The Kelly Bag (named for the actress and princess
Grace Kelly) is made by one individual craftsman in about 18 hours
of work.
The skins arrive at the factory already laid out in perfect
symmetry, ready for the expert to being his (or her) magic. Goat
skins are used for the lining and this is the first part to be actually
sewn.
After the lining is made, the base of the handbag is handsewn
to the front and back with waxed linen thread. A double saddle stitch
is used and each thrust of the needle is carefully done. A tiny
hole is made with an awl before each stitch and the stitch size
dictates the size of the hole. Adjustment is made for the particular
grain of the leather to work with the natural pattern.
The handle comes next in the careful construction of the
Kelly handbag and the shaping is done by hand with painstaking attention
to detail. The layers of the stitched leather is smoothed with sandpaper
and then dyed to match the handbag. Hot wax is applied to protect
the handle from moisture.
The distinctive front flap is then added to the bag body
and next is the distinctive hardware and 4 feet on the bottom. Each
of these metal parts are hand riveted.
Believe it or not, the handbag is then ironed to gently
smooth out the wrinkles in the calfskin. Last (but certainly not
least!) is the famous gold stamp that says "Hermes Paris".
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