At first glance, the PVC Kelly bag may seem like a fun, summer twist on the iconic leather bag and the ideal tote for a day at the beach but, as with everything Hermès, there’s more of a story than meets the eye.
In 1996, these PVC bags, complete with gold hardware, were sent out as eye-catching invitations to the Spring Summer show. The bags were a reaction to the devastating terrorist attacks on public transport the year before, in which 8 people were killed and 157 more injured. In response, security in France was tightened—particularly at high-profile events such as Hermès fashion shows—and this see-through Kelly bag breezed through security checks while memorializing the tragic events.
This first clear Hermès Kelly bag was 32 centimeters with ‘HERMÈS COLLECTION ETE 1996’ scrawled across the front and ‘Kelly Transparent (Special pour Contrôle Sécurité!)’ in French and ‘See Through Kelly (A Special for Security Bag Checks!)’ in English across the bottom.
“This transparent Vinyl Kelly became so popular that Martin Margiela, then creative director of Hermès, made a new version for its traveling exhibition.”
This transparent Vinyl Kelly became so popular that Martin Margiela, then creative director of Hermès, made a new version for its traveling exhibition, which coincided with the fashion house’s 160th birthday.
From 1997 to 1999, Hermès held a traveling exhibition in Japan, called ‘Hermès Exhibition in the Wonderland’. Visitors were able to buy the second version of the transparent Kelly and, in 1998, an Orange Vinyl Kelly, too. Seeing these bags outside of Japan is extremely rare. These 40-centimeter versions of the bag are scrawled with the phrase ‘Souvenir de l’Exposition 199X’ (depending on the year it was issued). The underside reads ‘Un Voyage au Pays de Merveilles’, which translates to ‘A Trip to Wonderland’.
The Vinyl Kelly was a trendsetting accessory, paving the way for innumerable designers to launch their own clear, vinyl bags—a trend that continues to this day.
The limited-edition bags remain extremely popular and, when a Vinyl Kelly finds its way into the secondhand market, it is quickly snapped up.
