Hermes Kelly Bracelet Small Model
21st Century and Contemporary French Link Bracelets
Diamond, Rose Gold
2010s French Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Link Bracelets
Diamond, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
Steel
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
Gold Plate
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Bracelets
Diamond, Onyx, White Gold
Late 20th Century French Artist Link Necklaces
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Modernist Link Bracelets
Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Modernist Link Bracelets
Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Modernist Link Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Link Bracelets
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1970s French Modernist Chain Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Bracelets
Diamond, Malachite, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary More Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
Vintage 1950s American More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
2010s American Solitaire Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary French Bangles
2010s French Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
Vintage 1980s French Wrist Watches
White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, 18k Gold
20th Century French Wrist Watches
Gold Plate
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary French Artisan Wrist Watches
2010s Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s French Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Aesthetic Movement Charm Bracelets
2010s French Contemporary Bangles
2010s Italian Anglo-Indian Chain Bracelets
2010s Italian Aesthetic Movement Charm Bracelets
21st Century and Contemporary Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Italian Bangles
Diamond, Rose Gold
2010s Italian Modern Bracelets
Diamond, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Necklaces
Rose Gold
Vintage 1980s French Cuff Bracelets
Base Metal
2010s More Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Aesthetic Movement Modern Bracelets
Diamond, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Artist Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Bracelets
Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Bracelets
Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Bracelets
Diamond, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Chain Bracelets
Diamond, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Bracelets
Diamond, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Wrist Watches
Stainless Steel
2010s French Artisan Wrist Watches
Hermès for sale on 1stDibs
For Hermès, what began as a maker of leather equestrian goods for European noblemen would eventually grow into one of the most storied fashion labels in the world. In 1837, German-born French entrepreneur Thierry Hermès opened a saddle and harness purveyor in Paris. Gradually, the house extended into accessories and luggage for its riders, and today, in paying homage to its origins, the family-run luxury brand resurfaces horse motifs in everything from clothing and modernist jewelry to pillows and handbags.
The first top-handled bag ever produced by Hermès was the Haut à courroies, which made its debut in 1892. A tall bag secured with a folded leather flap (fastened with bridle-inspired straps), it was designed to transport riding boots and a harness.
As the world made the switch from horse to automobile, the bag adapted, becoming a multifunctional travel satchel instead of a designated saddlebag. Today, 120 years later, the HAC remains in Hermès’s line — and its distinctive flap and clasping straps have laid the groundwork for some of the house’s other iconic bags.
In the 1930s, Robert Dumas (son-in-law to Émile-Maurice Hermès, Thierry’s grandson) designed a smaller, trapezoidal take on the flap bag with a handle and two side straps. Later, actress Grace Kelly, then engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco, is said to have used one of these bags to conceal her pregnancy during the 1950s. Because she was photographed constantly, the coverage catapulted her handbag to international popularity.
In 1977, Hermès officially renamed the model for her, and the Kelly bag was born. Each Kelly bag takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches owe solely to one Hermès artisan.
Robert Dumas was also responsible for another one of the brand’s most iconic offerings: the launch of its first silk scarf on the occasion of Hermès’s 100th anniversary in 1937. Based on a woodblock designed by Dumas and printed on Chinese silk, the accessory was an immediate hit.
Today, vintage Hermès scarves, typically adorned in rich colors and elaborate patterns, serve many functions, just as they did back then. Well-heeled women wear it on their heads, around their necks and, in a genius piece of cross-promotion, tied to the straps of their Hermès bags. Kelly even once used one as a sling for her broken arm.
In 1981, Robert Dumas’s son Jean-Louis Dumas, then Hermès chairman, found himself sitting next to French actress and musician Jane Birkin on a plane, where she was complaining about finding a suitable carryall for the necessary accoutrements of motherhood. After the two travelers were properly introduced, Birkin helped design Jean-Louis’s most famous contribution to the Hermès canon: the Birkin bag, a roomy, square catchall with the HAC’s trademark leather flap top and the addition of a lock and key.
Owing to the brand’s legendary commitment to deft, handcrafted construction, the Birkin is an investment that is coveted by collectors everywhere.
While the Kelly and Birkin may be standouts, gracing the arms of everyone from royal heiresses to hip-hop stars in the past few decades, the handbags are but a small part of Hermès’s fashion offerings.
Since the 1920s, the brand has produced some of the most desirable leather goods in the world. There’s the Constance bag, a favorite of Jacqueline Kennedy, the recently relaunched 1970s-era Evelyne and, on the vintage market, a slew of designs dating back to the 1920s.
Good design never goes out of style. Find a variety of vintage Hermès handbags, day dresses, shoes and more on 1stDibs.