Some Hermes Schooling:
- Prices for both begin around $7,000 and can go well beyond $50,000 ( Imagine paying R350,000.00 for a handbag!)
- Part of the price of all Hermès bags is the privilege to bring it into any boutique to be sent to Paris for a “spa treatment” where the bag, no matter how old or abused, will be bought back to the best possible condition…for an additional cost of several hundred dollars
- Both bags can be customized to the buyers specifications
- Locks and keys are number-coded
- Lining is usually made of goat skin that matches the color of the exterior skin
- Identifiable by their metal-tipped clasp, which can be closed with a tiny padlock (and the clasp’s hidden key often dangles from the handle in a leather sheath of its own)
- Not sold online and never ever will be
- Famous for their waiting lists – Remember on Sex and the City when Samantha used Lucy Liu’s name to score the red one faster?
The Hermès Kelly Bag:
- Named after Grace Kelly
- Became famous in 1956 when Grace Kelly (then Princess of Monaco) used one to shield her pregnant stomach from the prying eyes of the paparazzi
- More formal than the Birkin
- Comes in 5 different sizes (although possibly more from looking at the Fall runway show)
- It takes a single craftsman about 18 hours to make one
The Hermès Birkin Bag:
- Named after Jane Birkin (who has an interesting history with the company)
- 5 Birkins are produced a week at the Hermès Atelier in Paris
- More casual than the Kelly & has a slightly younger more bohemian appeal
- With an open top, it is easier to open than the Kelly
- Both Jay-Z and Lil’ Kim have both rapped about the Birkin
