Once Upon a Bag - A New Chapter of Hermès Heritage Exhibitions

This artisanal and creative adventure, part memory and part modernity, is presented here with the assistance of Bruno Gaudichon, curator of La Piscine museum of art and industry in Roubaix, and scenographer Laurence Fontaine. With a narrative approach that juxtaposes the languages of time, the scenography draws parallels between fifty or so contemporary models and objects from the house’s Conservatoire of Creations and the Émile Hermès collection – a remarkable cabinet of curiosities. The display begins with the history of the Haut à courroies bag, which appeared in the early 20th century. This artefact with equestrian roots bears witness to the house’s expansion into leather goods. Structured into themes, the exhibition continues with an area devoted to the different families of bags – the clutch, the ladies’ bag (Kelly, Constance, Simone Hermès, etc.), the men’s bag (Sac à dépêches, Cityback basketball backpack, etc.), the travel bag (Plume 24h, Herbag, etc.), and the sports bag – and presents the defining stages of their respective stories.