Hermès blurs the boundaries between bag and jewel

Everything began in 1984, on what was supposed to be a simple Paris-London flight for young Jane Birkin, a frequent traveler on this route. A simple flight that, however, clearly carried elite passengers, as sitting next to the singer was Jean-Louis Dumas, then Executive President of Hermès. The conversation between the two started after the young mother of three spilled her straw bag, and consequently all its contents in front of Dumas, who naturally advised her to get a bag with larger compartments. She replied that it wasn't for lack of trying, but no model available on the market met her needs as a busy mother. After exchanging ideas and sketching a few designs on an air-sickness bag, the Birkin bag took shape. Though it was thought up and created spontaneously to help a distressed mother lacking space, the Birkin's status has drastically changed today, as has its target audience and especially its accessibility, requiring months or even years of patience before one can purchase it.

In its prototype, Dumas incorporated the trapezoidal shape and the upper flap of the Haut à Courroies, the first bag from the French house, launched in the late 19th century and capable at the time of holding a saddle and riding boots. Today, however, it is difficult to imagine anyone using a Hermès bag for equestrian purposes. In addition to its status, the bag's aesthetics have evolved, and while the original model was offered in raw leather in neutral colors, today it comes in all colors and patterns. This fall, Pierre Cardy, Creative Director of High Jewelry at Hermès, decided to take the trend even further by offering the most blinged-out Birkin ever designed by the house, elevating the Birkin beyond its status as a bag and practical accessory. Indeed, what Hermès has just presented is a true jewel, made of asymmetrical plates of white or yellow gold that give the illusion of crocodile skin. The body and handle of the bag are decorated with a gradient of blue, yellow, orange, and yellow diamonds, a gradient partly inspired by the house's archives, which include over 75,000 different silk colors. Naturally, Hermès spared no expense in its creation: each piece is set with nearly 3,000 diamonds, amethysts, spessartite garnets, aquamarines, and sapphires.

Though the Jewelry Bag is a particularly elaborate version of the Birkin, it is not the first time that the House has gone off the beaten path and proposed such a model. The Sunrise and Sunset rainbows are the perfect example: two cousin models released in 2020, decorated with colorful stripes reminiscent of the poetry of dawn and dusk. In a more animal-inspired direction, there is the Himalayan Birkin, created by Jean-Paul Gaultier in 2010, considered one of the rarest and most expensive bags in the world, as well as the Ombré Birkin, made of lizard skin. The Birkin Metallic, a limited edition released in 2005, adds a more disco touch to the collection with its metallic silver color, also available in gold, inspired by the windows of the Faubourg Saint Honoré store. In terms of practicality, Hermès has also released two slightly more useful models for everyday life, such as the Cargo Birkin released in 2020, featuring an extra pocket on the front, and the 3 in 1, featuring a detachable inner pouch. The world's most coveted bag will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year; who knows what Hermès has in store to mark the occasion? Perhaps an entire collection of ever more original and innovative bags?