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.
Hermes, Paris, Rare Double Golf Vide Poche / Trays c.1960
By Hermès, Ravinet D' Enfert
Located in Bath, GB
A handsome and rare pair of silver plated dishes or bowls jointed together with a decorative Golf ball handle in the centre. Just back from our silversmith's workshop where it has b...
Silver Plate
$1,472
H 1.38 in W 6.15 in L 7.49 in
Hermès XX century Golf Print Porcelain Cigar Ashtray with Gold Trim
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Lovely Authentic Hermès Ashtray Print: golf ball, clubs and tees Made in France Vintage item Made of porcelain, edges and notches hand painted with fine gold Bottom covered with...
Hermes Golf Ball Magnifying Loupe, 1960s France
By Hermès
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This vintage Hermes magnifying glass/loupe is a beautiful personality piece that is ideal for a golf lover or vintage Hermes collector. Large g...
Metal
$5,000
H 6.7 in W 6.7 in D 1.38 in
Art Deco Ashtray by Hermès Paris, Leather & Glass, France, Circa 1930
By Hermès
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Art Deco ashtray, made by Hermès Paris and designed by Jean Luce (1895-1965). Made in cooked leather and mirrored glass. Signed by Hermes Paris. France, CIRCA 1930.
Leather, Glass
Hermès Golf Ball Pen Holder Paperweight Rare
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Exceptional and Rare Authentic Hermès Golf Ball Pen Holder Can be used as pen holder thanks to its hole, paperweigt, decorative object Made of silvery me...
Hermes Cigars Ashtray / Vide de Poche / Keys Plate. France 1970´s
By Hermès
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Hermes Cigars Ashtray / Vide de Poche / Keys Plate. France 1970´s. This Hermès metallic dish with the raised “H” emblem absolutely reads as an ashtray, V...
Brass, Iron
Art Deco Silver Plate Ashtray, Golf Club Support, 20th Century UK
Located in Queens, NY
English Art Deco silver plate ashtray supported by 3 golf clubs
Ash
Jean Boris LACROIX (1902-1984), catchall tray
By Jean Boris Lacroix
Located in Paris, FR
Jean Boris Lacroix (1902-1984) was a French designer and architect known for his modernist lighting designs. After apprenticing with Paul Dumas, he debuted at the Salon des Artistes ...
Metal, Nickel
$577
H 2.76 in W 4.93 in D 4.93 in
Sculptural ashtray attributed to Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte, 1970
Located in Conversano, IT
Refined sculptural ashtray attributed to Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte, made in Murano between the 1950s and 1960s, an impeccable example of the submerged glass technique that made the master famous. The work features a faceted body of great geometric purity, shaped from a single solid block of multi-layer glass: an internal core with intense amethyst shades emerges through a crystalline band in aquamarine tones, creating an extremely sophisticated luminous dialogue. The external surfaces, hand-ground with absolute precision, are articulated into inclined planes and diamond cuts that refract the light and transform the volume into a true optical sculpture. The hollowed interior reveals a soft cavity, perfectly smoothed, typical of Poli's poetics, in which transparency and color seem to merge into a single fluid mass. The contrast between the geometric rigor of the external faces and the roundness of the submerged core gives the work a visual balance of rare elegance, while the amethyst-aquamarine chromatic combination represents one of the most sought-after palettes of mid-century Seguso production. The object, of notable weight and crystalline quality, is an extraordinary example of Murano mastery in postwar artistic glass and constitutes an iconic piece for collectors and connoisseurs of Italian submerged glass. Product Name: Sculptural ashtray attributed to Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte, 1970 Designer: Attributed to Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte Year of Design: Between the 1950s and 1960s Style: Mid-century sculptural Murano design, characterized by rigorous geometries, layered transparencies, and strong research on light Main Materials: Solid block of multi-layer submerged glass with amethyst core and aquamarine crystalline band, entirely hand-ground Distinctive Design: Faceted body of great geometric purity; inclined planes and diamond cuts that refract light; soft and perfectly smoothed internal cavity; sophisticated contrast between external rigor and internal fluidity; iconic amethyst-aquamarine palette typical of mid-century Seguso Dimensions: Length 12.5 cm Width 12.5 cm Height 7 cm Comfort: Heavy, solid, and stable object with smooth and harmonious internal cavity Typical Use: Designer ashtray...
Murano Glass
Hermes Silver Ashtray Organizer Cornucopia
By Hermès
Located in Paris, FR
Hermès Silver-tone metal round organizer plate featuring a Cornucopia, Corne d'Abondance (Horn of abundance) in his center, a round shape, back pitted leather Hermes signature at h...
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.
