The Kelly bag became an American fashion institution in 1956. In September 1956, five months after she married Prince Rainier of Monaco, the former film star Grace Kelly returned to the United States for a two-month visit, clad in fashionable maternity wear and sporting a square, black bag that she had purchased for the journey. The princess was widely photographed carrying the large leather bag in front of her expanding waistline, and a fashion trend was born. Known from then on as the Kelly bag, it was in fact manufactured by Hermés, the chic and expensive Paris design house who had been making the pocketbooks—each of which was fashioned by hand—since 1935. The bags were scaled-down models of the Hermés saddlebags that were made to hold the bridles and riding tack of the European rich. For many American women, the bag symbolized the elegance and style for which Grace Kelly was known both on screen and off, but it has remained in favor with succeeding generations to become the most popular Hermés handbag ever.

Further Reading:

Jackson, Jennifer. "Shh! Hermés' Deepest Secrets." Harper's Bazaar. September 1998, p. 234.

Lacey, Robert. Grace. New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1994.

"Princess Grace Arrives on Visit." New York Times. 12 September 1956.