This Hermès vintage Kelly 35 crafted in Chamonix leather in Gold colour is the world's first ever tattooed Hermès bag - yes, actually tattooed!
As port of our Vintage Forward event, we commissioned the incredibly talented local tattoo artist Bernice Chua. We gave her complete creative freedom but asked only that is represent the proud home of THE FIFTH COLLECTION, Singapore, while staying away from the usual clichés.
The result is a stunning representation of Mynah birds and the Vanda Miss Joaquim Orchids (the national flower of Singapore) which you can see in the pictures below. It took Bernice took 2 sleepless days to tattoo the artwork on the bag. At the unveiling, it was an unequivocal hit with our collectors and the press.
So was it all just a publicity stunt? Not at all. Quite the contrary, in fact. The story of this bag is that we came across it on one of our trips in Japan. It had accumulated some water marks over the years, but was otherwise an outstanding piece. We were inspired to elaborate on its flaws to give it a second life.
In so doing, we are highlighting quality craftsmanship and encouraging collectors to celebrate imperfections and make vintage pieces their own. Its about fully embracing the REcycling, REselling, REpairing and REpurposing ethos.
Click here to find out more about our event and the making of this unique bag.
Stamped A in square (1997)
