The Evolution of Leather Goods and Modern Lifestyle (1900–1950s) HERMÈS
As the 20th century dawned, the rapid proliferation of the automobile began to replace horse-drawn transportation. Rather than fighting this industrial transformation, Émile-Maurice Hermès, the grandson of the founder, recognized a monumental shift in human lifestyle: the age of travel and mobility had arrived. During a trip to Canada during World War I, Émile-Maurice observed the zipper mechanism used on the canvas roof of a military car. Fascinated by its utility, he secured the exclusive patent for the zipper mechanism in France, revolutionizing leather goods design by introducing zipper closures to bags and apparel—a innovation famously known as the Fermeture Hermès.
Under Émile-Maurice’s vision, Hermès transitioned seamlessly from horse harnesses to travel trunks, luggage, and personal handbags. The house introduced its first dedicated women’s handbag in 1922 after Émile-Maurice’s wife complained that she could not find a handbag that suited her needs. Shortly after, in 1935, Hermès launched the Sac à Dépêches, a structured leather bag designed with clean, geometric lines. Decades later, when the Hollywood actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly used the bag to shield her pregnant stomach from paparazzi in 1956, the image captured global attention. Hermès officially renamed the design the Kelly Bag, solidifying its status as an immortal cultural icon.
HERMÈS ICONIC HANDBAG EVOLUTION
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1935: Sac à Dépêches Introduced │
│ └─► 1956: Grace Kelly photographed holding the bag │
│ └─► Renamed the KELLY BAG (Elegance & Structure) │
│ │
│ 1984: Jane Birkin & Jean-Louis Dumas Flight Encounter │
│ └─► Sketch created on an airplane sick bag │
│ └─► Birth of the BIRKIN BAG (Utility & Relaxed Luxury) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The mid-20th century also marked the expansion of Hermès into other luxury domains. In 1937, the house introduced the first Carré—a 90cm x 90cm silk scarf crafted from Chinese silk of unmatched quality. Printed using individual screen blocks for each distinct color, a single scarf design required hundreds of hours of engraving and artisanal labor. Alongside the silk scarf, the introduction of the orange shopping box—originally adopted due to paper shortages during World War II—turned a temporary wartime necessity into the most recognized packaging color in luxury history. lucy-liu.org
