hough each stand on their own as a colossus in fashion, the Hermès Birkin and Kelly are progeny of the same root., but renamed after ardent fan Princess Grace wouldn't let it out of her grasp since she clutched it onscreen in 1955's – there was an even earlier iteration. One quick google hit and does early 20th century look familiar? Sensibly built to house heavy riding boots and the heft of a saddle, its trapezoidal generousness and gleaming hardware clasps look Kelly-esque, but more closely mirror a 1984 iteration, which went on to become one the most sought-after bags ever made. The Birkin, sketched by Jean-Louis Dumas for a gamine Jane decrying to her jetsetting seatmate that no bag would fit her life, was shorter than the but still with enough room for books, baby bottles, worry beads, love letters – a woman's life. Today, both the Birkin and Kelly remain relatively unaltered, immutable symbols of luxury. And with bags working their way up investment indexes, they're worthy of the considerable financial outlay; a Birkin, for one, is proven to be a sounder investment than gold.
