An Exclusive Look At The Incredible Craftsmanship Behind The Iconic Hermès Bags

We are taken on a personal tour of the Atelier Petits Sacs, the workshop where the iconic Hermès bags, such as the ‘Kelly’, the ‘Kelly Dépêches’, the ‘Birkin’, and the ‘Constance’, are meticulously manufactured. The sound of craftsmen at work and a soft scent of leather fill the air of the bright and modern room. As our guide—a Hermès artisan with 30 years of experience—points out the many techniques, we take in the calm, methodical atmosphere of the environment. At the many work-stations—all personalized to a certain extent with knick-knacks—craftsmen of all ages and genders work on their creations. Watching them at work and witnessing their precise actions, mastered over several years, feels like a privilege. We are told that honing these skills requires time and dedication. The leatherworkers learn the craft at the in-house Hermès leather school, where, trained for one year by Hermès artisans, they develop the specific techniques needed to construct Hermès’ core designs. Mastering the craftsmanship behind the ‘Kelly’ bag is fundamental, for its montage method entails 99% of all manufacturing techniques. Only when this is perfected, can complex bags and difficult skins be assigned.