Renowned as the first of the "It" bags, the Hermès Kelly bag boasts a rich history steeped in glamour, royalty, and unparalleled quality. No account of 20th-century fashion would be complete without delving into the Hermès Kelly bag’s legacy.
The First Hermès Bag
The story of the Hermès Kelly bag began in 1892 with the release of the Haut à courroies. This marked the design house’s first foray into handbag production, having previously focused on exquisite tack and saddles for the French nobility. The Haut à courroies was designed to carry a saddle, riding boots, and other essential equestrian gear. This initial design featured elements that would later become iconic in the Kelly and Birkin bags, such as the signature flap over a single rolled handle, leather sangles, metal plaque, and touret.
The Sac à Dépêches
In 1928, Robert Dumas reimagined the Haut à courroies as a smaller, more elegant bag designed to transport important papers and files, naming it the Sac à Dépêches, or "dispatch bag." Fashionable women quickly adopted it as a practical yet sophisticated accessory. Its strong trapezoid shape, rigid structure, and top handle set it apart from the smaller, envelope-like bags of the time, establishing it as one of the first true handbags.
The Sac à Dépêches gained popularity among the elite, used by prominent figures like John F. Kennedy, the Duke of Windsor, and notable poets and businessmen as a briefcase. Despite its popularity, it had not yet achieved the status of an “It” bag. The next chapter in the Hermès Kelly bag history unfolds in Hollywood’s Golden Age.
The Sac à Dépêches Meets Grace Kelly
The bag's association with Grace Kelly began with Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 film To Catch a Thief, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Award-winning costumer Edith Head selected the Sac à Dépêches for Kelly’s character. Kelly, already a fashion icon, loved the bag so much she reportedly refused to return it after filming ended.
Two years later, Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, becoming Princess Grace. When she became pregnant, the media followed her closely, and she used her Sac à Dépêches to shield her growing belly from the paparazzi. A photo of Kelly holding the bag on the cover of Life magazine spurred a frenzy among fashionable women, who flocked to Hermès boutiques asking for the “Kelly bag.”
Sales of the Sac à Dépêches soared, and in 1977, Hermès officially renamed it the Kelly bag, cementing its place as a cultural icon.
The Continuing Legacy of the Hermès Kelly Bag
The Hermès Kelly bag’s history didn't end with its renaming. Recognizing its international appeal, Hermès continued to refine and update the bag, ensuring it remained relevant for contemporary women. In 1985, they added a matching, detachable shoulder strap for increased versatility.
The Kelly bag is available in two primary styles: the Sellier and the Retourne. The Kelly Sellier features a highly structured design with sharp, clean lines, exuding a sophisticated and feminine aesthetic. The Kelly Retourne, on the other hand, has a more relaxed style with soft sides that allow for some overstuffing. The difference lies in their construction; the Sellier has exposed top-stitching with a resin-coated cut edge, while the Retourne is sewn like the Sellier but then turned inside out, giving it a slightly slouchy and casual look.
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