RARE Hermes Birkin Bag Toile Riga Veau Swift Leather Beige Dark Green 35 cm BNIB
View Similar Items
RARE Hermes Birkin Bag Toile Riga Veau Swift Leather Beige Dark Green 35 cm BNIB
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.
- Hermès Birkin 35 Bag Limited Edition Ghillies Grizzly Doblis Grey White CaillouBy HermèsLocated in FRExceptional and Gorgeous Authentic Hermes Handbag "BIRKIN" Grizzly Ghillies - Limited Edition - RARE Made in France Stamp X (2016) Made of...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Exceptional Hermès Kelly 32 Toile Barenia Special Edition India Gange RAREBy HermèsLocated in FRStunning and Gorgeous Authentic Hermès Bag "KELLY II" retourné Special Edition for the Year of India, also called "Gange" A must-have for any H...Category
Early 2000s French Top Handle Bags
- Rare Hermès Vintage Sumac Travel Riding or Picnic Bag Canvas Leather 50 cmBy HermèsLocated in FRRARE Authentic Hermès Bag "SUMAC" Made in France Stamp X in circle (1994) Made of : Canvas (Toile), grained and smooth leathers, golden hardware Colorways: Beige, White, Naturel...Category
1990s French Top Handle Bags
$4,385 Sale Price20% Off - Hermès Window Shop Display Decoration Kelly Bag and Horses in Cardstock RAREBy HermèsLocated in FRExceptional Authentic Hermès Decoration Theme: the "Kelly" Bag On the left: Kelly bags / On the right: a woman, locks and a car Made of cardstock,...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Decorative Objects
- Exceptional Hermès Vintage Bolide Bag Velvet Leather Soies Volantes Unique PieceBy HermèsLocated in FRExceptional Authentic Hermès Bag "Bolide" travel bag Print: "SOIES VOLANTES" (flying silks) Designed by Loic Dubigeon in 1991 Unique piece, created ...Category
1990s French Top Handle Bags
$39,465 Sale Price20% Off - Hermès Chevrons Toile Canvas and Barenia Leather Tigre Royal Bucket Bag RAREBy HermèsLocated in FRExtremely RARE Authentic Hermès Bucket Bag Pattern: "Tigre Royal" (Royal Tiger) Made in France Stamp N in Square, 2010, year of the tiger in the ...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Fendi Monogram Blue PochetteLocated in New York, NYLength: 11 Inches Height: 6 Inches Material: CanvasCategory
1990s Top Handle Bags
- Fendi White 2jour bagBy FendiLocated in Queens Village, NYWhite Fendi 2jour bag with saffianno leather in the front with soft white leather on the sides. Great bag for the holiday season. Gold hardware. Slight stain on the inside of the poc...Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Top Handle Bags
- MARNI iron grey leather FRAME Handbag BagBy MarniLocated in Zürich, CHauthentic Marni shoulder bag in iron grey smooth nappa leather with black acetate handle and pleated shoulder strap. Lined in grey nylon and divided...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
$560 Sale Price20% Off - Saint Laurent Baby Sac De Jour Gray Leather Handbag PurseBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Oakland, CASignature Saint Laurent Sac de Jour bag in gray. This classic bag features tubular handles, side gussets with compression tabs. Long removable adjustable shoulder strap. Saint Lau...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Top Handle Bags
- Louis Vuitton Ivorie EPI Leather Passy GM Handbag SatchelBy Louis VuittonLocated in Scottsdale, AZA chic and sophisticated Louis Vuitton bag to carry all your daily essentials. This Louis Vuitton Ivorie Epi Leather Passy GM Bag features a roomy interior with three separate compar...Category
Early 2000s French Top Handle Bags
$876 Sale Price20% Off - Chanel Vintage Velour Camellia Handle BagBy Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in Scottsdale, AZThis stunning top handle bag is crafted of off-white velvet with multicolor Camellia Accent Flower Print. The handbag features black acrylic top handles and a black CC medallion zipp...Category
Early 2000s Italian Top Handle Bags
$1,648 Sale Price20% Off
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.