Love Handbags for life...

Hermès is widely regarded as among the most prestigious and exclusive fashion houses in the world and is known for its famous "H" logo.

Though Hermès is best known for its saddlery, it also produces handmade luggage and handbag collections. Hermès does not use assembly lines; only one employee works on one handbag at a time. Due to the labour-intensive nature of Hermès production methods and the use of rare materials (sometimes including exotic skins such as alligator, crocodile, ostrich and lizard as well as precious metals), one bag can take 18 to 24 hours to create.

The Kelly bag was first produced in the 1930's and later nicknamed for Grace Kelly, who made it famous after appearing in the pages of Life in 1956 carrying the bag. Jacqueline Bouvier Onassis, another Hermès aficionado, preferred the Constance shoulder bag (with a double strap and large H clasp) or the Trim shoulder bag.

Perhaps the most famous handbag, the Birkin, was named for actress Jane Birkin, who co-designed the bag with company president Jean-Louis Dumas after complaining that her Kelly bag was not practical for everyday use. Jane Birkin has since stopped carrying her namesake bag, saying it contributed to her tendinitis. So big bags also hurt our tendons and not just our backs!

If you have missed the first part of this article - it is here.

In the 16th century bags got a more practical role. Simple bags were made from leather and travellers wore large cloth travel-bags that were worn over the shoulder.