I’m so excited about this bag and reveal, which is going to be a surprise even to my own Pursebop team members! As they see this story headline in their email boxes, along with the rest of the community, no doubt there’ll be a team group text wondering “when did this happen?” And more to the point, how did we not know?
Time stamp: January 15th at 1:20pm EST.
In fairness, I acquired this gem just days ago as part of the team was heading to Paris representing PurseBop at the Hermès men’s show and bringing you full coverage of the event.
Read: What They Wore to the Hermès Men’s Winter 2024 Show
And yes, I am having major FOMO. So I’m keeping myself distracted with memories of a very productive trip to NYC and writing this sentimental reveal. And can we please take note that this might be one of my speediest reveals ever.
For those native to the United States, you’re well acquainted with the frigid arctic temperatures and snowfall much of the country has faced in recent days. Chicago has been unbearable for the last week with temperatures plummeting to -15°C. Yet amidst the polar plunge something beautiful and exceptional transpired.
I captured these photos of a frozen Lake Michigan. If you look closely you can see downtown Chicago.
Temperatures were -5 °C to -15 °C
My narration is going to have a lot of twists and turns. The story about this particular bag actually begins in March of 2023 when I was fortunate to attend my very first Hermès runway show in Paris. You will remember our extensive coverage, including the inside scoop of the bags to be presented over the coming year.
That entire experience holds a very special place in my heart. I don’t think I will ever forget the adrenaline and emotions surrounding those three surreal days of Hermès shows, after parties, and presentations.
I stepped out from hotel in the wee hours of the morning the day of the show to capture these pictures to document the occasion with my invitation.
The bag I carried to the show was my Mimosa Mini Kelly 20 in matte alligator.
To be fair, it wasn’t my very first runway show. I had attended the Metiers d’art Fall Chanel show in Dallas, Texas, during the Karl Lagerfeld reign, as well as a more intimate reception where he spoke. That was during the earliest PurseBop days (2013) and the events were not as well documented by me. Long time community members may remember the story of me attending with my Chanel swarovski Lego Clutch (Miss Cinderlego).
Read: My Devastating Chanel Story that Ends in Five Star Customer Service
The Chanel Lego clutch I carried to the Dallas show in the fall of 2013., Dallas.
Fast forward a decade, and being able to attend the show of the brand that resonates with every fiber of my being, was an experience of epic proportion in my journey down the orange brick road.
The Hermès afterparty the night of the runway show.
Hermès Objects Presentation March 5th, 2023
So, let me take you back to the Hermès Objects presentation on March 5th, 2023. As we probed the space for Hermès’ newest treasures, there was one display that took our collective breath away. It was a long runway of box leather beauties.
The special bags at the Objects presentation the morning after the show. Zoom in to see the studded beauties.
Amidst this marvelous display were two pieces that quickened my beating heart. Nestled toward the front of the display were a Constance and a mini Kelly 20, both with silver studs perfectly peeking through the shiny smooth surface of black box. The styles are officially called Sac Constance III Miroir Clouté (top) and the Sac Kelly II Sellier Clouté in box leather.
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Hermès fans know that Hermès generally does not do “embellished”. The classic and limited edition designs extend only as far as intricate inlays of different leathers, etchings, and even some cool paintings. Oh, yes, plus the latest novelties of feathers and fringe!
To see any sort of embellishment was so refreshing yet shocking, unique and captivating. I think I took tons of photos and if I’m not wrong, it was the first photo I shared on my Instagram page to announce the release of our bag coverage from Paris. The fall 2023 runway, for bags anyway, was the season of box leather. Remember the fringed Anate Birkin 35, the desordre, Sellier Birkins, and detailed etched Kellys — all crafted in magnificent Hermes heritage leathers. Watch the video I share below to refresh your memory. All are TDF.
These are the bags arriving now in stores. Watch the reel below to refresh your memory.
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Of course, box leather isn’t new. It has been around as long as Hermès has been making bags. Remember Princess Grace Kelly and the trapezoid shaped black box that is now named after her. That Kelly that concealed her baby bump was made in box leather.
In fact, in recent years, there has been tremendous interest in vintage box leather pieces. You may also recall an article we shared where Lyst announced it as being the most coveted request, or hottest bag in 2021.
Read:
Ultra Rare Hermès Kelly Makes It Onto The Most Lusted After List
My Greatest Handbag Regret
One of my greatest personal Hermès regrets is having turned down a box leather Kelly 25 several years ago. Had I known at the time how precious a commodity it would ultimately be, I would have never committed such a handbag atrocity. But it was offered right on the heels of the arrival of my special order black chèvre Kelly 25 with Rose Pourpre contrasting stitching and interior. I think that was in 2018. At the time I didn’t have the foresight to recognize the incredible offer it was and felt it was repetitive with my latest SO arrival. I have a few other bag regrets, but guess we all must have some.
My SO Kelly 25 in Noir chèvre and Rose Pourpre and brushed gold hardware.
It’s all in the details.
My Trip to NYC on January 15th, 2024
What was supposed to be a Friday the 12th meeting in NYC was rescheduling for Monday January 15th, due to a blizzard. This turned out to be fortuitous, since Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr Day, and travel and traffic was light. I was able to zip around the city and get many things done in a short span of time. Of course, one of those stops would be a meet up with my Hermès sales associate. Truth be told this may be my longest absence from the Madison boutique and I was actually having withdrawal (and missing my SA). Before committing to my meeting for Monday, I did check in with her to be sure that she would be in. Otherwise, there’s a good chance that I would’ve persuaded my meeting cohorts and pushed for another day, lol. Priorities.
My flight landed early, the car arrived on time. and we whizzed into Manhattan. I had one quick stop before my 1 PM arrival to 706 Mad, and with no traffic I reached at 12:45. I texted my SA informing her I had arrived early, but would look around till she was free. She immediately replied and found me. It felt so good to see her. What followed after a long embrace was lots of chatter. We had so much to catch up on and I was delighted she seemed to have a little time and so did I. My next meeting wasn’t until 2:00 and it was right around the corner.
Although I had no specific expectations, there was one conversation we had had pre-holidays surrounding a particular magnificent piece. No surprise, I had inquired if these limited edition studded beauties had begun to ship.
We walked around the store, specifically the fourth floor, examined the display cases, and discussed some of the exceptional pieces. I shared my new found love for the color blue jean and the return of all the oranges like the classic shade and the new neon’ish orange minium.
Then we stopped at the case that held the Anate Birkin 35. My SA marveled at how, of all the novelty pieces she had seen, this was one of her favorites. It was one of my favorites too, but we acknowledged that it takes a certain personality to carry it, to really rock it! I mean, for example, I’m in love with the Kelly Danse with fringe, but my SA was rather direct in telling me, it wasn’t my look. She has known me for a really long time – nearly a decade – and she’s right but I still love that Danse, LOL. Over the years, there is a trust built into the relationship. She really does know my style and preferences and on more than one occasion has corrected my wish list with a reality check that sounds something like this: “you don’t need that Monika”. Maybe just for fun I will shock her with my custom made Lucchese cowboy boots and a red suede fringed Donna Karan jacket I have had for 20 ish years… haha! I might have just dated myself here.
The cappuccino my SA made herself for me :) The Laduree cookie came home for Mr. PurseBop as I am off sugar and alcohol for dry January.
Discussion of the Return of Larger Hermés Bag Sizes
Before I go much further, can we break into the topic of size. We had just published an article the week prior on the return of larger sized Birkins. The article went viral, and we then created a hashtag on Instagram to highlight community members carrying their larger bags (#bigbagsarebackpursebop) . There is no doubt that there is greater interest in the bigger sizes and whether that shift is because of what Hermes is offering or because of client interests changing is something we discuss in great detail in this article.
With all the discussion of bigger Birkins, I chose to carry my Birkin 35 to New York City. It was my very first Birkin – classic Orange in Epsom with gold hardware. Truthfully, I haven’t used it in a long time so it was fun to pull it out. It also matched my outfit to a T. With it, I debuted my new Bride a Brac in Azalea, but as a toiletry bag that was nestled inside my Birkin.
My SA and I had a fun conversation about this, and what sales associates really thought about carrying the Bride a Brac as an everyday bag. If you’re been following my stories on Instagram, you will have noted the caption that described it while carrying it out one evening: “my sales associate is going to have a conniption” (turns out my editor did too, lol).
Read:
What is Your Opinion of the Hermès Bride-a-Brac Pouch As A Purse Alternative?
DM from editor in reference to a story post on IG where I share I was selecting plumbing fixtures for the new home @mauralamode
Now, to clarify a bit about my own interest in larger bags – I don’t see much changing. My most used bags are definitely the smallest. I have written on multiple occasions how with our social life and travels, I get the most use out of Kelly 20s, and the Birkin and Kelly 25s. They are perfect for nesting when traveling and I can easily manage with one for day to night. And now that i have downsized my phone from the 14 Pro Max to the 15 Max, it even fits in my mini. That’s a real game changer.
Anything larger is usually a travel bag. I love the look, don’t get me wrong, it’s the OG of Birkins, and looks so chic, but I can’t carry the weight unless it’s a necessity. Disclaimer: this doesn’t mean if an incredible shade of pink shows up or a limited edition that’s only offered in a 35, I will refuse it (just putting it out there).
Read: Ode to the Birkin 35
706 Madison, 4th floor
Back to my store visit. As we reached the back of the fourth floor, just at the top of the staircase was the display that housed the two stud treasures from the 2023 fall winter presentation. I paused (was literally stopped in my tracks) took a deep sigh and stood facing the case in amazement. She had a sweet smile, but a sort of vague expression, and said: ” you know what, just go to that back room. I was gonna wait till later, but just go wait for me there.”
In all my excitement, I forgot to snap a photo of the cases. This is from the Objects presentation.
It’s at this point that the heart starts to race. I had no idea what it was, but something was about to happen. And the fact that I was sent to the private salon just when I asked about the Clouté bags, was not a coincidence (or was it?!)
But first, there’s another flashback I need to share.
I will take you back to mid March of 2023 on a subsequent visit to New York after having just attended the Paris shows. I was there to pick up my special order (no, it hasn’t been revealed yet). I had a wonderful conversation with several people from the leather team, including the leather manager. We relived my experience at the show and presentations. When we discussed the new collection of bags, for fun we discussed our favorite bags. Hands-down it was the studded pieces. She agreed they were spectacular. I could not pick if I loved the Constance or the Mini Kelly more.They are both so beautiful and unique. They have a total rocker chic vibe. I can imagine them with a total leather ensemble, maybe a jean jacket with flared dress pants, chunky heeled boots or even a classic LBD (little black dress).
The Constance has more drama, more detailing because it has more surface area, and the mini Kelly, well HELLO, it’s a mini Kelly. It’s still one of the most coveted sizes and styles and has been for many years now. And I don’t think for a moment because larger bags might come back we’re going to see a decline in interest in the Kelly 20. My prediction —there’s just going to be less of them to be shared by all of us that are still clamoring for more. Not to mention, the K20 is a formidable investment bag with prices on the secondary market at 2.5 to 3x its retail value. I always knew these novelty studded pieces would be pricey, and that hunch was confirmed when we created the 2024 price lists, yikes!
I do love the Constance bag. This was my special addition last year being admired by Mr. PurseBop Read: Reveal: Meet My Hermès Himalayan Holy Grail Treasure
Finally the Reveal
I excitedly entered the beautiful back room, talking to myself, maybe humming, to be honest, I’m not sure what I was doing. No matter how many times I’ve been in here, I still get that same rush. While I waited for her, I set my orange Birkin 35 on the table and snapped a few photos and videos.
The special salon at the back of the fourth floor.
She walked in with a box that was square. I squealed. The dimensions of a mini box but bigger. Maybe it was similar to my Bolide on Wheels box! I think I knew, well, at least I knew if it was going to be one of the studded pieces, based on the box size, it was not the Constance. And I tell you sincerely till now, I cannot pick a favorite between the two. So I would be thrilled either way.
OMG! As she lifted the lid, that dreamy blue box interior was smiling at me.
My SA really does know me best and picked with perfection!!!
May I present to you the black box Clouté studded mini Kelly with palladium hardware. The bag that had me spellbound at my very first Hermès show. What a beautiful souvenir of that very special occasion. I will forever remember those feelings when I use this bag. And what a story I have to share, firstly, with all of you here, but even with those that I will meet in the wild that know nothing of PurseBop.
It’s a memory, an occasion, an experience that has come full circle and manifested itself in a piece that I will cherish forever. Hopefully beyond just this… may the bag’s legend be carried with it wherever it goes.
Love PurseBop
xx
We paused in the fine jewelry section to admire some of the newer beautiful creations. Dangerously I tried a few pieces.
My new treasure was hand carried home along with the cookie for Mr. PurseBop.
The mandatory rooftop shot.
A very snowy 706 Madison rooftop. Photo taken the next day and shared by @aferfind.
Precious cargo.
Updated: January 27th, 2024
Comments
2 Responses to “Hermès Reveal: Memories of a Star Studded Mini Kelly Come Full Circle”
Very nice thanks
How much was the studded mini kelly