Hermès uses an extensive range of leathers in their products, such as crocodile, lizard, pigskin, ostrich, skipper and lambskin. Box calf leather – often seen in vintage
Since 1837, Hermès has been using Naturelle, a vegetable tanned cowhide known for its unique natural hues and luminosity. Rooted in the House's saddle-making history, Naturelle plays a key role in Hermès' leather goods. This firm, smooth and luminous leather with a slightly matte finish is sensitive to light.
Our precious skins
At the end of 2021, 90% of Hermès' supply of crocodile hides came from certified sites. By adding third-party audits according to an internal standard, 98.6% of the crocodile hides purchased by Hermès come from audited and/or certified farms (ICFA).
Hermès makes the bags in France using premium materials like calf skin, alligator skin and even ostrich skin. Each bag is made entirely by hand. Although Birkins are one of the most exclusive and sought-after bags today, they actually weren't all that popular when they first launched.
Almost all recently produced Hermès Birkin and Kelly bags are lined in chevre or goatskin, a lightly textured and very durable leather with a touch of sheen. Fake Birkins and Kellys are lined in leather or faux leather and do not have the richness of chevre.
According to royal author Marcia Moody's 2013 book Kate: A Biography, Catherine always carries three four items with her. "In her small clutch she carries a compact mirror, blotting paper, a handkerchief and lip balm," she writes.
Hermès leather is always "full grain", with a top layer that remains intact and unaltered. This ensures that the leather is resistant and ages well, while also highlighting some of the natural characteristics of the grain, such as wrinkles, veins and pores.
An Hermès mushroom leather bag is slated to be available for purchase later this year, marking the first time Hermès will use vegan leather in any of its luxury products. The high-end French label plans to reimagine its popular “Victoria” travel bag using a special lab-grown type of mushroom leather.
Birkin bags are handmade from leather and are named after the English-French actress and singer Jane Birkin.
Hermès uses both crocodile and alligator skins to make matte and lissé (shiny) handbags. However, not all colors are available in both matte and shiny.
Its animal rating is 'very poor'. It has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with Five Freedoms but has few clear mechanisms to implement. It uses leather, wool, down, angora, fur, exotic animal skin and exotic animal hair. It traces some animal products to the first stage of production.
The Prada Group will only sell leather and other products considered by-products of the meat trade (example: sheepskin and calfskin).
Hermès uses 35 different types of leather in its products, with the majority sourced from its owned tanneries. By-products from food account for 96 per cent, while 92 per cent are sourced locally in Europe, according to the company.
The maison's leather goods require meticulous saddle-stitching, and only leather of the highest quality is used. Leather is at the heart of Hermès' priced offerings, from the sought-after Birkin handbags to luggage and saddles.
Many vintage Gucci products were constructed with pigskin, calf and exotic leathers imported from different parts of the world. Today's Gucci leather is the ultra-luxurious Guccissima leather, meaning “the most Gucci” in Italian. It was introduced in 2006 by then Creative Director Frida Giannini.
our verdict. This brand is not cruelty free. Many ingredients used are questionable. zoobop suggests using verified clean, green, cruelty free alternatives which are good for you and the planet.
Hermes is known for their careful and expert handling of leather and skins. Some of the most popular types of leather used in both Birkin and Kelly bags include Box Calf, Clemence, Epsom, and Togo.
Birkin bags have been made from a variety of cruelly begotten animal skins—including ostrich, snake, and crocodile—since their release in 1984. However, the Telfar bag Beyoncé mentions is a tote bag made out of animal-free vegan leather.
It's a work of art. As a fashion house, Hermès prides itself on championing craftsmanship above all else. Hermès' belief is 'one craftsman, one bag', and as such each Birkin is made by a single artisan from start to finish in one of their dedicated ateliers, a process which takes approximately 40 hours in total.
Clemence has a semi-matte smooth, pebbled-grained surface that creates a slightly slouchy and relaxed handbag Clemence and Togo are both natural leathers and quite similar, but Clemence is smoother to the touch and has slightly larger grains and no veining compared to Togo.
Togo leather is the most popular option for Kelly Retourne bags thanks to its supple quality. This durable, scratch resistant calfskin leather was introduced in 1997. It is named after the Togolese Republic in Africa.
According to Dior, Princess Diana fell in love with the style when the First Lady of France at the time, Madame Bernadette Chirac, gifted her with its “Chouchou” bag in 1995. When she was photographed carrying the style on multiple occasions, the fashion house renamed the bag the “Lady Dior” as a play on Lady Diana.
Meghan's Strathberry bags - all three of them!
These days, though, you can shop it along with Meghan's other two Strathberry bags: she has a pair of Midi totes, one in burgundy and one in tan, and the Strathberry East-West shoulder bag.
Etiquette expert Myka Meier revealed that Kate holds her bags in her left hand so she can keep her right hand free to greet and shake hands with guests at the many public functions she attends as a royal. And Kate isn't the only royal to do this.