What every collector needs to know about Hermès handbags

It takes a single expert craftsman up to 40 hours to produce a Birkin bag. The stitch on which the brand's reputation is based — the saddle — ... WhateverycollectorneedstoknowaboutHermèshandbags Christie’sHandbags&Accessoriesspecialistslookatthe‘holytrinity’ofHermèsbags—theKelly,theConstanceandtheBirkin—andofferanexpertguidetowhatnewandexperiencedcollectorsshouldlookfor 1 Hermèsbags—history,andqualityasaninvestment Thierry Hermès beganhiscareerin1837craftingharnesses,andfromtheoutsetwasfastidiousinhisdevotiontomaterials,qualityandcraft. In1880,Hermèsandhissonsintroducedsaddlerytotheirarrayofproducts.  Inthe20thcentury, Hermès furtherenhanceditsproductrangebyaddingaccessoriesforwomen,including carrés,orsilkscarves,and sacs.Thetechniquesthatfortwocenturieswereusedtocraftthehighestqualitysaddlesarestillseentodayintheatelierswhere Hermès craftsmenandwomenstitchandsewBirkinandKellyhandbagsbyhand.  Openalargerversionofthisimage AgristourterelleostrichBirkin30withpalladiumhardware,Hermès,2007.30wx22hx15dcm.Estimate:€12,000-15,000.OfferedinInsidetheOrangeBox:ALifetimeofCollecting,PropertyfromanImportantEuropeanCollectoron14-23June2022atChristie’sOnline Ittakesasingleexpertcraftsmanupto40hourstoproduceaBirkinbag.Thestitchonwhichthebrand’sreputationisbased—thesaddle—cannotbereplicatedbyamachine;ittakestwoneedlessimultaneouslypassingthroughthesameseamtoproduceaBirkincorrectly.Ifdonecorrectly,thesaddlestitchwillneverunravel—eitheronasaddleoraBirkin. 2 ThebirthoftheHermèsKellybag Openalargerversionofthisimage AvioletostrichretournéKelly32withpalladiumhardware,Hermès,2007.32wx23hx10dcm.Estimate:€8,000-10,000.OfferedinInsidetheOrangeBox:ALifetimeofCollecting,PropertyfromanImportantEuropeanCollectoron14-23June2022atChristie’sOnline Émile-MauriceHermèswasthecreativemindbehindthefirstHermèsaccessories.Aftertheadventoftheautomobile,Émile-Maurice diversifiedtheHermèsofferingswithanarrayofproductsthatreflectedthechangingtimes.Forexample,HermèsbecamethefirstFrenchfirmtointroducethemodernzippermechanism inleathergoodsandclothing.  Amonghismanycontributionswasthe‘Sacàdépêches’,whichwasproducedin1935forhiswifetocarry.Thebagwouldgoontoachieveworldwiderecognition20yearslater,whenin1956PrincessGraceKellyusedher‘Sacàdépêches’toshieldherbabybumpfromthepaparazzi.Inanearlyinstanceofwhatmighttodaybedescribedas‘viralmarketing’,Hermèsreceivedsomanyrequestsfor‘TheKellyBag’,asitbecameimmediatelyknown,thatitwasrenamedinhonouroftheprincess. 3 TheoriginsoftheHermèsBirkinbag Openalargerversionofthisimage AmattewhitehimalayaniloticuscrocodileBirkin30withpalladiumhardware,Hermès,2019.Soldfor€151,200on27April2022atChristie’sinParis ThestoryoftheinventionoftheBirkinbag—theresultofthechancemeetingin1983betweenactressJaneBirkinandJean-LouisDumas,thencreativedirectorofHermès— hasbecomelegendaryamongHermèslovers. Thetwowereseatednexttoeachotheronaninternationalflight.WhenDumasaskedwhyshetravelledwithasimplestrawtote,Birkinexplainedthatmostleatherbagsweretoostructuredforhertaste. Birkin‘wantedsomethingmuchmoreboho’,accordingtoCaitlinDonovan,headofdepartment,HandbagsandAccessoriesatChristie’sinNewYork.‘Thetwoactuallycameupwiththedesignforthebagonthatflight,onthebackofanairsicknessbag.’Sinceitsinception,thespecialistadds,theBirkin‘haschangedlittleinstyleorfunction’. 4 SilkscarvesbyHermèshaveinspiredhandbagdesigns Openalargerversionofthisimage AlimitededitionroseMexicoswiftleather&marbleConstance24withpalladiumhardware,Hermès,2020.Soldfor£21,250on23June,Online AsisthecasewithmanyiconicHermèsproducts,thesilkscarfwasinspiredbyanitemofequestrianclothing—theridingsilk,withÉmile-Mauriceproducingthefirstcarré in1937.Upto36colourframesarepreparedandmeticulouslyprintedonthefinestChinesesilk.Todaymorethan2,000scarfdesignshavebeenproduced,andanHermèsscarfissoldworldwideevery25seconds.  Thearchitect,illustratorandartistNigelPeakecreatedthe‘OnaSummerDay’scarfforHermès,itswhimsical,abstractcityscapeexemplifyingthehouse’sirreverentsenseofhumourandsophisticatedaesthetic.TwoConstancebagswerecreated,whichusedPeake’sgraphicasinspiration—the‘OnaSummerDay’and‘OnaSummerNight’Constancebags. In2018,PeakeagaincollaboratedwithHermèsonalimitededitionbag.TheOneTwoThree&AwayWeGoBirkinisinspiredbytheFerrisWheelontheGrandeRouedelaConcordeinParis. FortheirFall/Winter2020collection,Hermèscombinedtheirexpertiseinsilkprintingandleathercraftsmanshipwiththedebutofthe‘MarbleSilkConstance.’Craftedinextremelylimitedproduction,thisrareConstanceisareflectionofHermès’continualcommitmenttoinnovationwhilebuildinguponclassicdesigntechniques. 5 TheimportanceofthehorseshoestamponanHermèsbag Openalargerversionofthisimage Acustommalachite&grismouetteepsomleatherBirkin30withpalladiumhardware,Hermès,2017.30wx22hx15dcm.Estimate:€10,000-12,000.OfferedinInsidetheOrangeBox:ALifetimeofCollecting,PropertyfromanImportantEuropeanCollectoron14-23June2022atChristie’sOnline CollectorsofHermèsareknownfortheirencyclopaedicknowledgeofmaterials,shades,andmodels.TobeanHermèsexpertistobefluentinalanguageinwhichphrasessuchas‘JuaneAmbreClemenceK28’and‘MatteMykonosAlligatorB30’arenotonlyfamiliar,butrepresentsomethingveryspecific. Tothesecollectors,thereisnogreaterprivilegethanbecomingtheownerofabagemblazonedwithahorseshoestamp,denotingthatthebagwasaspecialorder,andoftencraftedinacombinationoftheseason'smostdesirablenewcolors.TothosewhocanimmediatelyidentifyanHermèshueorleather,theSpecialOrderprocessremainsasignificantexperience.Theseone-of-a-kindpiecescandrivevaluessky-high. 6 Rose,BleuorRouge:colourisfundamentalforcollectorsofHermèsbags Openalargerversionofthisimage Alimitededitionbleuindigo&RougeHepsomleathercontourBirkin35withgoldhardware,Hermès,2017.35wx25hx18dcm.Estimate:€8,000-10,000.OfferedinInsidetheOrangeBox:ALifetimeofCollecting,PropertyfromanImportantEuropeanCollectoron14-23June2022atChristie’sOnline TheexpertiseHermèsappliestoeveryaspectofitsdesignextendstotherigourofitsdyeingprocess.AllleathersaretreatedanddyedbyartisansintheworkshopsofPantin.Theseasonalreleaseofcoloursisalwaysanxiouslyanticipated,andinevitablyresultsincomprehensivedissectionbyHermèsfanatics.Rumoursof‘rested’coloursbeingre-releasedareregularlycirculated.  Atauction,pinksandbluestendtoachievethehighestvalues.ShadessuchasRoseLipstick,RoseAzaleeandRoseSakuraareknowntocommandhighprices,especiallyinsmallpiecessuchastheKellyPochetteortheKelly25.Bleubags,especiallyshadessuchasBleuMarineandBleuSaphir,arehighlycovetedforBirkins.SomeshadesarepartoftheHermèscanon,includingRougeHermès,knownasRougeH,andhavebeencollectorstaplesforhalfacentury. 7 TheevolutionoftheHermèsConstancebag Openalargerversionofthisimage AshinyrosepourprealligatorMiniConstance18withgoldhardware,Hermès,2019.Soldfor€32,760on27April2022atChristie’sinParis SaidtohaveleftthefactoryonthesamedaythatHermèsdesignerCatherineChaillet’sfifthchildwasborn,theConstancebagenteredthemarketin1959,andwasnamedafterthedesigner’snewborndaughter.Althoughdesignedmorethan50yearsago,theConstance’selegantshapeandfunctionaldesignmakeitafavouriteamongcollectors.ItissaidthataConstancecanbehardertofindthanthemorewell-knownBirkinandKelly.  ‘TheConstanceisacelebrationofthebrand’scraftsmanshipandtheworkshopinwhicheveryHermèspieceoriginates.Aperfectmarriageofmaterialsandcolours.’ 8 Invention,innovationandtheHermèsPicnicCollection Openalargerversionofthisimage Alimitededitionjaunedenaplesswiftleather&osierMiniPicnicKelly20withpalladiumhardware,Hermès,2019.Soldfor€75,600on27April2022atChristie’sinParis OnlyHermèswouldtakeanexistingcraftandspendyearsworkingtowardsaninventivenewwaytointerpretmaterials.Thedelicatenatureofosier,orwicker,meansitisusedbyonlythemostskilledartisans.TheresultingbasketpatternispairedwithBarenialeather,knowntocollectorsasthematerialusedinsaddles.  ‘Thisjuxtapositionofoldandnewhighlightsthebrand’sconstantinnovation.TheOsierKellywasfirstseenin2011;fiveyearslater,Hermèsinventedatechniquetoproducewickerbagsinaroundshape.The2016Spring/SummerPicnicPartycollectionsawtheintroductionofaselectionofwickeritems,suchasthePicnicBolideandFarmingBag,however,asthefirstofthiscollection,thePicnicKellycontinuestobeatopcollectorpiece.’ 9 TheHermèsSoBlackCollection Openalargerversionofthisimage Arare,limitededitionblackcalfboxleatherSoBlackBirkin35withblackpvdhardware,Hermès,2011.Soldfor$30,000on9June2021,Online MostpeopleareawarethatitcanbedifficulttofindaBirkin,butfewrealisethatthisisbecausenearlyeverymodelisheldataverylowlevelofproduction.ThematerialsandqualityintrinsictotheircreationcontributetotherarityofallHermèsleathergoods,whichmeanshandbagcollectorscanspendyearssearchingformodelsinunusualmaterialsandcolours—especiallyshadesthataremoredifficulttoachieve.  TheSoBlackcollection,currentlyoneofthemostdesirableonthemarket,wasnotalwaysascovetedasitistoday.DesignedbyJeanPaulGaultier,theblackhardwareeffectiscreatedthankstoaPVDcoating.Whenitwasfirstreleasedin2010,itwasswiftlypulledfromdistributionbecausethedelicatenatureofthehardwaremadeconsumerswaryofitsutilitarianfunction.Ofcourse,thisonlyservedtoattractcollectors.Now,itisveryraretofindoneinperfectcondition,likethemodelabove. DeconstructedTheHermesHimalaya Highlightedsale InsidetheOrangeBox:ALifetimeofCollecting,PropertyfromanImportantEuropeanCollector Online 14-23June2022 Learnmore GetthebeststoriesfromChristies.cominaweeklyemail Signupnow *Wewillneversellorrentyourinformation.PrivacyPolicy Relatedfeature ‘ApassionateconnoisseurofallthingsHermès’:thelargestsingle-ownercollectionofHermèsevertocometomarket Readmore Relatedauctions InsidetheOrangeBox:ALifetimeofCollecting,Propertyfroman... Online 14-23Jun Browsesale Youmayalsolike Relatedcontent ‘ApassionateconnoisseurofallthingsHermès’:thelargestsingle-ownercollectionofHermèsevertocometomarket Morethan250Hermèslotsfromasingle-ownercollection—rangingfromBirkinsandKellystobraceletsandscarves—areofferedonline HermèsBirkinbags:aguidetothemostcovetablelimited-editionstyles DiscoverthehistorybehindtheHermèsFaubourg,Ghillies,SunriseBirkinandotherraredesigns Hermèshandbagsforeverybudget Whetheryouhave£1,000tospendorarereadytogoto£50,000-plus,there’saHermèsbagforyouinourHandbags&Accessoriessales WhattheHermèsHorseshoestampmeanstohandbagcollectors Custom-madeHSShandbagsfeaturingthisspecialemblemrepresenttheHolyGrailforHermèsaficionados TheequestrianheritageofHermès Christie’sspecialistJerryChangintroducesthesignaturebagsandaccessoriesinspiredbyHermès’sequestrianheritage Deconstructed:TheHermès Himalaya Whycollectorsareinthralltotheextraordinarycraftsmanshipbehindthecreationoftheultimatebag—illustratedwithexamplesofferedatChristie’s Relateddepartment Handbags&accessories Relatedartists Hermes TaptoClose