Hermes Anis/Kiwi Green Togo Leather Notebook Cover, with Spiral inset, 2009
About the Item
- Designer:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:West Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4045222636012
Hermès
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: West Palm Beach, FL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Chanel Astrakhan Black Leather Ruched Shopping Tote, Limited EditionBy ChanelLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChanel Astrakhan Black Leather Ruched Shopping Tote, Limited Edition Leather ruched astrakhan front and back with CC quilted along both sides Striped quilted pattern along sides and...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- Four Hermes Cotton ScarvesBy HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLFour Hermes Cotton Scarves Comprising, Musee, designed by Philippe Ledoux, Au Clair de la Mer, Lettres Nul, and a new with tag, Charmes Des Plag...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Scarves
- Hermes Sterling Silver Touareg H Motif Cadena Padlock Bag CharmBy HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLHermes Sterling Silver Touareg H Motif Cadena Padlock Bag Charm Signed Hermes, 925, with another indistinct mark, with ribbon-tied box. Height 1.25 in.Category
20th Century Tech Accessories and Cases
- Four Hermes Cotton ScarvesBy HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLFour Hermes Cotton Scarves Comprising, an example of rows of Russian bearded men, designed by Patrice Flori, L Ale Aux Tortues, Les Chevaux se Rendent au depart and De la Citrouille...Category
20th Century Scarves
- Hermes Gold-Toned L Homme Peut Embeller, 2001By HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLHermes Gold-Toned L Homme Peut Embeller, 2001 marked, with box and ribbon. Height 1.5 in.Category
20th Century Decorative Objects
- Hermes Navaho White Epsom Leather Bolide HandbagBy HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLHermes Navaho White Epsom Leather Bolide Handbag Marked in numerous places on leather and fittings. Solid white epsom leather with gold toned front and back stud details and gold to...Category
20th Century Top Handle Bags
- David Webb A Walk in the Woods Artful Animals Exhibition Pamphlet Book c 2022By David WebbLocated in University City, MODavid Webb's A Walk in the Woods Artful Animals Soft Cover Pamphlet Exhibition Book c 2022 The soft cover brochure book was from a 2022 David Webb exhibition featuring an archive ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Softcover and Paperback
- John Galliano Brown Large AgendaBy John GallianoLocated in Montreal, QuebecCOLOR: Brown MATERIAL: Canva with leather trim MEASURES: L 7” x W 9.5” COMES WITH: Tags. Original inserts. We also go this filled with white plaid white paper...ready to use!! Perfec...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Avant Garde Books
- Gucci Vintage Brown Leather 2 Ring BinderBy GucciLocated in Montreal, QuebecCOLOR: Brown MATERIAL: Leather MEASURES: H 11” x L 7.5” x D 4” CONDITION: Good - light scratches/marks throughout and light indentations to leather. Made in ItalyCategory
1990s Italian Antique Books
- The Beauty of Jewellery by Joan Frank Hardcover Book 1979Located in North Hollywood, CAThe Beauty of Jewellery by Joan Frank Crescent Books, 1979 - Jewelry - 93 pages. An appreciation of fine jewelry for the non-expert, with a chapter on the collection at the Victoria ...Category
20th Century Couture
- Maharaja's Jewels Table Book by Katherine Prior, AssoulineBy Assouline PublishingLocated in North Hollywood, CAMaharaja's Jewels Table Book by Katherine Prior, Assouline. The stories of Indian princes and their jewelry and precious stones are brought together in this illustrated narrative tracing the rise and fall of India's leading royal houses through the dramatic fortunes of their crown jewels. Traditionally, precious metals and jewels have been, for Indians rich and poor, a repository of wealth and a status symbol. For the reigning families, jewels also had symbolic and religious significance. Also here are the original drawings by great European jewelers of the pieces they designed for their exotic and demanding clients. The text is both lively and scholarly, drawing from descriptions of such travelers as Marco Polo and Tavernier as well as Sanskrit dramatists extolling the riches of India. The core of this lavishly photographed book is the encounter between Indian princely magnificence and the best of European Jewellery designers in the 20th century when many of the Maharaja's travelled to Europe with trunks filled with traditional Indian jewels and unset stones...Category
20th Century Couture
- Bulgari Catalog, Jewelry and Watches Collection 2011Located in North Hollywood, CABvlgari catalog, jewelry and watches. Bulgari "Serpenti" Collection of 2011. Hardcover catalog of one of the most famous Luxury Jewellery maker in the ...Category
2010s Italian Fashion
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Hermès Passe-Guide Bag Might Not Be as Well Known as the Birkin or Kelly, But It’s Every Bit as Chic
Find out why this under-the-radar piece is so exceptional.
How to Spot a Fake Hermès Birkin Bag
The iconic Birkin bag is much coveted — and often copied. Find out how to tell the real deal from a convincing fake. Of course, you don't have to worry about this on 1stDibs, where every seller is highly vetted.