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.
Auth. Hermès BRACELET - Brandebourgs - EGP - Red Blue Green - 70-17mm - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
BRACELET - Brandebourgs - EGP - Red Blue Green - 70-17mm NWOTS - 2312231818 Brand: Hermès Type/Model: Enamel Bangle/Bracelet Design Name: Brandebourgs, Froggings Artist: Cathy Latha...
Enamel, Gold Plate
Auth. HERMES BRACELET - Brandebourgs - EGP - Burgundy - 70-17mm - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
BRACELET - Brandebourgs - EGP - Burgundy - 70-17mm NWOTS - 2401031849 Brand: Hermès Type: Enamel Bangle Name Design: BRANDEBOURGS Artist: Caty Latham Material: Enamel Gold-plated Ty...
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
$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 - Brazil - ESP - Surteint Turquoise - 65-17mm - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
BRACELET - Brazil - ESP - Surteint Turquoise - 65-17mm NWOTS -2401031817 Brand: Hermès Type: Enamel Bangle Name Design: Brazil Artist: Laurence Bourthoumieux Material: Enamel Silver...
Enamel
$647
W 0.71 in Dm 2.56 in
Hermès Vintage Enamel Printed Bracelet Kimonos et Inros Gold Plated Hdw Size 65
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Lovely Authentic Hermès Bracelet Pattern: "Kimonos et Inros" Made in Austria Made of Printed Enamel and Gold Plated Hardware Colorways: Bleu Can...
Enamel, Gold Plate
$890
H 0.79 in W 0.79 in Dm 2.76 in
Auth. Hermès BRACELET - Clous En Trompe L oeil Bracelet - EGP - Multicolour New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
Orders ship DDP No import duties or brokerage due at delivery. Clous En Trompe L oeil Bracelet - EGP - Multicolour Club - 70-20mm - NWOTS - 2601051859 Brand: Hermès Type/Model: Ena...
Enamel, Gold Plate
Auth. Hermès Bracelet Brazil - ESP - Blue White - 65-19mm - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
Brazil Hermes Bracelet - ESP - Blue White - 65-19mm - NWOT - 2601051902 Brand: Hermès Type/Model: Enamel Bangle/Bracelet Design Name: Brésil, Brazil Artist: Laurence (Toutsy) Bourth...
Enamel
Auth. Hermès BRACELET - Brandebourgs - ESP - Yellow Green - 65-17mm - New
By Hermès
Located in Ottawa, CA
BRACELET - Brandebourgs - ESP - Yellow Green - 65-17mm NWOTS - 2312072130 Brand: Hermes Type/Model: Enamel Bangle/Bracelet Design Name: Brandebourgs, Froggings Artist: Caty Latham Color: Jaune (Yellow), Vert (Green) Diameter (Inner): 6.50 cm / 2.56 in Circumference: 20.42 cm / 8.04 in Width: 1.70 cm / 0.67 in Weight: 36 g / 1.27 oz Rim Metal: Palladium-plated Rim (silver-tone) Material: Enamel on metal Condition: New Without Store Tag, Never Worn, Without Box (S Item) Approx. Issue Date: circa 2012 (inferred) Reissue Notes: printed-enamel adaptation documented in 2011 Country of Origin: Made in France Hallmarks/Stamp: Hermes Paris, Made in France, (+P) Artist's Story: Caty Latham is the Hermès artist behind Brandebourgs, first created in 1972. Her work transforms archival costume details into disciplined ornamental compositions, and Hermès has continued to revisit Brandebourgs across silk, exceptional embroidery, home textiles, and printed enamel, giving the motif an enduring place within the house’s collections. Story about the Design: Brandebourgs takes its name from the ornamental frog fastenings on a richly braided dolman jacket. Hermès traces Latham’s inspiration to a 19th-century uniform album in the Émile Hermès collection and identifies the garment with officers of Napoleon III’s Imperial Guard. Braids, buttons, embroidery, and elaborate trimmings become a formal, rhythmic motif that wraps naturally around this rigid enamel bangle. Collector's Notes: This example pairs a 65 mm inner diameter with a 17 mm profile, yellow-and-green enamel, and cool silver-tone palladium-plated rims. The supplied P code has no visible geometric surround; because P is not part of the post-2015 plain-letter sequence and Brandebourgs debuted after 1970, the square-era P date of 2012 is used only as circa 2012 (inferred), not as a definitive production year. The condition code denotes a never-worn piece without its store tag or box. Craftsmanship Note: Hermès documented...
Gold Plate, Enamel
HERMES 18k Rose Gold Plated and Black Enamel Uni Bangle
By Hermès
Located in New York, NY
Elevate your accessory game with the exquisite Hermès Paris Bangle, a stunning fusion of luxury and elegance. Crafted from a base metal with 18k rose gold plating, this bangle featur...
18k Gold, Gold Plate, Rose Gold, Enamel
14K Yellow Gold Children's Bangle Bracelet #17736
Located in Washington Depot, CT
14K Yellow Gold Children's Bangle Bracelet with etched design This adorable bangle is a sentimental accessory for your child. Marked: 14K Bracelet size: 5.25" Width: 5mm Weigh...
14k Gold
10 Karat Yellow Gold Filigree and Blue Stone Bangle Bracelet #22442
Located in Washington Depot, CT
10 Karat Yellow Gold Filigree and Blue Stone Bangle Bracelet- This graceful 10K yellow gold bangle bracelet showcases ornate filigree detailing and is set with five light blue squar...
10k Gold, Yellow Gold
Roberto Coin 18K Yellow Gold Woven Cuff Bracelet #24551
By Roberto Coin
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Roberto Coin 18K Yellow Gold Woven Cuff Bracelet- This elegant cuff bracelet by Roberto Coin is crafted in beautifully detailed 18K yellow gold. The satin finish gives the piece a s...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Roberto Coin 18K Yellow Gold Barocco Diamond Bangle Bracelet #25062
By Roberto Coin
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Roberto Coin 18K Yellow Gold Barocco Diamond Bangle Bracelet- This elegant bange bracelet by Roberto Coin showcases the signature woven gold design that defines the Barocco collecti...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Tiffany & Co. 18K Yellow Gold Diamond Hinged Bangle Bracelet w/Box #24771
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Tiffany & Co. 18K Yellow Gold and Diamond Hinged Bangle Bracelet- This stunning bangle bracelet by Tiffany & Co. is crafted in 18K yellow gold and features eight round brill...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-Century Cartier 18K Yellow, White, Rose Gold Diamond Woven Bracelet #23739
By Cartier
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Mid-Century Cartier 18K Tri-Color Gold Diamond Bracelet This vintage Cartier diamond woven foliage flex bracelet is set in 18K yellow gold. The diamonds are set in 18K white gold an...
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
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.
