The Kelly Bag, Daring And Modern
Daring and modern! We start the post with these two words. Two words that made history and created a before and after in women's fashion. Two words that defined the well-known Kelly bag, from the great luxury firm Hermès, based in Paris.
Let's go back a few years to understand how this great fashion icon quickly entered the market and became the essential accessory for every woman.
The Kelly bag, created by Robert Dumas in the 1930s, who was director of Hermès between 1951 and 1978, is a leather bag, in the shape of a triangular trapezoid, with a larger compartment, a cut-out flap, a handle of manual fastening and is characterized by having two straps. This last characteristic innovated this feminine accessory and gave birth to the concept of modernity and daring. Today it may seem like a very common bag, but at that time, bags were very small, in which almost nothing could be carried. With the Kelly bag, they gained space and covered their needs at that moment, where their daily rhythm required more space to transport more things. Then began the start of innovation in women's bags for independent and active women, creating the iconic Hermès Kelly luxury bag, one of the most sought-after bags still today.
However, before getting the final model, it was designed multiple times before becoming popular and being named Kelly thanks to a photograph that went viral in the world, in which Grace Kelly, American actress and later Princess of Monaco, wore this bag model. As a curious fact, Grace used the Kelly bag to hide the initial signs of pregnancy, a story that melted her fans and the general public.
After positioning itself in the market with a very marked design that would create a trend and be a benchmark for other luxury brands and bags around the world, different versions of bags were created, from picnic baskets to small Kelly-shaped accessories. for pendants, bracelets or leather belts.
This last example would lead us to the incorporation of this same Kelly bag design in women's belts. A miniature replica of the bag has been made and is incorporated into women's belts, as if it were a fanny pack, but for the most chic looks. It has the function of a small removable pocket where small objects such as cards or lipstick can be stored. This version on the belt is only a small replica, however, in reality, we have eight different sizes of the Kelly bag and different styles. The smallest measures 15 centimeters and its size increases until it reaches the largest model of 50 centimeters. Another characteristic that makes it unique are its appliqués, the padlock and the keys, made of yellow or white gold.
Did you know that it takes around 25 hours of manual labor to build a Kelly bag? Each item that creates it is created by a single artisan. This makes its price higher than many others in the same range. In the 1990s you could get a Kelly bag for about $3,500. Thirty years later, with the addition of exotic leathers, its price tripled.
Currently, getting a Kelly bag is a difficult task and requires a lot of patience. Its exclusivity means that the waiting lists to be able to have a Kelly in your hands are counted in years. That is why it is one of the most sought after in second-hand markets and auctions and for which more than 100,000 euros have been paid, as is the example of a crocodile skin Kelly.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF A KELLY BAG
And now that we know all this, we cannot ignore the care of this type of bag. Like any leather bag, they must be cared for and treated delicately. We are going to briefly summarize the three main steps to help you keep your leather bags or your Kelly bag, if you are one of the lucky ones, in perfect condition.
1.- Cleaning:
One of our first recommendations is to carry out a regular cleaning of the bag even if dirt or stains are not visible to the naked eye. In this case, we recommend that you use the Polishing Brush Saphir Médaille d'Or to delicately remove dust and dirt from the surface and then apply the Saphir Cleanser which, in addition to better removing dirt, allows for better subsequent hydration.
2.- Hydration:
It is important to keep the bag hydrated, since as every woman knows, the bag is an accessory that is used almost daily and can be easily damaged. Our recommendations are the use of the Renovateur Cream Saphir Médaille d'Or for impeccable nutrition followed by the Saphir Pommadier Cream Médaille d'Or Shoe Polish, made from Shea butter to polish and give shine and color to the leather Kelly bag, or any another leather bag.
3.- Protection:
Skin care ends with this third process. For optimal protection of your leather bag, use our star product. The Saphir Medaille D'Or Super Invulner. This spray creates an invisible protective film that protects from rain, snow, possible scratches, scratches and dirt. Wonderful!
And here are our recommendations to have all your most precious accessories shiny as the first day.
Good luck, and see you soon! :)
