Style needs

The Hermès Luxury brand has been in continuous existence since 1837, when they were primarily a saddlery or sellier. In 1892, Émile-Maurice Hermès, grandson of the founder Thierry, introduced the Haut à Courroies or HAC for short, which translates loosely as "High Belts", referring to the belt straps that are used to close the bag. The HAC was inspired by the totes he had witnessed the Argentinian gauchos using to carry their riding equipment on his recent trip to South America. Over the years the HAC has been produced in various sizes from 40cm - 60cm and is primarily used as a travel bag. Famously, Humphrey Bogart carried one that is on view at the Hermès Museum.

Like all Hermès bags, it is produced entirely by a single craftsperson with a double needle saddle stitch that is done completely by hand with beeswax coated linen thread. If a stitch should break, the bag will not unravel because of this double needle technique. The hardware is applied by a method unique to Hermès, called pearling: the plate is first nailed on and then the nail is cut off on the back side and the rough end is hammered down by hand until it resembles a pearl. This method is painstaking, but more permanent than screws, which can come undone. The handles, also produced by hand require several layers of leather and are shaped on the thigh of the craftsperson, so that they are all slightly unique. This attention to detail, in part, explains the cost.

In the 1930s, inspired by the new desire for ladies handbags, Hermès introduced the "Petit Sac Haut à Courroies", which was a smaller, single handled bag, which retained the closing straps of the original HAC. This bag was only a mild success until Grace Kelly started to carry it and was famously snapped by a paparazzo, while she tried to hide her pregnancy behind a large black crocodile version. This image was splashed across LIFE Magazine in 1956 making the bag as famous as the Princess carrying it. A short time later, this bag was renamed the "Kelly", in her honor.

In 1984, when songbird Jane Birkin found herself seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then President of Hermès, on an Air France flight from Paris to London, she took the opportunity to express the lack of a great leather travel bag for women--she pointed to the straw tote she had resorted to using. This discussion ended up with Dumas taking notes and making sketches. Dumas returned to the workshop and basically modified the HAC to Ms. Birkin's specifications, making it both smaller and shorter, but with longer handles, enabling it to be carried in the crook of the arm. The end result was delivered to Jane Birkin, creating the first "Birkin". It is my understanding that she receives a new one each year as a gift from Hermès and that she donates her old bag to a charity auction.

Ultimately, I believe that much of the success of Hermès can be traced back to the original and iconic HAC. The bag that inspired it all. Without the HAC, there likely would never have been a Kelly or a Birkin. I imagine that if the HAC has survived for over 100 years, it will survive another. The Kelly and the Birkin are so iconic that they are now part of the fashion lexicon.

A special thanks to Dana Thomas and her inspiring book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.