Handbags & Accessories

H andbags & Accessories Online offers extraordinary examples of the finest craftsmanship from top French fashion houses: Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior. Led by the exceedingly rare Sac Faubourg Birkin 20cm, this auction includes some of the rarest Hermès bags: a Hermès Himalaya Birkin 35cm, a White Mini Picnic Kelly 20cm, an Ombre Lizard Constance 18cm, a Smile Bolide 123 30cm and a Hermès Bubblegum Epsom Birkin 30cm, all in new condition.

In addition to these collectibles, the auction features a curated selection of primarily new exotic and leather Birkins, Kellys and Constances that are perfect for everyday wear. Also included is a selection of Hermès accessories and scarves and a selection of Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior handbags.

Additional photos and details are available on request. This online-only auction closes on June 1st.

History of the Hermès Handbag

Learn the history of how Hermès reinvented the luxury handbag

1837
1900
1922
1935
1959
1964
1978
1984
2002
2003
2007
2014

1837

Thierry Hermès opens his harness workshop in Paris's Grands Boulevards quarter and begins crafting high-quality harnesses and bridles for English noblemen. Hermès does quite well, and even wins several awards for his work at the Expositions Universelles in Paris.

(left) Thierry Hermès, founder of Hermès
1900

Under the management of Thierry Hermès's son, Charles-Émile, the company introduces a wider variety of leather-goods, including saddlery. The Hermès name gains noteritiy the world over and, in 1900, the first Hermès bag is released: called the Haut à Courroies, the bag is designed for riders, to use for carrying a saddle.

(left) A Birkin 55 HAC (haut a Courroies) Blue Royal Colour in Clemence Leather with gold hardware. Sold for £11,250 in March 2020.
1922

Charles-Émile retires in the early 20th century, and company ownership passes to his two sons, Adolphe and Émile-Maurice. In 1922, Émile-Maurice's wife complains that she can't find any handbags to suit her liking – in response, Émile-Maurice designs the first Hermès leather handbag. Named the Bolide, the bag is a smaller version of the Haut a Courroies style.

(left) A Hermès Black Smile Bolide 1923 30cm of Tadelakt Leather and Black Niloticus Lizard with Palladium Hardware. Estimate $20,000 – 30,000.

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1935

Hermès debuts the Sac-à-Depêches handbag. In 1956, the bag was renamed the 'Kelly' after Grace Kelly, who famously used her Sac-à-Depêches to cover her pregnant stomach, thwarting the paparazzi.

(left) A rare Hermès Rouge H Sellier Kelly 25cm of Shiny Niloticus Lizard with Palladium Hardware. Estimate $26,000 – 32,000.

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1959

Hermès introduces the Constance bag. The bag is created by Catherine Chaillet, a favored designer with the brand; Catherine named the bag Constance after her daughter, to whom she had recently given birth when production on the bag first began.

(left) A Hermès Anemone Constance 18cm of Evercolor Leather with Gold Hardware. Estimate $11,000 – 13,000.

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1964

Hermès introduced its Garden Party handbag, a casual tote bag with an especially durable design (it's meant to be carried in a garden, after all).

(left) A Hermès Rouge Tomate and Capucine Garden Party 36cm of Canvas and Country Cowhide with Palladium Hardware. Sold for $2,500 in 2019.
1978

Évelyne Bertrand, then the head of the Hermès riding department, develops a handbag that can be used to carry stable equipment, including brushes and picks. The result is the Évelyne bag, an iconic crossbody bag featuring an hole-punched "H".

(left) A Hermès Bleu Paon Evelyne III TPM of Epsom Leather with Palladium Hardware. Sold for $2,750 in 2019.
1984

Jean-Louis Dumas – chairman for the company and great-great-grandson of Thierry Hermès – happened to be seated next to actress Jane Birkin on a flight. Birkin explained to Dumas how frustrated she was with her current handbags, lamenting that she wished bags could be both secure and comfortable to carry. On a napkin, Dumas quickly sketched a bag that would meet Birkin's needs. Named the Birkin bag, the design was a huge commercial success, and continues to be one of the top luxury handbags on the market.

(left) A Hermès Fuchsia Birkin 35cm of Ostrich with Palladium Hardware. Estimate $16,000 – 20,000.

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2002

In a nod to its equestrian heritage, Hermès introduces the Picotin style bag; the bucket bag is inspired by the horse feed bags that riders so often carry.

(left) Hermès Bleu du Nord Picotin Lock 18cm of Clemence Leather with Gold Hardware. Estimate $3,000 – 4,000.

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2003

Jean-Paul Gaultier became the creative director for Hermès in 2003. Gaultier created 'shoulder' version of the iconic Kelly and Birkin bags by adding longer straps and wider silhouettes. Around this time, Hermès began limiting both the number of bags crafted each year and the amount available in stores, thus creating a fevered demand for Hermès handbags.

(left) A Hermès Bleu Indigo Birkin 30cm of Ostrich with Palladium Hardware. Estimate $26,000 – 32,000.

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2007

Hermès introduces the Lindy handbag, which can be worn in two styles: on the shoulder, or carried in the hand.

(left) A Hèrmes Bleu Iris Lindy 26cm of Ostrich with Palladium Hardware. Estimate $9,000 – 12,000.

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2014

The Halzan handbag debuts on the Hermès runway. This versatile bag can be worn four ways: as a shoulder bag, a crossbody, a north-south tote or a clutch.

(left) A Hermès Black Mini Halzan 22cm of Swift Leather with Gold Hardware. Estimate $3,400 – 3,800.

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Hermès Bleu Sac Birkin Faubourg 20cm

Playing homage to the facade of 24 Rue de Faubourg Saint Honore, the address of the historic Hermès store, this extremely rare VIP Birkin is in a combination of five different leathers and an alligator skin with palladium hardware.

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Lot

Hermès

Hermès Bleu Electrique Birkin 30cm of Shiny Porosus Crocodile with Palladium Hardware

Handbags & Accessories Online Auction: 22 May–1 June 2020 • 2:00 PM EDT • New York

History of the Hermès Handbag

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Handbags & Accessories

Online Auction: 22 May–1 June 2020 • 2:00 PM EDT • New York