We have a lot of bags sent to us to photograph to share with you all, including many from premiere brands. This allows us to give you an intimate look at bags that aren’t easy to see along with a real review of each item. There are a few brands that are hard to get information on and see the bags themselves – and the hardest of them all is Hermès. Luckily we have members of the PurseForum sharing images and adding to our Hermès reference library, but nothing is the same as seeing a bag in person.
But that’s all about to change! I’ve known the folks behind Privé Porter for a few years and we’ve been trying to find a way to work together. So I threw out what to me was a crazy idea – ‘how about you send me some of the rarest bags to photograph’ – and they said yes. Even if Hermès were to send me bags to photograph, I’m certain none would be as rare as the ones I’ll get from Privé Porter and that is a delightful treat for me and you!
Privè Porter is different from many other resellers in a few ways – namely that in almost every case, the bags come as if you purchased in store yourself with the original store receipt, flawless box, and all accessories. Privé has bought and sold over $50MM in over 50 countries and at any given time has no less than $1.5MM in inventory of brand new bags. Last week I shared information about this pretty pink Birkin on Instagram and we were actually able to see it with another rare Birkin.
What: Hermès 35cm Birkin HSS Bambou Togo lined with Craie Chèvre GHW #A (2017)
WHY IS IT SPECIAL? For those who may not know, “HSS” stands for Hermès Horseshoe Stamp, which is essentially Hermès giving the VIP of their VIPS a chance to come in and designer their own bag in terms of size, type of leather, color combination, and hardware. Once Hermès accepts the design specifications, it can take an entire year for Hermès to make.
The Bambou is one of the most stunning green hues on a bag I’ve ever seen – it’s clean and crisp and an Hermès fan favorite too. The interior Craie leather is very close to the actual color of a the intra-node of a real bamboo tree, so best guess is the person who ordered this HSS wanted a bag that reminded them of bamboo with the color choices, both inside and out.
Many people ask what makes an Hermès bag so special? The quality and craftsmanship are cited and in the case of this bag, it’s so true. Hermès forgot no detail when it came to this bag, adding green Bambou stitching on the interior when they could have easily used Craie to save time and even the inside of the clochette is Craie. Every small detail was accounted for in this rare bag which makes it truly a unique and special piece.
Sometimes however, customers don’t claim their HSS bags for a slew of reasons, and Hermès will then offer the abandoned HSS to other customers. Privé Porter told me that many of the HSS bags that come their way they try to buy because they are so rare and many times one of a kind bags, and many of the people who sell these bags to Privé Porter are looking at existing inventory to trade it for.
What: Hermès 30cm Birkin Rose Lipstick Tadelakt GHW 2017, brand new condition, original store receipt
WHY IS IT SPECIAL? According to Privé Porter, “This is a really rare find, a 2017 Rose Lipstick Birkin in any size is extremely rare. The last time Hermes used Rose Lipstick to make a Birkin was only in Togo leather which was part of the stinky bag issue. They only used Tadelakt leather at the time to make small leather goods. My guess is a craftsman found an old piece of Tadelakt at leather and decided to make a one off, which makes this a very special bag. This may be the only Birkin bag that will ever be made in Rose Lipstick Tadelakt leather.”
Unlike other sites, Privé Porter does majority of it’s selling over Instagram – sharing bags there and then texting and emailing with clients. To purchase you can call or text them at 561.479.9200 or email [email protected]. For now, I will lust after these two bags (which were a beautiful color combo together).
