Why the Kelly Bag is So Named
The Kelly bag is so named after the actress Grace Kelly, when in
1956, the then Princess of Monaco used one of her two favorite Hermès
bags to shield her pregnant stomach from the prying eyes of the
paparazzi. Photographs of her covering her stomach bulge with her
hallowed Hermès were splashed all over the world and made it onto the
cover of Life magazine!
When discussing her high-profile life, Kelly said “the freedom of the
press works in such a way that there is very little freedom from it.” A
sentiment that many A-list celebrities and royals can still relate to
today.
When faced with a pack of nosy photographers, Stephanie Pendersen, in her book,
Handbags, What Every Woman Should Know,
says that the shy, newly married Princess, not yet wishing to announce
her pregnancy to the world, did what any woman would do and hid her
secret in her handbag! Such was Kelly’s influence at the time that from
henceforth, her essential accessory became known as the “Kelly” bag.
Nowadays, according to Miller’s
Handbags — a Collector’s Guide
, vintage examples of the Hermès Kelly change hands for large amounts
of money. An early 1960s crocodile Kelly, for example, would be expected
to fetch anything from $3,000 - $6,000 at a top auction house.
Identifying a Kelly Bag
Kelly bags come in 5 different sizes and are usually made from
crocodile, alligator, ostrich-skin or plain leather. According to
Miller’s guide, they are identifiable by their distinctive metal-tipped
clasp, which can be closed with a tiny padlock. Swathed in leather, the
clasp's hidden key often dangles from the handle.
One of the most memorable, recent Kelly bags is the early ‘90s Hermès
Silk Scarf Kelly, a beautiful design of silk florals, based around the
famous scarf. In the year 2000, to celebrate the Millennium, heir of
Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, added a touch of humor to a limited edition
Kelly ( named Quelle Idole aka Kelly Doll) by transforming the Kelly
into a doll; with a face, and arms and feet sprouting from the body of
the bag.
How a Kelly Bag is Made
In Anna Johnson’s
Handbags, The Power of the Purse, Johnson
points out that a 1956 Hermès Alligator Bag took 2 alligators to make a
Kelly, with the exotic skin culled from the reptiles’ jowls and the
belly.
Johnson details the finer points of the making of a Kelly bag; the
fact that it takes a single craftsman around 18 hours to produce one of
these beauties.
Once the hand-cut skins (selected by personal customer order) have
arrived, they are laid out, resembling a mini-dress and the lining or
the bag is hand-sewn in. The base of the bag is then created, using
waxed linen thread and a tough double-saddle stitch, where perforations
are painstakingly made into the leather. The following step is the
creation of the handle and then the front flap is stitched and added to
the body of the bag. The clasp and the four feet at the base of the
Kelly are then fitted and the famous padlock added.
The inside of a Kelly bag is as beautifully and as painstakingly made
as the outside, an honored tenet of Hermès, according to Pendersen. The
bags seams are smoothed, dyed and waxed.
Interestingly, the penultimate finishing touch involves the Kelly
being ironed, to get the wrinkles out the skin. The very last touch is
to christen the bag with the famous Hermès Paris logo, and another Kelly
bag is born.
Famous Kelly Clients
Although other Hollywood stars carried this iconic bag, (such as
Ingrid Bergman and Marlene Dietrich) none had the same impact as Grace
Kelly. The Kelly bag now enjoys a cult status and is a modern day
moviestar in its own right, featuring in recent TV and Hollywood movies
such as
Sex and the City and
Le Divorce. Together, with its sister, the Birkin, they have become two of the
most famous designer bags of all time. Victoria Beckham is one of the modern day celebrities famous for her Hermès Birkin and Kelly collection.
Other Designer It-bags
The Hermès Kelly bag is one of a long line of classic handbags which
join the ranks of collectable classic and modern purses such as the
Chanel 2.55, and the
Fendi Baguette.
