COLOUR HAPPY: THE HERMES BIRKIN BAG

A saying goes from the highly quotable Diana Vreeland, “style – all who have it share one thing: originality.” And while we reserve an unmovable place in our hearts for an Hermès Birkin handbag in a classic Black, Gold or Etoupe, it is the rare, exuberant, dreamy, unusual and fundamentally original shades that really set our pulses racing.

Not all colours are created equal. Hermès tanneries are revered for being the most sophisticated in the world and have long since perfected the craft of dying their leathers to create spectacularly vivid hues. Nearly two hundred shades have been produced since the French fashion house was founded, each bestowed a romantic name to reflect its spirit. After all, colour is an emotional and evocative thing; a vivid burst of Sanguine orange can betray your mood that day, or a glimmer of your personality. And there’s all the difference in the world between the woman who will choose her Hermès Birkin in a sharp Sulphur yellow (Soufre) over a gentle Parchemin beige.

In terms of an investment, it is Hermès’ limited edition and seasonal colours that are hardest to source, and consequently the most enthusiastically sought. Blacks and browns will always be in production, but a zested shade of Vert Anis will only ever be in small, finite supplies around the world at any time.

Clockwise from top: Brighton Blue Porosus crocodile, Electric Blue Porosus crocodile, Vert Anis Togo leather, Rose Tyrien Epsom leather, Rose Jaipur Togo leather

Two of the scarcest and most highly coveted shades are both variants of blue – and both can be found within our collection of Hermès bags online. A glossy Porosus crocodile Birkin handbag in Electric Blue is among the most elusive Birkins within the current landscape – an intensely energetic shade of shocking blue. The other is Brighton Blue, a near-lilac shade with a more feminine sensibility. Then there is the warm, peachy Hermès Birkin bag in Rose Jaipur versus the furiously blushing Rose Tyrien from the bygone Hermès Candy series – two dazzling hues of pink with diametrically opposed attitudes.

Left to right: Bordeaux Niloticus crocodile, Gris Éléphant Porosus crocodile, Vert Foncé Niloticus crocodile 

Several more subtle colours are quite spectacular in their own right. The exceptionally rare Niloticus crocodile in Gris Éléphant exquisitely moves between brown and silver beneath different lights. We also currently carry 35cm, 30cm and the highly collectible 25cm Birkin bags in the deep, dark shade of Vert Foncé, as well as handbags in Bordeaux and a Black and Purple bi-tone on a burnished Porosus crocodile. Explore our myriad incarnations of the Hermès Birkin and find the shade to show your true colours.

Street style images courtesy Vogue US, Tommy Ton and StockholmStreetStyle.Feber.Se.