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Those who are interested in elite and luxury fashion definitely have heard about the luxury brand Hermes. The company was founded in Paris, France and is widely known as the Hermes of Paris. It is currently one of the most elite brands in the world and has since evolved since it was founded in 1837.
The company has a wide range of selection for those who are interested in their brand but the most notable design of the luxury brand is the Birkin and Kelly handbags. These bags are their most popular design and it is made with exquisite materials. Despite the massive demand for these bags, Hermes made sure that owners of their brand feel the exclusivity of brand.
These days, it is extremely hard to get your hands on a Hermes Kelly since the brand wanted to cater to the elites and royals. These bags are often seen with millionaires and celebrities. Hermes became a fashion statement among the elites all thanks to the prominent actress Grace Kelly who later became the Princess of Monaco.
The bag made huge waves in Hollywood because of Grace Kelly. Take a look at how the bag became a bag fit for the royals and elite.
The Inspiration Behind The Luxurious Bag
Hermes' Kelly bag was inspired by the prominent actress Grace Kelly in the 1950s who lived from 1929 until 1982. The actress appeared in movies such as Fourteen Hours, Rear Window, Mogambo, Green Fire, The Swan, High Society and a lot more. Kelly became an influential actress during her prime and eventually met and settled down with Prince Rainier III in April 1956.
The actress became the Princess Consort of Monaco. The royalty is known for her sophisticated taste for fashion and later on developed her own glamorous styling that exhibits on merchandises from the luxury brand Hermes, which is one of her most favorite brand.
She has worn the luxury bag on the most important events of her life even the announcement of her engagement and during her pregnancy. The Princess of Monaco was often seen using a Sac à dépêches bag which was invented during the 1930s. It was the original Kelly bag.
The photos of the influential actress in Hollywood holding Hermes bag at the time became extremely popular across the world and even used as the front cover of several magazines at the time. The public started calling the bag Kelly bag. The photos of the Princess of Monaco using the bag gave the luxury brand the exposure they needed to further publicize their brand.
How Hermes Kelly Rose As An Icon In Fashion
Hermes decided to rename the bag and named it after the Princess of Monaco since the pictures of the former actress with the bag became an iconic picture in the media. Kelly used to cover her pregnant belly using the bag which is probably why her photos mostly highlights the bag.
This resulted to double the production of the bag since tons of celebrities and wealthy people wanted to use the same bag. The Prince of Monaco helped establish the brand and the Kelly bag which made it a status symbol of wealth across the world. It became the most sought after fashion must haves at the time throughout the United States and some parts of Europe.
Since Grace Kelly led a very high profile life, she greatly influenced the fashion industry with her choices. Both the public and celebrities in Hollywood follow her fashion statements. Although Hermes was already an established brand at the time, having a bag named after the former actress increased their prestige and gave their brand exposure.
Soon, Hermes became a must have in the fashion industry, specifically the iconic Kelly bag. Every woman at the time wanted to get their hands on the Kelly bag. They were interested mirroring the look of the Princess of Monaco, and copying her looks would not be complete without the Kelly bag.
The Intricate Details Of Kelly
The Hermes Kelly design was created by Robert Dumas and Hermes is very meticulous with their bag production. Making the luxury bag Kelly requires extreme dedication and skill. Each bag is made by a single craftsman and it takes them around 18 hours to finish the bag. Craftsman stiches together 36 separate pieces of leather to make the bag using about 680 hand stitches.
Kelly was crafted utilizing the most expensive leathers and skins available. The linings of the Kelly bag is made from the skin of the goat and the rest of the bag used durable leathers. There are also stunning grains and patterns that were added to the bag to give a distinct look.
The Princess of Monaco was often seen with two types of Hermes Kelly bags which became the public's favorite as well. Both bags are made with crocodile skin, same design with colors of dark brown and navy blue. She made the crocodile skin design extremely popular in Hollywood.
Sources: SCMP, Bag Hunter, Hello Monaco