Hermès renamed its Sac à dépêches bag the Kelly bag after Grace Kelly was photographed carrying it.
The future Princess of Monaco used the structured Hermès handbag in 1956 to shield her pregnancy from photographers. The image appeared widely in the press and connected the bag permanently with her public identity. Hermès later adopted the name Kelly in recognition of that association.
The bag itself predates Kelly. Hermès introduced the Sac à dépêches in 1935, originally designing it as a practical document case for men. Its trapezoidal shape, top handle, flap and distinctive clasp became hallmarks of the later Kelly model.
A common mix-up is confusing the Kelly with Hermès's Birkin bag. The Birkin was created decades later after a 1984 conversation with Jane Birkin, whereas the Kelly's name honors Grace Kelly's 1950s visibility.