The Hermès “Kelly” handbag was named after Grace Kelly, the American actress who became Princess of Monaco. Her association with the bag transformed an existing Hermès design into one of fashion’s most recognizable names.
Hermès originally introduced the bag in the 1930s as a structured handbag called the petit sac pour dames à courroies, or “small ladies’ bag with straps.” Its design developed from the company’s equestrian products, including the Haut à courroies, a large bag created to carry riding boots and equipment.
Grace Kelly became linked to the handbag after Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film To Catch a Thief, whose costume designer Edith Head selected Hermès accessories for her. In 1956, newly married to Prince Rainier III, Princess Grace was photographed holding the bag in front of her abdomen while shielding her first pregnancy from paparazzi. The image appeared in Life magazine and sparked enormous public interest.
Hermès later renamed the style the Kelly. It remains distinct from the Birkin, which was introduced decades later and is generally considered a more casual design.