When you think of the luxury brand Hermès two names come to mind, Birkin and Kelly. Both bags have become synonymous with the brand, both for their extreme exclusivity as well as the connections to their namesakes with the Birkin being created for French singer and actress Jane Birkin. The Kelly bag, while not invented specifically for her, has become one of the lasting fashion statements of the late Princess Grace of Monaco and was the original Hermès ‘it’ bag!

The now world-famous Kelly bag was not always called so, in fact, when it was introduced in the 1930s it was titled Sac à Dépêches and, like with all Hermès handbags, its construction is a labour of love. Taking around 18-24 hours of work from just one singular craftsman, the bag is a timeless, classic shape not dissimilar to the Birkin but perhaps a tad more formal and sturdy.

The bag was loved by many in Hollywood, but none more so than actress Grace Kelly who was first introduced to it on the set of To Catch A Thief in 1955. Much like the story of Grace and her Prince, she fell head over heels with the bag at first sight.

Grace would catapult the bag to worldwide fame when, as a newly married Princess, she stepped out carrying the bag in front of her stomach in an attempt to hide her pregnancy from the paparazzi in 1956. As one of the most photographed women of the time, the images of Grace and her bag were plastered over magazines globally and it was, at this moment, that the bag would forever be connected with the Monegasque Princess. The bag would continue to be seen on the arm of the stylish Princess regularly, keeping demand for the bag high however it wouldn’t be until 1977 that Hermès would change the name from Sac à Dépêches to Kelly as we know it today!

It is because of endorsement from such stylish and influential women such as Grace that the brand of Hermès is as popular today as it was in 1956 and has retained its sense of refinement.

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