HERMÈS BIRKIN
Hermès Birkin 35 Alezan colour Togo leather bag with gold hardware and scarf
Year: 2003
Includes a dust bag
Grade 3
Height: 8.75 in (22 cm); with handle: 14.25 in (36 cm)
Width: 11.5 in (29 cm) (base)
The French luxury goods manufacturer Hermes, sometimes referred to as Hermes of Paris, is one of the most iconic brands in the world of luxury. Consistently ranked as the world's most sought-after and valuable brand, Hermes offers a wide range of products, from bags and luggage, to fashion accessories, jewellery and watches. "A combination of rich heritage, exquisite craftsmanship, eye for detail and high levels of quality and professionalism through the entire manufacturing process gives Hermes a position of superiority in the very competitive and ruthless world of luxury." ("Hermes - The Strategy Insights Behind The Iconic Luxury Brand," MartinRoll.com, September 2018, online)
Founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermes as a harness workshop in Paris, the company was originally created to provide equestrian supplies such as saddles, bridles and leather riding equipment to European noblemen. After Thierry's death, the company was passed down to his son Charles-Emile who moved the company to 24 Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris, where it remains to this day serving as the company's flagship store and global headquarters.
At the turn of the 20th century, the family started to venture into fashion, when Adolphe and Emile-Maurice Hermes took over the business and started selling the 'Haut a Courroies' bag, which was designed for riders to carry their saddles in it. Realising that travel was evolving and adapting to locomotive transport, they began manufacturing trunks, bags, overnight cases, all from the family's signature saddle leather. The first leather handbag was manufactured in the 1920s, after Emile-Maurice's wife complained that she could not find a handbag she liked. Around the same time, Emile - Maurice spotted the "zip" during his travels, and inspired by it, created the revolutionary Hermes patented zipper. In the early 1950s, the company introduced the famous "duc-carriage-with-a-horse" logo, based on a drawing by the French painter Alfred de Dreux and their iconic orange boxes.
Over the decades, the various lines of Hermes bags have proved to be a global success, many of which enjoy iconic "must - have" status in fashion and pop culture. These include the leather Sac s Depeches, which was renamed as the 'Kelly' bag after Hollywood star and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly held it as a shield against the paparazzi in 1956. Created by Robert Dumas as a small, functional bag with straps, the bag is designed in a trapezoid shape with two triangular gussets, a sculpted flap, a handle, and good storage space. This auction offers three iconic Kelly bags (lots 26, 28 and 30) on sale.
The creme de la creme of the Hermes line of bags is the 'Birkin.' It was introduced in 1983, when then CEO Jean-Louis Dumas met the actress and singer Jane Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. The actress reportedly tried to fit her bag in the overhead compartment, sending its contents spilling out. "Jane complained to her seatmate that it was impossible to find a weekend bag she liked. Dumas introduced himself as the head of Hermes, and the pair spent the flight sketching possible handbag designs on the back of an airplane sick bag. A year later, Dumas presented Jane with the Birkin bag, a spacious yet sophisticated leather design perfect for everyday use." (Jack Houston, Irene Kim, businessinsider.com, 13 June 2019, online) Each Birkin bag is hand-sewn, buffed, painted, and polished, can take several days to finish. A single Birkin bag can cost between $40,000 to $500,000, and the waitlist to buy one was reputed to be almost six years. This auction offers three exquisite Birkin bags (lots 16, 24 and 25) on sale.
Hermès Birkin 35 Alezan colour Togo leather bag with gold hardware and scarf
Year: 2003
Includes a dust bag
Grade 3
Height: 8.75 in (22 cm); with handle: 14.25 in (36 cm)
Width: 11.5 in (29 cm) (base)
The French luxury goods manufacturer Hermes, sometimes referred to as Hermes of Paris, is one of the most iconic brands in the world of luxury. Consistently ranked as the world's most sought-after and valuable brand, Hermes offers a wide range of products, from bags and luggage, to fashion accessories, jewellery and watches. "A combination of rich heritage, exquisite craftsmanship, eye for detail and high levels of quality and professionalism through the entire manufacturing process gives Hermes a position of superiority in the very competitive and ruthless world of luxury." ("Hermes - The Strategy Insights Behind The Iconic Luxury Brand," MartinRoll.com, September 2018, online)
Founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermes as a harness workshop in Paris, the company was originally created to provide equestrian supplies such as saddles, bridles and leather riding equipment to European noblemen. After Thierry's death, the company was passed down to his son Charles-Emile who moved the company to 24 Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris, where it remains to this day serving as the company's flagship store and global headquarters.
At the turn of the 20th century, the family started to venture into fashion, when Adolphe and Emile-Maurice Hermes took over the business and started selling the 'Haut a Courroies' bag, which was designed for riders to carry their saddles in it. Realising that travel was evolving and adapting to locomotive transport, they began manufacturing trunks, bags, overnight cases, all from the family's signature saddle leather. The first leather handbag was manufactured in the 1920s, after Emile-Maurice's wife complained that she could not find a handbag she liked. Around the same time, Emile - Maurice spotted the "zip" during his travels, and inspired by it, created the revolutionary Hermes patented zipper. In the early 1950s, the company introduced the famous "duc-carriage-with-a-horse" logo, based on a drawing by the French painter Alfred de Dreux and their iconic orange boxes.
Over the decades, the various lines of Hermes bags have proved to be a global success, many of which enjoy iconic "must - have" status in fashion and pop culture. These include the leather Sac s Depeches, which was renamed as the 'Kelly' bag after Hollywood star and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly held it as a shield against the paparazzi in 1956. Created by Robert Dumas as a small, functional bag with straps, the bag is designed in a trapezoid shape with two triangular gussets, a sculpted flap, a handle, and good storage space. This auction offers three iconic Kelly bags (lots 26, 28 and 30) on sale.
The creme de la creme of the Hermes line of bags is the 'Birkin.' It was introduced in 1983, when then CEO Jean-Louis Dumas met the actress and singer Jane Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. The actress reportedly tried to fit her bag in the overhead compartment, sending its contents spilling out. "Jane complained to her seatmate that it was impossible to find a weekend bag she liked. Dumas introduced himself as the head of Hermes, and the pair spent the flight sketching possible handbag designs on the back of an airplane sick bag. A year later, Dumas presented Jane with the Birkin bag, a spacious yet sophisticated leather design perfect for everyday use." (Jack Houston, Irene Kim, businessinsider.com, 13 June 2019, online) Each Birkin bag is hand-sewn, buffed, painted, and polished, can take several days to finish. A single Birkin bag can cost between $40,000 to $500,000, and the waitlist to buy one was reputed to be almost six years. This auction offers three exquisite Birkin bags (lots 16, 24 and 25) on sale.