Hermès Vintage Mini Kelly Sellier Bag Gold Courchevel Ghw 20 cm
View Similar Items
Hermès Vintage Mini Kelly Sellier Bag Gold Courchevel Ghw 20 cm
About the Item
Kelly Bag
In 1837, Thierry Hermès (1801–78) founded his eponymous luxury goods company in Paris as a saddle manufacturer, serving the era’s carriage trade. In 1880, under the stewardship of Thierry's son Émile-Charles, fine riding gear was added to its offerings to complement the saddles. Hermès eventually expanded their workshops to design handbags in the years that followed. The Kelly bag, originally introduced as the Sac à dépêches (“the dispatch bag”) in 1935, was created by Robert Dumas, son-in-law to Thierry's grandson Émile-Maurice Hermès.
Designed for independent women who wanted a piece that was both luxurious and efficient, the Kelly bag has a trapezoid shape, two triangular gussets, a sculpted flap and a handle.
To this day, the understated bag comprises 36 individual leather pieces, 16 studs and a signature padlock and leather key cover, with three layers of leather at the base to ensure the bag can stand upright. Each Kelly bag takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches owe solely to one Hermès artisan.
The Kelly bag earned its name during preproduction on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 film, To Catch a Thief. Costume designer Edith Head sourced products from Hermès to outfit actress Grace Kelly, who fell in love with the Sac à Dépêches and continued to carry it long after the movie wrapped.
Months after marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, Kelly was spotted carrying a brown pigskin Sac to shield her pregnancy from the paparazzi. And while the oft-repeated claim that Kelly and her bag appeared on a Life magazine cover isn’t true, photography of the actress and her cherished accessory began to appear everywhere at the time, and the bag’s profile suddenly skyrocketed.
In 1977 Hermès officially changed the item’s name to the Kelly bag. Less than a decade later, Hermès introduced another top-handled bag to its line, also named after a style symbol, the Birkin bag.
The Paris-based British actress Jane Birkin sat next to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas — Robert's son — on an Air France flight. He noticed her overflowing handbag, and she told him she longed for “a handbag that is bigger than the Kelly but smaller than Serge’s suitcase,” in reference to her then-romantic partner, the French musician Serge Gainsbourg. The Birkin bag was created in 1984, joining the Kelly in Hermès’ permanent collection.
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.
- Exceptional Hermès Mini Constance Metallic Silver Chevre Leather Phw 18 cmBy HermèsLocated in FRRare and Stunning Authentic Hermès Bag "Mini Constance" Only a few of these bags were produced and never reissued since. Super rare! Made in France Stamp H in square (2004) Mad...Category
Early 2000s French Structured Shoulder Bags
- Hermès Vintage Sequana Bag Magic Purple Blue Porosus Crocodile Golden Hdw RAREBy HermèsLocated in FRAbsolutely Stunning Authentic Hermès Vintage Bag "Séquana" This bag is magic! Depending on the weather, the light, your outfit, its color changes!...Category
1980s French Evening Bags and Minaudières
$8,817 Sale Price20% Off - Exceptional Hermès Vintage Micro Kelly 15 cm Sellier Bag Red Leather Gold HdwBy HermèsLocated in FRCutest Small Authentic Hermès Bag Ever ! Called "Micro Kelly" A true "It bag" ! Sellier Version (outside stitching) for a rigid shape, so chic ...Category
1990s French Top Handle Bags
- Exceptional Hermès Handbag Purse Clutch in Brown Crocodile Ghw RareBy HermèsLocated in FRAbsolutely Gorgeous Authentic Hermès Purse Absolutely divine, a jewel Made in France Stamp A in square (1997) Made of shiny niloticus croco...Category
1990s French Evening Bags and Minaudières
- Exceptional Hermès Evening Clutch Bag Minaudière Shagreen Grey Silver Tone MetalBy HermèsLocated in FRLovely and Rare Authentic Hermès Evening Bag Made in France No stamp Made of Shagreen (Galuchat) and Silver Tone Metal, Doblis Shoulder Strap In...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Clutches
- Hermès Vintage Pola Purse Clutch Evening Bag 2 ways Black Ostrich Golden HdwBy HermèsLocated in FRRare and Beautiful Authentic Hermès Purse "Pola" Made in France No stamp but vintage Made of Ostrich Leather and Golden Hardware Ostrich ...Category
Late 20th Century French Structured Shoulder Bags
- Vintage Judith Leiber Silk Floral Crystal Embroidered Tassel ClutchBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage Judith Leiber Silk Floral Crystal Embroidered Clutch in fair condition. Cream silk with multi color floral embroidery and crystals. Matching cream/beige leather trim and side...Category
1980s Evening Bags and Minaudières
- Judith Leiber Swarovski Crystal Cheetah MinaudiereBy Judith LeiberLocated in Scottsdale, AZElegance and glamor right this way! This is a highly designed handbag by none other than Judith Leiber that will no doubt catch people's attention from across the room. This is a BEAUTIFUL Judith Leiber Black Swarovski Crystal Minaudiere Evening Bag Clutch in excellent condition. The exterior of this bag is covered in black, cream, and black swarovski crystals in a cheetah minaudiere shape. This handbag is vintage from the late 20th century and is in pristine vintage condition. On the interior there is a gold leather lining that holds a thin gold chain shoulder strap to easily convert between clutch and shoulder styles. No stains, smells, or missing crystals. Don't miss the adorable details of this bag like the mini leather coin purse and the adorable paws on the bottom. Pair this handbag with a Moschino gown, some gold Chanel jewelry...Category
Late 20th Century American Clutches
- Prada Taupe Saffiano Lux Leather Medium Promenade SatchelBy PradaLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2This satchel is rendered in the finest quality materials into an elegant design. Versatile and functional, it is well-sized for your daily use.Category
2010s Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
- Gucci Beige/Black Wicker and Leather Horsebit 1955 Bucket BagBy GucciLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2The Gucci Horsebit 1955 bucket bag is a chic and versatile accessory. Its body features beige wicker with black leather trim, adorned with the iconic Horsebit detail. The bag has a s...Category
2010s Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
- Burberry Beige/Brown Leather And Nova Check Canvas HoboBy BurberryLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Make space in your closet for this classic beige and brown hobo from Burberry. Designed using canvas and leather, it has silver-tone hardware, a single handle, as well as a canvas in...Category
2010s Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
- Michael Kors Brown Leather Medium Devon Bucket BagBy Michael KorsLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Brimming with artistry and quality craftsmanship, it is designed in a bucket silhouette, and the interior is spacious enough to hold all your essentials. This beautiful piece deserve...Category
2010s Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Iconic Hermès Bag Is Made from an Unexpected Material: Wood
From a house that specializes in covetable objects, this version of the Kelly is the rarest of finds.
A Short History of the World’s Most Iconic Designs
Of the million-plus items on 1stdibs, some seem to have transcended time, looking as fresh today as when they were first produced. The pieces highlighted on our new Iconic Designs page stand out for longevity, functionality and quality of design and manufacture — just the tonic for the present unsettled moment.