Megs Mahoney Dusil August 15, 2011 Hermes

The Hermes Kelly Bag, Deconstructed

Ever wonder what a Hermes Kelly looks like before it is put together? I hadn’t given much thought to the question, but Jeroen van Rooijen clearly has; he deconstructed the iconic bag for his book Zerlegt. What struck me the most is what’s not in the photo – the Kelly has no fussy linings, zippers or unnecessary elements of any kind. The beauty of the design is in its simplicity.

At first I was surprised by the lack of materials needed to create the Kelly, but upon further thought it reminds me of “clean” eating: the best healthy meals have the purest ingredients and keep out all of the add-ons. This is what Hermes does, but with handbags; the company focuses on using smart design and the best materials instead of choosing quantity of quality. Now we know that for a fact, because someone has taken apart an $8,000 bag to satisfy our collective curiosity.

rose60610

Cool. I prefer the Kelly over the Birkin. Tres chic!
Amanda

I enjoy high end handbags, so I’ve long since accepted the fact that Birkins and Kellys and other various luxury goods have incredibly inflated prices. However, this photo does strike a bit of a chord with me. It’s a little different when you’re not seeing the whole picture – it’s really just some leather straps and metal buckles.
- Ashleyg
  
  I had the exact same reaction as your last sentence… Makes me start to rethink my whole addiction…
- mia
  
  I agree!
rms

I love branded bagsaa, but the price cnt juastify its purpose. It cn feed a lot of hungry kids and cn send kids to school already! How mAny bags do we actually need?
t

Not quite sure why this is surprising. Yes that is around 100$ worth of materials at best and one of the simplest of constructions (because of not having to sew in lining, zippers etc). Are people just figuring out they are paying too much for an Hermes and other overpriced handbags. :)
- Amanda
  
  Definitely not surprising, and no, not the first time I’ve noticed that the prices that I pay for luxury handbags are far higher than the actual cost of the materials and construction – I’m pretty sure most of here realized that a long time ago. I just think it’s a thought provoking photograph.
Jackie Ellis

Hermes prices really are obscene! I’m all for paying a decent amount for a luxury designer bag.. but never ever would I pay their overinflated prices!
AstaK.

My though was too: “Oh he forgot the pricetag from the picture…”
Not really sure, but guess they dont have pricetags at Hermes..lol…
Im sure this isnt the best advertice for Hermes. But anyway, the brand is the highest quality there is.
I have only one Hermes bracelet, but the magic is there…
As a contemporay artist I can say, the materials arent so expensive, but my painting will get ten of those.
C

I’m not trying to sound snarky (because I really do think this is a fascinating image, and I’m glad you’ve shared it), but Fashionista, Styleite, Fashionising, and Things Organized Neatly reported on this two months ago, so I wonder why it’s just now making waves here? (Being a blogger, I understand that there are times when you can’t fit a certain item into the queue, but PurseBlog is my go-to for handbag info, and I always think of you as being on the front lines, so I’m just surprised.)
Shelly

So that’s what a Kelly purchased from Ikea looks like.
- QQ
  
  LOL
  
  that explains why there is no lining!
Geoni

why are you posting like to other sites in this thread. you are acting like Spam.