Welcome to the fascinating world of Hermès materials. Since its founding, Hermès has curated an exceptional array of materials, from soft textures to luxurious glossy finishes, from materials exclusively used for small leather goods to rare leathers available only in limited colors - their diversity is truly immeasurable.

At Hermès, even the same design can evoke different impressions depending on the material used. A deep understanding of these materials is essential for choosing the perfect piece. This material guide will help you find your ideal Hermès piece that suits your style and preferences.

Popular & Classic Materials Guide

In this section, we introduce the key classic materials you should be familiar with when considering Hermès pieces.

Togo leather / Shrink-processed bull calf leather▼

Features a coarse grain pattern that is scratch-resistant, flexible, yet holds its shape well.

Clemence leather / Adult bull leather▼

Has a soft and supple texture that develops character with use. Scratch-resistant and highly durable.

Epsom leather／Embossed calf leather▼

A lightweight, embossed leather that maintains its shape well and has a sharp, structured appearance.

Chevre leather／Goat leather▼

Features a fine grain texture and luster, lightweight and highly durable. Scratch-resistant with excellent color vibrancy.

Box calf leather／3-6 month old male calf leather▼

Characterized by its smooth surface and beautiful sheen, giving a formal impression.

Veau Swift／Calf leather▼

Features a smooth and soft texture. Known for its excellent color absorption, capable of expressing vibrant hues.

Materials by Category

Here we present a comprehensive guide to Hermès materials categorized by type: cow, goat, buffalo, crocodile, and more.

Cow Leather

It is the most popular material used in Hermès items. Available in two main types: those that preserve the leather's natural texture and those with pressed surfaces.

Togo leather▼

Features a coarse grain pattern that is scratch-resistant, flexible, yet holds its shape well.

Clemence leather▼

Has a soft and supple texture that develops character with use. Scratch-resistant and highly durable.

Taurillion Novillo▼

Has a fine grain pattern and moderate firmness, lightweight and resistant to losing its shape.

Taurillon Maurice▼

Soft with a fine grain pattern and moderate luster.

Veau Grain Lisse（VGL）▼

A male calf leather with beautiful luster, treated with both glazing and pressing. Known for its resistance to scratches and stains. Discontinued in 2003, with Epsom leather now serving as its successor.

Veau Swift▼

Features a smooth and soft texture. Known for its excellent color absorption, capable of expressing vibrant hues.

Veau Volupto▼

Characterized by its fine grain pattern and moist texture, with a softness that feels like it clings to your hand.

Barenia Faubourg▼

Features a relaxed texture with just the right amount of elasticity, characterized by its distinct textural relief and the natural, subtle sheen inherent to the leather.

Doblis Suede／Suede-processed leather▼

Has a soft, fluffy suede texture that gives a warm and elegant impression.

Veau Sikkim▼

Characterized by its glossy finish and strong embossing. Currently discontinued, with Vache Liegee as its successor.

Ardennes▼

Leather from female cows from the Ardennes region of northern France and southern Belgium. Known for its glossy finish and strong embossing. Currently discontinued, with Vache Liegee as its successor.

Veau Barenia▼

Has a matte texture similar to natural untreated leather. Features elasticity and develops a rich patina with use.

Butler leather▼

Has a matte texture and elasticity, with a delicate, subtle shine. With use, the leather's natural oils create a unique luster, and the color deepens.

Veau Graine Courchevel▼

Features fine embossing and glazing treatment, resistant to dirt and scuffs, lightweight with beautiful color expression. Currently discontinued, with Veau Epsom as its successor.

Evercalf leather▼

A smooth leather with a sleek feel and elegant shine. Develops more luster with use, evolving into a rich, deep texture.

Evergrain▼

An embossed material characterized by its fine grain pattern and smooth texture. Soft and easily conforms to the hand. The color version of this material is called Evercolor.

Evercolor leather▼

The color version of Evergrain. Characterized by its firmness, slightly rigid touch, and matte finish. Develops a luster and becomes more supple with use.

Fjord▼

A female calf leather with coarse embossing, featuring moderate flexibility and elasticity. Excellent durability makes it suitable for everyday use.

Grain d'H▼

A male calf leather featuring fine embossing with a continuous pattern of Hermès' "H" design. Highly durable and scratch-resistant.

Grizzly▼

A suede-processed male calf leather. Characterized by its soft touch and matte texture, developing more character with use.

Madame▼

A male calf leather characterized by its fine embossing and subtle shine, featuring an elegant texture.

Graine Monsieur▼

A male calf leather with fine embossing, characterized by its slightly firm touch. Creates a structured appearance and is commonly used in items like the Constance and Birkin bags.

Natural Graine▼

A male calf leather characterized by its matte texture achieved through pressing while preserving its natural character.

Negonda▼

A male calf leather introduced in 2007. Features large-grain embossing.

Sombrero▼

A male calf leather introduced in 2011. Has a smooth texture and subtle shine similar to Box Calf, but is smoother and has more structure than Box Calf.

Tadelakt▼

A male calf leather characterized by its smooth texture and shine similar to Box Calf. Its smooth surface creates an elegant impression.

Vache Hunter▼

A male calf leather characterized by its slight shine and smooth touch. Has a firm texture with fine grain and smooth surface.

Veau Chamonix▼

Male calf leather from Chamonix in the French Alps at the foot of Mont Blanc. Characterized by its smooth texture and a material feel similar to Box Calf but with a slightly more matte finish.

Veau Chéri▼

Characterized by its smooth touch and elegant shine, creating a refined impression.

Veau Gulliver▼

Characterized by its extremely soft, smooth texture. Features fine, subtle embossing and develops more character with use.

Veau Troika▼

A material made from dyed and processed male calf hair, also known as pony hair. Characterized by its smooth touch and glossy, beautiful fur texture.

Jonathan▼

A smooth material with almost no visible grain pattern. Creates an elegant impression with its moderate softness, subtle shine, and matte texture.

Country▼

A material introduced in 2012. Features pressed embossing and is characterized by its slight firmness and rigid touch.

Box Nepal▼

A material introduced in 2001, characterized by its smooth touch without glazing treatment. Was used in items like the Air Bag, but is now rare.

Box calf leather▼

Characterized by its smooth surface and beautiful sheen, giving a formal impression.

Derma leather▼

A leather with matte texture introduced in 2004, processed to be thin and smooth. Highly flexible and can be crafted into various shapes.

Taurillon Cristobel▼

Characterized by its soft touch. Mainly used in men's bags and leather items.

Waffle▼

A special material created by embedding wire into leather. Characterized by its relaxed softness and waffle-like textured pattern. Said to have been developed specifically for the Kelly bag.

Vache Liegee▼

A material introduced in 2004 and now discontinued. Characterized by its moderate shine from press treatment and firm surface texture.

Vache Natural▼

A traditional Hermès material that develops a mature color through aging. Available in two colors - black and natural. Characterized by its smooth and soft texture.

Vache Trekking▼

A material introduced in 2009, characterized by its firm touch and fine grain pattern. Resistant to visible scratches and stains. Available in limited color variations.

Veau Miroir▼

A refined material with a glitter-like shine and pearlescent quality. Has a firm touch and no embossing.

Veau Rodeo▼

A male calf suede material also known as nubuck. Frequently used in apparel and accessories, but rare in bags.

Villandry▼

A material introduced in 2016, characterized by its smooth touch and shine that increases with age. Named after the Château de Villandry in France.

Goat Leather

A material that is lighter and more durable than cow leather, prized for its fine grain texture.

Chevre leather▼

Features a fine grain texture and luster, lightweight and highly durable. Scratch-resistant with excellent color vibrancy.

Chèvre Chamkila▼

Has fine grain and a beautiful luster. As suggested by its name "Chamkila," which means "shine" in Hindi, it features an elegant gloss. Lightweight and durable, with a texture that's neither too soft nor too firm.

Vibrato▼

A unique material created by layering multiple pieces of dyed goat leather to show the cross-sections. While delicate, it's durable and resistant to visible scratches. Currently discontinued and highly sought after.

Agneau Milo▼

Named after "Venus de Milo." A lambskin leather characterized by its extremely soft, smooth touch. Has a light sheen and becomes even softer with use.

Chèvre Mysore▼

Introduced in 2002. Characterized by its distinct grain pattern and moderate softness, capable of achieving vivid colors.

Vibrato Snip▼

An evolved version of Vibrato, created by alternately bonding pieces of goat leather cut every 3-4 cm. Requires highly skilled craftsmanship. Currently discontinued along with Vibrato.

Chèvre Chagrin▼

A leather treated with a traditional tanning process that dates back over 100 years, known for its high flexibility. Becomes more appealing with age.

Chèvre de Coromandel▼

Has moderate softness and lightweight qualities, and is resistant to scratches. Characterized by its vivid shine and unique embossing, with moderately sized grain pattern. Renamed to "Souple" in 2008.

Buffalo

A material with moderate softness.

Dalmatian▼

A design reminiscent of a Dalmatian dog, featuring black spots on a white background. The pattern is achieved through special surface treatment of the leather. Extremely rare and highly sought after as a collector's item.

Buffalo Gala▼

Characterized by its fine square grain pattern and moderate softness. Due to its properties, it is mainly used in accessories and small leather goods.

Pondicherry▼

Introduced in 2009. Characterized by its fine grain pattern and moderate softness, created by softening naturally firm buffalo leather. Primarily used in accessories and small leather goods.

Buffalo Skipper▼

Characterized by its coarse grain pattern and moderate softness, with a shine from embossing treatment. Commonly used in casual bags like the Garden Party.

Buffalo Sindhu▼

Introduced in 2007. Characterized by its moderate firmness and natural texture. Developed exclusively for the Garden Party bag. Features different color options from Negonda.

Crocodile

A material using alligator leather, considered Hermès' most luxurious material. Features special stampings.

Porosus▼

A crocodile species native to Southeast Asia, characterized by its fine, symmetrically arranged scale pattern. Considered the highest quality leather among all Hermès materials.

Matte Porosus▼

A material using the premium Porosus crocodile leather, characterized by its matte finish with subdued shine. Features beautifully arranged fine scales, creating an elegant impression.

Niloticus▼

Leather from crocodiles found in the Nile River region, characterized by its large scale pattern and smooth texture.

Matte Niloticus▼

Characterized by its subtle and refined shine due to matte finishing, creating an elegant impression.

Alligator▼

Characterized by its beautiful shine and delicate, consistent scale pattern, with a slightly softer texture.

Matte Alligator▼

Features a matte texture with subdued shine, creating a refined and sophisticated impression. Characterized by its smooth touch.

Caiman▼

Characterized by its thin, flat rectangular scales. Production was discontinued due to reduced availability in source regions, and it's now a rare material occasionally found in vintage items.

Ostrich

Ostrich leather. A material characterized by quill marks left from removed feathers.

Ostrich▼

Characterized by unique small bumps (quill marks) left from removed feathers. Appealing for its elegant texture and soft touch.

Lizard

Leather from Southeast Asian lizards, characterized by its fine and beautiful scale pattern.

Salvator Lizard▼

Featuring a fine and beautiful scale pattern, this material has a lustrous finish that creates an elegant impression.

Niloticus Lizard▼

Characterized by its delicate spotted pattern and glossy shine. Used in smaller items and highly valued for its rarity.

Other Materials

From durable canvas materials to those with smooth textures, Hermès' exploration of materials knows no bounds.

Peau Porc / Pigskin▼

Has no shine and is characterized by a rough texture. Features unique groups of three hair follicle marks that create a distinctive appearance.

Volynka／ Russian Leather (Reindeer leather)▼

A Russian leather whose manufacturing method was lost in the 18th century and revived by Hermès in 2018. Features a unique smoky, woody fragrance.

Amazonia▼

A canvas material treated with rubber resin. Originally developed by Hermès, characterized by its smooth surface and matte texture.

Crinolin▼

A material woven from horsehair and linen thread, featuring a unique shine and durability. Combines flexibility with strength.

Felt▼

Made from compressed wool, this felt material is characterized by its lightweight, soft, and warm texture. Highly durable and resistant to losing its shape.

Mouton▼

Characterized by its warm and soft touch. Mainly used in winter apparel items. Became famous as a collector's item when used for the Mouton Kelly in 2005.

Osier Wicker▼

A type of flexible and durable willow, used in traditional basket making.

Ostrich Feather▼

Soft and supple ostrich feathers with unique volume and lightness. Used as decoration on certain bags.

Toile Jean（Denim）▼

A twill material made with indigo-dyed vertical threads and undyed horizontal threads, characterized by its denim-like color. Highly resistant to friction and durable. Often used in bags in combination with leather.

Tuffetage▼

A material featuring velvet-like texture and unique patterns created through three-dimensional embroidery techniques. Creates an elegant and luxurious finish.

Toile Officier▼

A signature Hermès cotton canvas material. Known for its durability and resistance to friction. Features a weave pattern created using two different colored threads.

Toile H Berlinn▼

A specially treated canvas material that combines the lightness of canvas with the durability of leather. Features Hermès' "H" pattern woven into the fabric.

Toile Chevron▼

A cotton canvas material characterized by its herringbone pattern. Combines durability with lightweight properties.

Toile GM▼

Features a coarser weave than Toile H. A durable material resistant to friction. Woven using two different colored threads.

Toile Goeland▼

A thick, high-strength cotton canvas material. Characterized by a slightly more rounded texture than Toile H.

Toile H▼

A durable, friction-resistant cotton canvas material made with plain weave using two different colored threads. One of Hermès' signature canvas materials, often used in designs combined with leather.

Toile Quadrille▼

A cotton canvas material characterized by its checkered pattern. Lightweight and highly durable.

Toile Potamos▼

A material released as a limited edition in 2006, characterized by flowing lines inspired by rivers. Due to its lightweight and durable nature, it was used in bags like the Birkin combined with leather.

Rocabar▼

Characterized by warm orange, red, and brown color tones. Requires careful attention as it's prone to moth damage and pilling. Used in bags like the Garden Party.

Toile Casaque▼

A material introduced in 2008, characterized by its bright colored stripes. Available in stripe patterns of yellow with black, red with blue, and beige with black. The number of stripes varies depending on the size of the Birkin bag.

Toile Gibecière▼

A canvas material woven with fine threads, available in a single khaki moss-green color. Used in daily bags such as the Garden Party and Evelyne.

Toile Riga▼

A canvas material featuring distinctive stripes, used in combination with other leathers. Mainly used in bags like the Garden Party.

Toile So H▼

Characterized by Hermès' "H" logo woven into hexagonal patterns, arranged diagonally from top right to bottom left. Lightweight and durable. A material exclusively used for the Garden Party.

Nylon Canvas▼

A durable and practical material used in the Air Line collection. Resistant to stains.

Klang Cheval▼

A material made by weaving only horsehair, characterized by its unique color tones. Used in items such as the Birkin, Bolide, and wallets.

Lainage▼

A material featuring the "Karo" check pattern, introduced as a limited edition in the 2006 Fall/Winter Paris Collection. While lightweight and durable, it can develop pills over time. Currently discontinued, it was used in combination with other materials for bags like the Birkin.

Sylvania▼

A vegan leather derived from mushrooms, created through collaboration between American company MycoWorks and Hermès. An environmentally friendly material that features leather-like appearance, durability, and texture.

Snake▼

A rare exotic leather that is difficult to maintain, currently only used in vintage bags and a small number of apparel items.

Emu▼

A discontinued material that was reportedly used as a substitute for ostrich leather. Due to the small size of the bird, it features smaller quill marks.

Click here for Hermès color guide▼

Hermès Leather Guide