The Most Iconic of Hermès

Hermès is one of the most coveted fashion luxury brands. The well-known French brand represents the ultimate status symbols in exclusive apparel, handbags, accessories collections. 

Hermès had founded by Thierry Hermès in 1837. He designed harnesses for animals and later began to craft saddles, creating a brand heritage associated with equestrian goods. The Haut à Courroies was Hermès' first handbag and the predecessor of Kelly bag, designed at the beginning of the 20th century. The Haut à Courroies was
designed to protect the transport saddles and riding boots. This practical bag offered
riders an early expression of elegance. 

Hermès's practical philosophy has been highlighted in many of its designs. Catherine Fulconis, the general manager of Hermès, quotes,

"We don't consider a bag as an accessory, but as an object made to last."

Hermès has consistently emphasized quality, and their leather products are still handmade by highly trained artisans today. Also, the history behind the most iconic bags and accessories makes Hermès a precious luxury brand made to last. 

Let's talk about some interesting facts about Hermès products. Hermès 'horseshoe stamp' is only used for handbags made for special orders, meaning that the item is custom-made for a specific customer.

Highly valued colors on Hermès bags are pinks and blues. Shades such as rose lipstick and rose Sakura were known to have higher prices, especially for Kelly 25 and Pochette models. Shades of blue such as Blue Marine and Sapphire are highly
preferred bags for the Birkin model.

The zipper we use today was first known as the 'fermeture Hermès'; fermeture means fastener in French. Emile Maurice, the grandson of Thierry Hermès, was the first to bring the zipper to France. Thus, Hermès is the first brand that had used the zipper in leather goods. 

Now, let's have a look at Hermès' iconic models and their stories.

The Hermès Birkin: Icon of All Times

The iconic Birkin bag is named after actress and 'it girl' Jane Birkin. In 1981, style icon Jane Birkin happened to be seated next to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight. Noticing her struggle with her carry-on, Hermès Birkin was born after three years of this encounter. Besides its chic appearance, the functionality of a Birkin bag
is remarkable. It comes in many sizes, and even the smallest one can fit all your daily essentials.

Since the late 1980s, the Birkin has been the most in-demand handbag among
A-listers. Even though the Birkin model has limited availability, Birkin sales were up 185% in 2020. One Birkin handbag takes 40 hours to produce by a single artisan. 

Here is an interesting fact; according to BagHunte, Hermès Birkin is a more valuable investment than gold. Its value has continuously increased over 500% in the last 35 years.
It stays valuable because it can be bought only by selected clients with limited amounts.

Preowned selling platforms like jebwa.com are making Hermès bags more accessible. Buying a new or a preowned one, a Hermès Birkin Bag is still an excellent investment. 

The model Birkin has already gained a place in the metaverse as MetaBirkin. This time, MetaBirkin bags are designed by the digital creator Mason Rothschild, not by the Hermès brand.

Mason states that MetaBirkins is his tribute to the brand. He reinterprets a design that he finds iconic and recreates the physical product digitally. Also, he claims that MetaBirkins boasted a trading value of $1.1 million. Nevertheless, Hermès disagrees; the brand stated that they consider those digital products as counterfeit items.

The Hermès Kelly: Luxurious Classic
The Kelly bag is the oldest and the most classic model from Hermès. Its original name is Sac-à-Dépêches and designed to carry all your necessities. Then, in the 1950s, the Kelly bag has become the favorite handbag of princess Grace Kelly. She was using this purse to cover her pregnancy from paparazzi. The model was officially renamed Kelly in 1977. 

Kelly Sellier and Kelly Retourne are the two styles of the Kelly bag.

Retourne means reversed. It is created with softer leather, has a more relaxed finish, and has a more casual look than Sellier. On the other hand, Sellier is more structured and rigid with an elegant and formal look. They both come in different sizes: Kelly 15 to Kelly 50.

Which one do you think is more functional? Birkin or Kelly?

Among the Hermès collectors, Birkin and Kelly handbag models are always a matter of debatable. Nevertheless, Kelly is the more luxurious and sophisticated one.

The Hermès Constance: Simple yet Luxurious 

Catherine Chaillet, the first Hermès female designer, created the Constance
handbag. She was pregnant while designing the bag, and she named it after her daughter Constance. 

The Constance bag is a remarkable model with its versatility and iconic "H" clasp. It is worn comfortably over the shoulder with its strap. Also, Jackie Kennedy's favorite
go-to-style "Elan" is Constance's micro model. 

The Constance is the perfect marriage of materials and colors and a beautiful example of craftsmanship. Rumor has it, Constance can be harder to find than Birkin and Kelly. 

Also, the Constance belt is a popular accessory, especially among internet influencers. You can see the various styles of Constance belt in every fashion week.

The Hermès Evelyne: Equestrian to Casual

Evelyne bag is preferable for its simple design and functionality. This crossbody bag is well-known with perforations that form "H" on one side. These perforations allow air to circulate inside because its original function was to transport horse grooming
equipment. 

In the early 2000s, the style officially moved from the equestrian to the leather goods department. Usually, the everyday women would wear Evelyne bag with the "H"
facing the body. Regardless, nowadays, the trend is to be worn outside.

Evelyne bag comes in four generations as I, II, III, and
Sellier. Generation I and II don't have an adjustable strap. Generation III is the most functional, with an adjustable strap and an exterior pocket. The Sellier is the Evelyne renewed: the perforations replaced with a diamond-shaped "H" print. Today, just Generation III and Sellier are being produced.

The Evelyne model is produced in four types of leather, but the interior is always raw. It has a variety of colors, from neutral to vibrant colors. The functionality of this
crossbody Hermès model makes it suitable for travel and casual looks.

The Hermès Collier de Chien

The iconic bracelet Collier De Chien was first introduced in 1923, and the model name means "dog collar" in English. It was a piece for a client's bulldog; then, a
customer requested this collar as a belt. Hermès launched these belts, made of
four-faceted studs and a ring, as a new product line in 1927.

Eventually, the model inspired the creation of the Collier de Chien bracelet in 1949. It is still an iconic accessory, and you can order it from varieties of different leather and hardware. 

For more, click to shop Hermès at Jebwa!