Influential Conversations: Why the Hermès Kelly Bag Remains One of the World’s Most Exclusive Bags

We asked a Christie’s handbag expert what makes the Hermès Kelly so special. Here’s what she said.

When Grace Kelly appeared on the cover of Life magazine in 1956 with a chic oversized Hermès bag and a fur coat draped over her shoulders, she wasn’t just debuting an instantly iconic outfit—she was creating the first viral accessory moment in fashion history.

“People were calling the magazine and saying, ‘What bag is that?’ and calling Hermès saying, ‘I want the bag Princess Grace is carrying,” says Caitlin Donovan, Head of Sales for Christie's Handbags & Accessories Department.

The story goes that the princess may have been using the oversized bag to hide early signs of her first pregnancy, but in the process a status symbol was born. And in the 60-plus years since, the Hermès Kelly bag—originally named the Sac à Dépêches—has become one of the luxury fashion world’s most coveted pieces, on the wishlist of