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.
$771
W 0.75 in Dm 2.56 in
Hermès 2000 Bracelet Large Email T65 Grand Apparat Enamel Print Bangle S Hermes
By Hermès
Located in PARIS, FR
Hermès "Large" model bracelet in printed enamel, featuring the "Grand Apparat" design by Jacques Eurdel in shades of pink, beige, and gold on silver-tone metal. Size 65 (Small): inne...
Enamel
$699
H 0.63 in Dm 2.37 in
Auth. HERMES Bracelet Bangle CALECHE - EGP - 60-16mm - YELLOW JONQUILLE - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
Orders ship DDP No import duties or brokerage due at delivery. Bracelet Bracelet CALECHE EGP 60-16mm YELLOW JONQUILLE NWOTS - 2311191216 Brand: HERMES Name Design: Caleche Artist: ...
Enamel, Gold Plate
Auth. Hermès BRACELET - Colliers De Chiens - ESP - Or Grey - 70-36mm - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
BRACELET - Colliers De Chiens - ESP - Or Grey - 70-36mm NWOTS - 2312092153 Brand: Hermes Type/Model: Enamel Bangle/Bracelet Design Name: Colliers de Chiens, Dog Collars Artist: N/A ...
Gold Plate, Enamel
Auth. HERMES Bracelet - Tendresse Feline Tattoo - EGP - White Black - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
Bracelet Tendresse Feline Tattoo - EGP - White Black - NWOTS - 2512162247 Brand: Hermès Type/Model: Enamel Bangle/Bracelet Design Name: Tendresse Féline Tattoo, Feline Tenderness Tattoo Artist: Robert Dallet Color: Blanc (White), Noir (Black) Diameter (Inner): 6.00 cm x 4.50 cm / 2.36 in x 1.77 in Circumference: 18.85 cm / 7.42 in Width: 3.50 cm / 1.38 in Weight: 122 g / 4.30 oz Rim Metal: Gold-plated Rim Material: Enamel on metal Condition: New Without Store Tag S, Never Worn, Without Box Approx. Issue Date: 2019 Country of Origin: Made in France Hallmarks/Stamp: Hermès Paris, Made in France, Stamp SP 01 68 Artist's Story: Robert Dallet (1923–2006) was a French animal illustrator celebrated for scientifically precise wildlife studies—especially big cats—built from years of observation in zoos, museums, and field-focused research; after meeting Jean-Louis Dumas, he began a long Hermès collaboration that started with the “Kenya” carré and expanded into an enduring universe of feline and safari-themed designs across silks and objects, with his legacy later honored through Hermès initiatives spotlighting wild cat conservation. Story about the Design: “Tendresse Féline” is a tender tableau of a watchful mother cat and playful cubs amid an exuberant canopy—clouded leopard leaping, young leopards pawing and scratching, and surrounding fauna that feels momentarily unthreatened—translated in the “Tattoo / Positif-Négatif” jewelry treatment into a graphic, ink-like, high-contrast black-and-white composition that reads like a wearable illustration panel. Collector's Notes: Collectors often describe printed Hermès enamel hinged bracelets as true statement pieces that draw frequent compliments, with good everyday durability when treated like enamel (avoid knocks, hard drops, and abrasive contact); the Tendresse Féline motif in particular is repeatedly mentioned as an impactful, stackable design that stands on its own yet pairs well with other Hermès enamel colors and metals. Craftsmanship Note: Hermès enamel bracelets...
Gold Plate, Enamel
Hermès Enamel Print Narrow Bangle
By Hermès
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Hermès Enamel Print Narrow Bangle has a multi color print against a black background with silver edges.
Enamel
$771
W 0.75 in Dm 2.56 in
Hermès 2004 Bracelet Large Email T62 Face au large Enamel Print Bangle S Hermes
By Hermès
Located in PARIS, FR
Hermès "Wide" model bracelet in printed enamel, featuring the "Face au large" design by Dominik A. Jarlegant—released as a one-off edition in 2004 in shades of blue and gold—with gol...
Enamel
HERMES multicolor enamel L'IVRESSE DE L'INFINI WIDE Bracelet GHW
By Hermès
Located in Zürich, CH
This 100% authentic Hermès L'Ivresse de l'Infini enamel wide bracelet is a bold and highly collectible statement piece that showcases the Maison’s renowned artistry and craftsmanship...
Hermès Extra Wide Enamel Bangle
By Hermès
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Hermès Extra Wide Enamel Bangle in the "Qu Importe le Flacon" print, features colorful design on the with perfume bottle motifs with gold-tone...
Enamel
Hermès Multicolor Le Chat Carre Enamel Clic H Bracelet
By Hermès
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Hermès Clic H enamel bracelet from the whimsical Le Chat Carré collection, crafted with palladium-plated hardware and vibrant multicolor enamel featuring the playful feline motif ins...
Enamel
$749
H 0.79 in Dm 2.56 in
Auth. Hermès Bracelet Colliers de Chiens - EGP - 65-20mm Black Grey Yellow - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
Bracelet Colliers de Chiens - EGP - 65-20mm Black Grey Yellow - NWOTS - 2311191805 Brand: Hermes Type/Model: Enamel Bangle/Bracelet Design Name: Colliers de Chiens, Dog Collars Arti...
Enamel, Gold Plate
Hermès Enamel Gold Bracelet Greyhound Dogs Lévriers Size PM 65
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Beautiful Authentic Hermès Bracelet Pattern: Lévriers (Greyhound dogs) Made in Austria + B (Vintage, 1998) Made of printed enamel and yellow gold plated hardware Colorways: Cream...
Gold Plate, Enamel
Hermès Enamel Bracelet Collier de Chien CDC Medor Print Gold Hdw Size GM 70
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Beautiful Authentic Hermès Bracelet Print "Médor" studs from the "colliers de chien" pattern Made in France + Q Made of printed enamel and yellow gold plated hardware Colorways:...
Gold Plate, Enamel
Hermès Enamel Printed Bracelet Columns Patterns Gold Plated Hdw Size 65
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Beautiful Authentic Hermès Bracelet Geometric patterns Made in Austria X (1994) Made of enamel printed and yellow gold plated hardware Colorways: White, Red, Green, Golden "HERM...
Gold Plate, Enamel
Hermès Enamel Bracelet Fall Leaves Gold Hdw Size 65
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Gorgeous Authentic Hermès Bracelet Print: autumn foliage Made in Austria + B Made of printed enamel and gold plated hardware Colorways: white, yellow, orange, brown, golden Som...
Gold Plate
Hermès RabbitS Dogs Print Enamel Matching Bracelet Earrings Gold Hdw Size 70
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Cute, Rare and Beautiful Authentic Hermès Set of MQatching Bracelet and Earrings The bracelet is printed with the same pattern twice: 2 dogs surrounding a small rabbit posed in fron...
Gold Plate, Enamel
Hermès Enamel Printed Bracelet Jungle of Eden Rose Couture Narrow Ghw Size GM 70
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Lovely Authentic Hermès Bracelet Print: "Jungle of Eden" Pattern: 3 birds in jungle Made in France + T (2015) Made of printed enamel and yellow gold plated hardware Colorway: "rose couture" (Pink, Burgundy, White, Black, Green) "HERMÈS - PARIS -" in golden letters inside Size: Narrow Width / GM 70 Diameter Measurements: 7 cm diameter / 1 cm wide (2,76 / 0,39 inches) Condition: Very good. Enamel in mint condition: no chips, no scratch. Micro scratches on hardware (photos show more than you will really see). Would make a great gift ! No Hermès packaging...
Gold Plate, Enamel
What these styles lack in name recognition they more than make up for in cachet.
Before the Birkin there was the Haut à Courroies, which has become the chic carryall of choice for the league's most stylish athletes.
