History of the Hermès Kelly Bag
Today, the Kelly bag from Hermes, designed in a gorgeous trapezoid shape and made with the most luxurious leathers and skins, is worn on the arms of celebrities and millionaires as a symbol of wealth. These bags are highly prestigious and exclusive, and very hard to come by. They are made with the utmost care and precision, by only one craftsman that takes about 18 to 24 hours of work to put it together flawlessly. It is a notable and elite piece of merchandise from one of the most well-known brands in the fashion world. As all timeless pieces of art, there is a story behind its name.
Grace Kelly, who lived from 1929 to 1982, grew up in Philadelphia and dreamed of stardom, aspiring to make it on the big stage. Eventually, she did, acting in movies such as Fourteen Hours, Mogambo, Rear Window, Green Fire, The Swan, and High Society. She became one of the most prominent and influential actresses in Hollywood and eventually met and married Prince Rainier III, becoming the Princess Consort of Monaco; a Principality bordered by France.
During her upbringing, she had a taste for fashion and developed her own glamorous style, with a focus on merchandise from Hermes; one of her most loved brands. She wore the name to important events including the announcement of her engagement and during her pregnancy.
She had a notable love for what was formerly known as the Sac à dépêches bag; an invention that came out of the 1930s. This was the original Kelly bag and was then renamed due to an iconic picture of the Princess, who used the bag to cover her pregnant belly from the paparazzi. Shy and newly-married, she didn't want to make her pregnancy known right away, and her beloved Hermes bag helped her hide it.
This picture became extremely popular all over the world and was on the front cover of numerous magazines. The public renamed it the "Kelly bag" and it began to grow in popularity throughout the world, giving the company much more exposure which then inspired them to produce even more of the iconic bags for wealthy celebrities. The Princess helped the bag become a status symbol and it became even more sought after by fashionable women throughout the United States and parts of Europe.
The newly married Princess led a very high-profile life and greatly influenced the fashion choices of the public and women in Hollywood. Although Hermes was already a well-known brand, having a bag named after the iconic actress and Princess helped its reputation grow and evolve into something new, giving the name huge exposure. From then on out, Hermes became extremely popular due to the iconic Kelly bag and even more women wanted to get their hands on them. They were all interested in looking like the Princess of Monaco and carrying Hermes to show their status and wealth.
Making this luxurious bag takes extreme dedication and skill. Each individual bag is made by only one craftsman, which takes around 18 hours to put together. The bag is crafted with the most expensive skins and leathers available. The lining in the Kelly bag is made from goat skin and then the rest of the bag is made of durable leather with stunning grains and patterns that give each bag a distinct look.
The then Princess of Monaco had two favorite Hermes Kelly bags, both made with crocodile skin and in the stunning colors of dark brown and navy blue. Her love of these bags helped to make the crocodile skin design extremely popular in Hollywood, even more so than it had already been. Thousands of women dreamed of obtaining a crocodile skin Kelly bag of their own.
Grace Kelly was undoubtedly an important fashion icon and helped Hermes become even more reputable. In her stunning photo taken by the paparazzi, the Sac à dépêches bag was renamed after her iconic photo made waves in Hollywood, and still goes by the same name today.
Posted on 08-22-2014
