One of the most coveted accessories in the world is the Hermès Kelly Bag. This specific handbag is crafted entirely by hand, and takes anywhere from 18 to 20 hours. One craftsman makes the bag from start to finish, and actually is named on each bag by a number on the palladium finish. A French native named Pierre was at the exhibit crafting the 8cm Orange Kelly Bag. Pierre was one of the only two craftsman at the exhibit who was not from France, but rather New York. Pierre works for Hermès doing repairs on the handbags at the Madison Avenue store. The amount of attention and detail spent on each bag is outstanding and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The handle of the bag is the most time-consuming, taking approximately eight hours. Four hours for each side of the handle is average, because of the quality and durability behind the all-leather handle.
Each hand-sewn seam is hammered down to smooth the seam, making the bag softer and less rigid. The Kelly bag comes in two versions, one has the seam exposed on the outside, and the other hides the seams on in the inside (making the craftsman work from inside to out).
Stitching the handle is one of the most strenuous jobs for any Hermès bag.
Hermès crafted their hardware in a way that is so unique and revolutionary that it is not done anywhere else. They noticed over the years that screws used in bags eventually came unscrewed, so they decided to use screws, but too long of screws. The extra length on the screw is cut down to a minimal length, and then hammered down, making the metal spread past the screw hole, ensuring the screw will not pass through the hole again. This tactic is called pearling and is absolutely brilliant.
Hammering down the screw required exquisite precision
Pearled screws
After many hours, the Kelly Bag finally has working handles made by Pierre.
The stitching around the entire bag is done by hand and is guided by a wooden block, so the stitch doesn't get out of line.
Before the craftsman actually starts stitching, he indents the leather with a special tool that will guide his stitching, making the route of the stitch easier.
The bag is then constructed to its living shape by stitching the side pieces of leather to the back and front with one long string that has needles at each end. Each side takes a little over an hour.
The bag is fully constructed, but sits inside out because this specific bag will have the stitching hidden on the inside, making the craftsman stitch from the inside.
The seams are once again hammered down to fill any lose space and make the bag smooth and streamlined.
The edges of each piece of leather is completely raw, causing the craftsman to sand the edges in preparation for the paint.
The paint always matches the bag's color, and is carefully applied, even though it will not be seen because it they are on the inside of the bag.
An oil-based paint is applied with a tiny sponge, and goes only along the unfinished edge of the leather, creating another layer of adhesive.
The paint on the edge of the seams is then melted down with a heated tool, making a wax-like feel for the edges.
At this point, the bag is fully constructed and stuck together, however it must be flipped inside out.
Flipping the bag required much muscle but also tenderness as to not damage any part of the delicate calfskin leather bag.
The craftsman starts from the bottom and rolls the sides upwards using two wooden rods in the bag, rolling the leather on the rods, making a smoother roll.
Once the bag is turned inside out, the craftsman crafts the edges of the bag so they sit perfectly and do not fold in.
Pliers are used at one point to caress the edges outward.
And once again the hammer is used to force the seams and the edges to lay out and keep the bag's perfect structure.
The bag's hardware is polished off after the front strap is pulled through the holes, and is ready to be inspected by a supervisor, and eventually sold.
Pierre proudly displaying the 8cm Hermès Kelly bag in Orange. This typical bag will take around 18 hours to craft in the factory but it took Pierre from Thursday to Wednesday to craft this bag, because of his explanations of each process. I would really like to thank Pierre for his kindness and willingness to explain everything he was doing and why.
All photos taken by Tim Schroeder for Standard Luxe
