic on hardware. Shop with Conf...Category
2010s Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Birkin 30 Rouge De Coeur Red Epsom Leather Gold HardwareBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLStunning Hermes Birkin 30 Rouge de Coeur Epsom Leather Gold Hardware. Pristine condition with plastic on hardware. 2019 D Stamp. Shop with Confidence ...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- HERMES 'Bolide' Large Handbag in White Epsom LeatherBy HermèsLocated in Paris, FRHermes 'Bolide' Large handbag in white epsom leather. Palladium metal hardware, zip closure, white leather interior and beige canvas. It comes from press...Category
2010s Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Club Birkin 35 Bag Gris Perle / Blanc / Mykonos Lizard Clemence PalladiumBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers a very rare limited edition Hermes Birkin 35 Club bag featured in Gris Perle. Exquisite Gris Perle and white Clemence leather is accentuated with rich blue Mykonos ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Birkin 30 Bag Gris Asphalte Togo Leather Palladium HardwareBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers an Hermes Birkin 30 bag featured in the most perfect neutral Gris Asphalte. This stunning greige toned colour is the most perfect gray. Fresh with palladium hardwar...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Tote Bags
- Chanel White Caviar Leather Top Handle Tote Bag, France, 1990sBy ChanelLocated in Praha 2, Hlavní město PrahaChanel vintage white caviar leather top metal handle tote bag, made in France, 1990s. Date of manufacture: 1999 Origin: France Material: caviar leather, metal Includes: serial/n Dim...Category
1990s French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Birkin 30 Vert D'eau Matte Alligator Bag Gold HardwareBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers a matte alligator Hermes Birkin 30 bag featured in rare breathtaking Vert D'Eau which is nothing less than translucent Caribbean water. Breathtakingly beautiful thi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- HERMÈS Gris Paris Matte Alligator Leather Birkin 35cmBy HermèsLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireHERMÈS Gris Paris Matte Alligator Leather Birkin 35cm Serial Number: [Q] Age (Circa): 2013 Accompanied By: Hermès Dust Bag, Box, Padlock, Keys, Clochette, ...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
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.