HERMES Vintage Kelly 32 Bag in Black Box Leather
View Similar Items
HERMES Vintage Kelly 32 Bag in Black Box Leather
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 8.67 in (22 cm)Depth: 4.34 in (11 cm)Length: 12.6 in (32 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:It is in good condition. The leather is cracked on the flap. It is found that it is torn in two places on the back of the flap (see photos). Slight wear of the corners is visible under the bag. The handle is new, it has been replaced at Hermès.
- Seller Location:Paris, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: 259361stDibs: LU69535546841
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.
- Hermes Kelly Doll Quelle Idole Black AlligatorBy HermèsLocated in Paris, FRDesigned by Jean-Louis Dumas in 2000, reedited very rarely in very small quantities. Incredible mini kelly doll in alligator leather ! Crocodile leather is...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- GUCCI Vintage Bag in Black Cowhide Leather and Ribbed WoodBy GucciLocated in Paris, FRGUCCI vintage bag in black cowhide leather and ribbed wood. The interior is lined in monogram canvas with a zipped pocket. In very good condition....Category
Late 20th Century Italian Top Handle Bags
- BOTTEGA VENETA Bag in Dark Purple Python effect LeatherBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Paris, FRBottega Veneta bag in in dark purple python effect leather. Worn by hand or shoulder with a handle. Made in Italy. In very good condition. Dimensions: Le...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Top Handle Bags
- Vintage Bag in Brown Crocodile Porosus LeatherLocated in Paris, FRCollector. Grimaldi 70 vintage bag in brown crocodile porosus leather. Gilded hardware. The interior is smooth lamb leather with 2 gussets. The first ha...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Top Handle Bags
- FENDI 'Peekaboo' Bag in Soft Black LeatherBy FendiLocated in Paris, FRFendi 'peekaboo' bag in soft black leather. Medium size with adjustable and removable shoulder strap and handle. The closure is swivel : in gilded and silve...Category
2010s Italian Top Handle Bags
- CHANEL Bag in Perforated Navy Blue Patent LeatherBy ChanelLocated in Paris, FRChanel bag in perforated navy blue patent leather. Palladium silver metal hardware. Worn by hand. It is lined in beige alcantara with two zipped pockets. Stamp S from private sale...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Balenciaga Ville Logo Sprint Black Shoulder BagBy BalenciagaLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITBalenciaga bag, Ville logo print model, made of black leather, white printed logo and silver hardware. Equipped with a double rigid handle in leather a...Category
2010s Novelty Bags
- 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 Kelly 32 Veau Grain Lisse NoirBy HermèsLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITBorsa firmata Hermès, modello Kelly, misura 32, realizzata in pelle Veau Grain Lisse, sottile e ad effetto lucido, nella colorazione Noir, con hardware dorati. Dotata di una patta co...Category
1990s Top Handle Bags
- Gucci Zumi Shopper NeraBy GucciLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITBorsa firmata Gucci, modello Zumi realizzata in pelle nera martellata con hardware gold e silver. Dotata di una patta frontale con chiusura a gancio. Munita di una tracolla in pelle ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
$2,220 - Balenciaga Hourglass Grande NeraBy BalenciagaLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITBorsa firmata Balenciaga, modello Hourglass, misura grande, realizzata in pelle liscia nera con hardware dorati. Munita di un manico rigido centrale per portata a mano e di una traco...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- Bvlgari Borsa a mano Snake NeraBy BvlgariLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITShopping bag di Bulgari in pelle nera e color nude con hardware argentati. Predispone di una patta frontale con chiusura ad incastro. Gli interni sono rivestiti con una pelle liscia viola ed è munita di tasche interne tra cui una con chiusura a zip. Inoltre, la borsa è dotata di una tracolla, rimovibile e regolabile, in pelle color nude e nera. Le condizioni della borsa sono buone, presenta dei leggeri segni di usura sulla pelle e all’interno delle macchie sulla patta all’interno. ___________________ Bulgari shopping...Category
2010s Top Handle 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.