Hermès Kelly Doll History
The Hermès Kelly Doll was first released in 2000 and was designed by Jean-Louis Dumas. The tiny Kelly bag retailed for about $2,500 and was produced in eight colors including Orange H, Rouge H, Black, Noisette, Blue Saphir, Vert Olive, Vert Cru, and Rouge Vif. Orange H and Black are the most common colors available on the secondary market. The popularity of this whimsical Kelly bag wasn't immediate and they were easy to find in the secondary market for close to retail before 2005. The bags have been regularly discontinued and then released in new limited edition colors and materials.
Hermès discontinued the Kelly Doll in 2005 and then started producing limited edition bags in 2008. These Hermès Kelly Doll were mostly to mark the opening of new boutiques around the world. Through 2010 a number of new colors came out of the Pantin ateliers including Blue Jean, and Vermillion. For the 2010 opening of the Sogo boutique in Hong Kong a Kelly Doll was produced in 5P pink. After 2010 the Hermès Kelly Doll was retired again, resulting in renewed interest from collectors and greater demand in the secondary market.
In 2015 Hermès debuted a set of five unique Kelly Dolls Quelle Idole bags at the Leather Forever exhibition in Singapore to represent each decade of Singapore's independence. The pieces featured embroidery, beading, exotic skins and other unique elements and took months to complete. While these bags are though to have sold in a private auction, these bags haven't resurfaced on the secondary market. Beginning in 2017 the Hermès Kelly Doll was no longer produced just for store openings or special events. Hermès now offers the Kelly Doll to its top clients, including the ability to purchase special order bags in a range or colors and exotic leathers.
Hermès Kelly Doll Picto
Hermès introduced the newest Kelly Doll as part of its Spring/Summer 2022 collection. The new Hermès Kelly Doll Picto is a completely redesigned and re-imagined take on the Hermès Kelly Doll. The new design comes with a shoulder strap and has a pixel art style complete with a little backpack. The new Hermès Kelly Doll Picto comes in Epsom leather in three colors: Mauve Sylvestre, Nata and Bleu Saphir. It retails for about $15,600. Sotheby's has the newest Bleu Saphir Hermès Kelly Doll Picto available in Hong Kong (sale dates September 29 to October 12)
Hermès Kelly Doll Picto Price
The Hermès Kelly Doll Picto has been selling for between $50,000-$60,000 so far in 2023 and we believe this price level will remain largely unchanged for the remainder of the year. This is inline with the original leather Kelly Doll in store fresh condition. The original Hermès Kelly Doll in slightly used condition sells closer to $30,000 while the alligator Kelly Doll in the original style sells closer to $100,000. We anticipate the price for the Kelly Doll Picto could decline next year as this new model becomes more attainable to top collectors. That being said, new colors of the Kelly Doll Picto are estimated to remain closer to $50,000.
