Hermes Kelly Danse Bag Fringe Anate Bleu Jeans Swift Palladium Hardware NEW
About the Item
- Creator:
- Design:
- Metal:
- Dimensions:Height: 6.69 in (169.93 mm)Width: 8.66 in (219.97 mm)Depth: 2.37 in (60.2 mm)Length: 8.66 in (219.97 mm)
- Style:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2023
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2529222674572
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Milano, Italy
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Cartier Paris Art Deco Jade Diamond Lady's Vanity CaseBy CartierLocated in Milano, ITOctagonal powder compact in sculpted jadeite finished in yellow gold, platinum and half-rosette diamonds with a 13cm chain in platinum, natural pearls and half-rosette diamonds, mirror inside, gross approx. G 114.40, length about 6.30. Signed Cartier Paris n 1170, French goldsmith...Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanity Items
MaterialsDiamond, Jade, Natural Pearl, Platinum, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Faberge Silver Cigarette Case, 1914-1915By FabergéLocated in Milano, ITA SILVER CIGARETTE CASE MARKED FABERGÉ WITH THE IMPERIAL WARRANT, MOSCOW, CIRCA 1915 Rectangular with rounded corners, the cover repoussé with a circular reserve centring the Imperia...Category
Early 20th Century Russian Boxes and Cases
MaterialsSilver
- Bulgari Diamond 18kt Gold Spike RingBy BulgariLocated in Milano, ITElevate your style with the epitome of timeless sophistication - a vintage Bulgari Spiga collection ring. Meticulously crafted in opulent gold and adorned with 2 carats of resplenden...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Band Rings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, Gold
- Vintage Mario Buccellati Diamond and Pearl RingBy Mario BuccellatiLocated in Milano, ITExquisite Mario Buccellati Diamond and pearl ring, featuring two antique cushion cut diamonds weighting approx 2,20cts each and a Cultured pearl. Original Mario Buccellati fitted Box...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Cocktail Rings
MaterialsDiamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
- Pomellato 18Kt White Gold Goccia RingBy PomellatoLocated in Milano, ITA vintage ring signed by Maison Pomellato model “Goccia” in white gold 750/000 set with an ovoid cabochon cut labradorite.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
MaterialsLabradorite, White Gold
- 18 Karat White Gold Ten-Stone Diamond Half Eternity Ring 0.70 Carat F ColorLocated in Milano, ITA diamond half eternity platinum ring, the ten round brilliant-cut diamonds weights all about 0.07 cts each , estimated to weigh 0.70 carats in total, all claw set to an 18Kt White Gold mount. This ring is in excellent condition. This classic and simple half eternity ring comes from the collection of Massimo Pinardi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Band Rings
MaterialsDiamond, White Gold
- Lucite Clutch Flyover New York, Grace Kelly Style Circa 1950sLocated in New York, NYlucite clutch flyover New York with crystals Grace Kelly style. This is a rare lucite bag/clutch in mint condition. Embellished with crystals on the h...Category
Vintage 1950s American Art Deco Vanity Items
MaterialsZircon
- Vintage & Rare Cartier Lighter Black Enamel “Panthere“ Spots Palladium FinishBy CartierLocated in New York, NYLe Must de Cartier Vintage & Rare Cartier Lighter Black Enamel “Panthere“ Spots Palladium Finish You do not get this anymore, very rare Cartier Lighte...Category
Late 20th Century French Artist Vanity Items
MaterialsPalladium, Enamel
- Vintage 24k Gold plated Ligne 2 ST Dupont Lighter brushed Palladium 1990sBy S.T. DupontLocated in DELFT, NLVintage Authentic 24k Gold plated Ligne 2 ST Dupont Lighter brushed Palladium 1990s The iconic S.T. Dupont name is known for quality, well-made cigarette lighters and other luxury ...Category
1990s French Vanity Items
MaterialsGold, Gold Plate, 24k Gold, Palladium
- Handcraft Brass BagLocated in Marcianise, ITFor any problems related to some materials contained in the items that do not allow shipping and require specific documents that require a particular period, please contact the seller with a private message to solve the problem. Brass bag...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Artisan Vanity Items
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Lucite Evening Clutch Flyover New YorkLocated in New York, NYRare lucite evening clutch flyover new york with crystals grace kelly style Embellished with crystals and hand painted flowers on white agate. In ex...Category
Vintage 1950s American Art Deco Vanity Items
MaterialsAgate, Crystal
- Diamond "Renee" Bag, FranceLocated in Riverdale, NYCustom made black silk velvet evening purse decorated with script "RENEE" worked in sparkling pave diamonds. Bag is edged in a fine silk satin piping and is lined in satin as well. Snap closure.
Retailed through Henri Beatrix...CategoryVintage 1950s French Vanity Items
MaterialsDiamond
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.