How a Hermès handbag is made: Photographs reveal French fashion house's design secrets




Hermès has been the handbag label of choice for some of the world's most glamorous women in history, from Victoria Beckham to Grace Kelly.

And now as the French fashion house celebrates its 175th birthday, its design secrets have been unveiled for the first time.



A series of photographs taken inside the famous Paris workshops showcase the craftsmanship required to create one of its bags, some of which cost in excess of £10,000.



Air of mystery: New photographs reveal the interiors of the Hermès workshops for the first time

A world away from its shiny, minimalist boutiques the studio space, located in Pantin on the outskirts of Paris, is littered with scraps of leather, cotton reels and scrawled design papers.

While taking the images, 24-year-old blogger Shini Park of Park & Cube from London discovered that it can take workers up to 48 hours to hand-stitch a Birkin, one of the brands most sought-after models.

But she was more eager to watch the production of the Hermes Constance - a miniature style of bag which made its debut in 1959 and has since remained popular with its bold, iconic 'H' closure.

Design process: A glimpse inside the Hermès workshop where designs begin to take shape

The Hermès Birkin, one of the brands most sought-after models, can take up to 48 hours to create

She said: 'I must confess, in most part I was sneaking around in the far corner where the Constance bags were being made and heard only about half the tour.'

Currently the workshops aren't open to the public, but to celebrate its 175 year history Hermès is running a Leather Forever exhibition, which explores the fascination with crafting designer objects from leather.



Held in the Royal Academy of Art's sister space, 6 Burlington Gardens, London it will enable fans of the brand to get up close and personal with some of the most stylish bags in the world.

A number of unique designs will also go on display, including a satyr-winged saddle bag, a one-off made in 2001 for a Japanese rock band.



Shini added: 'Hermès clearly proves that it takes the talented, adept hands of artisans and a brand ethos that embraces quality to make a great bag.



Hermès was established in 1837 and today specializes in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear

Work in process: Some satchels in the signature Hermès orange hand on a rail while cotton reels and hammer lay nearby



'The 'secret' of Hermès, is not in a mystery beeswax or a particular stitching machine, but the magic of attention and care by skilled hands,' says blogger Shini Park