The best way today to invest and make your savings pay off is to buy luxury handbags. A retrospective on Hermès Kelly Morphose and an editorial by Manon Clavelier and Nelly Carle for Lampoon online
Hermes’ Birkin Himalaya is the most expensive bag in the World – a high jewelry manufacturing symbol
The Hermès Birkin Himalaya and Kelly Himalaya have become cult objects, collectors’ desires. Both bags are made of handcrafted dyed Nile crocodile leather. The name is not related to the place of origin of the materials, but to the white and gray hues of the crocodile that resemble the snowy mantle of the mountain. The first model to be made was the Birkin; only after the success of the first collection did the French maison decide to offer loyal customers some white crocodile examples of the Kelly model as well.
Christie’s Hong Kong, in 2017, broke the world record for the most expensive bag ever auctioned. A white crocodile Hermès Himalaya example studded with 10.23 carats of diamonds fetched £293,000. Stars who own a Hermès Himalaya include Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham, to whom David gave a Birkin Himalaya worth £100,000 in 2008.
Kelly Morphose – the Hermès exhibition in Montenapoleone, Milan: a jewel bag and a collection of bracelets, earrings and necklaces marked by the Kelly clasp
On the second floor of the Hermès boutique in Montenapoleone, Milan, the exhibition starring Hermès Kelly came to an end. A reinterpretation of the French maison’s iconic bag declined to be worn in high jewelry. A collection conceived by the creative director of Hermès’ jewelry division, Pierre Hardy.
«The Kelly bag elevates its functional components. I do the same with Kelly jewelry, reinterpreting its original lines. I like to capture the mobility without ever putting it back. I like the momentum of the body that mirrors the creative momentum».
A Lewis Carroll-like play on proportions for a miniaturized Précieux. A jeweled bag and a collection of bracelets, earrings and necklaces marked by the Kelly’s signature clasp. Also on display will be a sterling silver Kelly and a jeweled Birkin in white gold and 2,998 diamonds totaling 110.78 carats and worth millions.
Luxury handbags the new safe havens: what are the safe havens and why buy a Birkin or Kelly bag from Hermès. High jewelry manufacturing
Over the past decade, there has been a trend to buy stock exchanges as a long-term and short-term investment. Some handbags turn out to be safer investments than stocks or gold, which are instead subject to market fluctuations. Handbags from some of the luxury houses are now considered safe-haven assets on par with real estate, works of art, and watches.
Safe haven assets have intrinsic value and often gain value precisely at times of greatest uncertainty in financial markets. Only a few iconic models of the maisons, which have already made history and are not subject to fashion, belong to this category: the Lady D by Dior, the Speedy by Louis Vuitton, the Jackie by Gucci, the 2.55 by Chanel, the Kelly and the Birkin by Hermès.
Hermès’ most coveted bags: the second-hand market for the Kelly and Birkin, between auction houses and profits. High jewelry manufacturing
For the Kelly and Birkin, Hermès’ commercial policy is to produce only a few units per year and long waiting lists. Being able to choose the color, leather or size of the bag is not a given. One has to follow the Maison’s rules. Some people turn to the vintage and second-hand market because of the speed of hoarding the goods. The fact that not everyone can buy a Kelly or Birkin, and the same lack of availability has meant that prices of vintage bags often rise above the commercial value of the bags in the store-especially if they are limited collections or made with fine leathers, such as crocodile.
The Kelly and Birkin alone account for half of the bags hammered out in auction houses. Values starting in the thousands (the basic Birkin model in store starts at eight thousand euros) can reach hundreds of thousands of euros for particularly rare pieces. Last April at Christie’s auction a rare crocodile Birkin model with diamond trim fetched 176,000 euros. In that auction, numerous Hermès bags, almost all of which were sold well over the estimate. Those who buy these handbags know that in the marketplace and on second hand platforms they can easily resell them for three or four times the initial in-store purchase value.
In 2019 in Italy, auction house Finarte oversaw the sale of more than one hundred Hermès pieces purchased by a private individual as an investment. The collector had purchased the pieces for sale between 2011 and 2013, storing them in a vault waiting for them to go up in value. The sale of the one hundred and twenty bags had proceeds of about one million euros, half of which was profit. This was because the colors of the bags were no longer produced by the French Maison and because buyers could have the bag right away by skipping the waiting lists at Hermès stores.
The story of the Hermès Birkin – High jewelry manufacturing
The world’s most coveted handbag owes its name to another fashion icon whose fame it surpassed, Jane Birkin. The French actress and singer, former partner of Serge Gainsbourg, who passed away last July 2023, in 1983 was a young mother torn between her family and a career that often led her to have to travel. That year on an Air France Paris-London flight, Jane Birkin was seated next to Hermès chairman Jean-Louis Dumas. Jane’s diary falls, scattering all her papers.
Birkin complains to her traveling companion about the lack of a bag large enough and at the same time elegant enough to hold everything she needs for the trip. Dumas promises to create the perfect bag for her needs, so the Birkin is born. A rectangular-shaped bag, it is soft and spacious, with a polished profile and saddle-stitching. Dumas also thinks of a dedicated space for baby bottles.
The actress’s fame makes Hermès’ new creation instantly recognizable and well-known, but as the decades have passed, the bag has surpassed the notoriety of its inspiration to become one of the world’s most desired items. On Vestiaire Collective, an e-shop for second hand luxury, in the year 2022 the average price of a Hermès bag increased by 200 percent compared to 2021. In 2015, the Hermès Birkin was in danger of losing its name. Jane Birkin, asked Hermès to remove its name from the bag because of an investigation by PETA, a nonprofit animal rights organization, which showed the cruelty of the farms where crocodiles were slaughtered for the bags.
Ethical luxury – The artisans who create the Hermès Birkin
Two handles, two side straps, a buckle, a large inside pocket, a padlock and a key ring. Hermès considers each Birkin bag a work of art. It takes about twenty-five hours of labor to make, and only highly skilled artisans can produce them after two years of practice.
Each artisan is responsible for the production of his or her own bag from start to finish and identifies his or her work with a sequence of numbers, letters, and symbols found next to the blind stamp on the clasp.
The process of creating a Birkin bag: high craftsmanship by Hermès
Preparation and cutting of the material with careful inspection of the leather for defects. The Birkin is dressed in a rare leather that is the result of an entirely vegetable tanning process. The natural vache has a transparent finish that patinas and embellishes over time whether smooth or grainé. Once a high-quality leather section has been selected, the artisan removes minor defects and the material is cut to the bag’s requirements. The section of material is then inserted into a wooden clamp and stitched together for the Birkin’s shape grip.
The raw edges are smoothed. Once the hand-stitching is completed, the craftsman gently uses a hammer to hide the seam. Next comes shaving, sanding and waxing, making these six steps the longest of all. Using the same material as the main body of the bag, up to five sections are layered to create the handle. The shape of the handle is formed with the layers and finished; the artisan sews the handle onto the main body of the bag. The last step is the addition of the small parts. The lock, studs, clasp, and other components are attached without screws in a process called Pearling.
When the bag is finished a second artisan or workshop inspector examines the bag to make sure it meets Hermès standards. After passing the inspection, the Birkin is stamped and sent to the Hermès Logistics Center, where the final overhaul takes place, before shipment to a boutique.
Kelly Morphose – The story of the Hermès Kelly before Grace Kelly
Unlike the Birkin, the Hermès Kelly was not inspired by a movie diva but still owes her name. The birth of the Kelly dates back to the founding of the Maison Hermès in 1837. Conceived as a saddle bag for hunting parties of knights, in 1930 it was revisited and became a women’s accessory. It was Robert Dumas, Émile Hermès’s son-in-law and his successor in the management of Hermès (1951-1978), who created a new model by reducing its size.
He gave it the trapezoidal shape and details with a handle and the two straps, with the design we still see today in the Hermès Kelly bag. Timeless design. It was not until the 1950s that the Kelly acquired its name. In 1956 Grace Kelly was pregnant with her first daughter, Carolina. To hide her as yet unofficial pregnancy from the paparazzi, Kelly covered her belly with Hermès. The shots published in Life, transformed the future of the Hermès bag, renamed from that moment Kelly. The Maison Hermès did not make Kelly’s new name official in its collection until 1977.
Post pandemic desire for Hermès bags grows: Kelly tops list, most desired bag
Although the fashion industry was hit by the effects of the crisis due to the 2020 pandemic, as in 2008 the luxury sector was immune to the crises in the rest of the world. After the pandemic sales stalled, the luxury market grew by 13-15 percent in 2021, (according to a report published by the consulting firm Bain and Company).
Hermès is the brand that has recovered the most: sales in the first nine months of 2021 grew 60 percent, 43 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. Hermès claims the title of third luxury brand, behind Louis Vuitton and Chanel. From the post-pandemic data among the most desired handbags, Hermès’ own Kelly tops the charts.
Editorial fashion credits are Hermès HJ collection and Hermès Kelly Morphose. Jean-Paul Gaultier, Diesel, Jacquemus, Blumarine and Jimmy Choo
Pumps are Jimmy Choo x Jean-Paul Gaultier and Ottolinger; top Jean-Paul Gaultier; jackets, belt, bra are from the Blumarine collection; top is Jacquemus; pants, boots and jumper from the Diesel FW 24 collection; coat, skirt, boots and necklace Hermès as well as the HJ collection and the Kelly Morphose.
Manon Clavelier, photographer
Manon Clavelier is a Paris based photographer working in fashion. Through forms and textures, her photographs celebrate a space in-between, where details of the real and cosmic realms bump into each other. Her visual production is following her attraction for a different mankind, conscientious and unlimited.
Nelly Carle, stylist
French stylist and consultant based in Paris. Nelly’s clients include Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Ami Paris, L’Oréal Tom Ford Parfum, Poster Girl, Annelise Michelson, Fruity Booty, Marimekko and H&M. She also collaborated with fashion independent magazines.
Special Hermès HJ editorial for Lampoon online
Photography: Manon Clavelier
Styling: Nelly Carle
Fashion Editor: Arianna Bonifazi
Make up: Hicham Ababsa @Bryant Artists
Hairstyle: Kazue Deki @Calliste
Light Assistant: Vassili Boclé
Digital Operator: Kévin Hervo
Style Assistant: Zoé Minard Liévain
Hair Assistant: Chiaki Morimoto
Make up Assistant: Victoria San Roman
Producer: Maison Montcalm
Talents: Dustin Muchuvitz @Women360, Sarah Boursin @Next Miora @IMG
Thanks to Mélanie Beyl & Jair Sfez @Studio Montcalm
Editorial Team
