Hermes Leather Black Cognac Flat Evening Top Handle Satchel Tote Bag
View Similar Items
Hermes Leather Black Cognac Flat Evening Top Handle Satchel Tote Bag
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 7 in (17.78 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU35924098071
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.
- HERMÈS NEW Birkin 30 Black Ostrich Exotic Rose Gold Top Handle Tote BagBy HermèsLocated in Chicago, ILNew Condition From 2021 Collection Ostrich Rose Gold Plated Hardware Leather Interior Zipper and Patch Pockets Measures 11.5" W x 9.5" H x 6" D Shoulder Strap Drop 5" Includes Padloc...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Tote Bags
$79,940 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping - CHANEL Black Lambskin Quilted Leather Gold Silver Top Handle Carryall Travel BagBy ChanelLocated in Chicago, ILPre-Owned Vintage Condition From 1999 Collection Lambskin Leather Silver and Gold Tone Hardware Leather Lining Measures 8.75" W x 9.75" H x 4" D Handle Drop 3" 100% Authenticity Guar...Category
Late 20th Century Top Handle Bags
$10,820 Sale Price20% Off - HERMES Plume Hot Pink Alligator Exotic Palladium Top Handle Shoulder Tote BagBy HermèsLocated in Chicago, ILPre-Owned Vintage Condition From 2006 Collection Alligator Miss Palladium Hardware Includes Dust Bag W 11.0 x H 6.3 x D 2.6 " Handle Drop 5" 100% Authenticity GuaranteedCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
$23,940 Sale Price20% Off - HERMES NEW Birkin 25 Ombre Lizard Exotic Skin Gold HW Top Handle Tote BagBy HermèsLocated in Chicago, ILNew Condition From 2021 Collection Lizard Leather Lining Gold Hardware Measures 9.75" W x 7.5" H x 5" D Handle Drop 2" Includes Clochette, Padlock, Keys, Rain Cover, Dust Bag 100...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
$159,940 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping - HERMES Kelly Clear Transparent PVC Vinyl Souvenir Travel Top Handle Tote BagBy HermèsLocated in Chicago, ILPre-Owned Vintage Condition From 1997 Collection Vinyl Measures 15.75" W x 12.25" H x 4.75" D Handle Drop 1.5" 100% Authenticity Guaranteed by NEWFOUND LUXURYCategory
Late 20th Century Top Handle Bags
$29,800 Sale Price20% Off - HERMES Kelly 32 Sellier Cognac Tan Leather Gold Top Handle Shoulder Tote BagBy HermèsLocated in Chicago, ILPre-Owned Vintage Condition From 1992 Collection Veau Greine Courchevel Gold Tone Hardware Measures 13" W x 9.5" H x 4.75" D Handle Drop 3.5" Shoulder Strap Drop 17" Includes Clochet...Category
Late 20th Century Tote Bags
$26,340 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping
- 2007 Hermès Birkin Bag Togo Leather Plomb Top Handle BagBy HermèsLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITBag by Hermès, Birkin model, size 35, made in Togo leather, soft to the touch and with light veins, Plomb colour, equal to black. Equipped with the classic interlocking flap, with ...Category
Early 2000s Top Handle Bags
- HERMÈS Blue Indigo, Rouge Sellier & Framboise Epsom Leather Casaque Birkin 30cmBy HermèsLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireHERMÈS Blue Indigo, Rouge Sellier & Framboise Epsom Leather Casaque Birkin 30cm Sellier Xupes Reference: HB5152 Serial Number: U Age (Circa): 2022 Accompanied By: Hermès Dust Bag, B...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
$32,842Free Shipping - HERMÈS Black Shiny Porosus Crocodile Leather Birkin 35cm RetourneBy HermèsLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireHERMÈS Black Shiny Porosus Crocodile Leather Birkin 35cm Retourne Xupes Reference: CB873 Serial Number: Y Age (Circa): 2020 Accompanied By: Hermès Dust Bag, Box, Padlock, Keys, Cloc...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- 2009 Chanel Tote Black Piton Hobo BagBy ChanelLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITChanel signed tote bag, made of black python leather with silver hardware. Equipped with a central flap with magnetic button closure, internally lined in gray fabric, very roomy. E...Category
Early 2000s Tote Bags
- Hermes Birkin Sellier 25 Vert Fonce Porosus Crocodile Emerald Toned Bag GoldBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers an Hermes Birkin Sellier 25 bag featured in Vert Fonce Porosus Crocodile. Stunning with a jewel toned Emerald green. This rich...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Birkin 35 Diamond Bordeaux Porosus Crocodile Bag White Gold HardwareBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers an exceptional Hermes Birkin 35 Diamond Porosus Crocodile bag featured in jewel toned Bordeaux. Exquisite and rare color, this Hermes Birkin bag with 18K White Gold hardware is set with 10.23 diamonds. Hermes diamonds are ethically sourced. Comes lock and keys in the clochette, sleeper and rain protector. Plastic on hardware. Carried one time. As a purveyor of exceptional and unique Hermes luxury goods...Category
21st Century and Contemporary 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.