The History of the Hermès Lindy Bag
Hermès designed and produced its Lindy Bag with two concepts in mind. First, inspired by the Lindy Hop, a popular American dance from the 1920s that defined the golden age of Jazz, the bag engages in a wild dance.
Hermès designer Frederic Vidal also wanted to create a bag that would be more comfortable to carry. To do that, he added two looped straps on either end of the Lindy bag, connecting them with a longer strap in the middle. This design ensures three ways to carry it: by the long strap over the shoulder, by slipping your arm into both loops or by holding the loops together in one hand. No matter which you choose, the Lindy keeps an excellent shape and is comfortable to tote around.
The Lindy charted a new direction for Hermès handbags when it debuted on the runway in the 2007 Spring/Summer collection. More whimsical than previous bags, the Lindy quickly became a fun, everyday piece in Hermès fans’ collections.
What to Know About the Hermès Lindy Bag
The Lindy has a rectangular shape and sloops comfortably in the middle. It comes in small 26cm, medium 30cm, large 34cm and extra-large 45cm. The small and medium tend to be the more popular, while the 45cm works best as a travel bag. A 20cm mini with a long crossbody strap debuted in 2019 and has been a hot collectors’ item ever since.
The Lindy has a top leather flap that closes via two zippers attached to a tab closure in the middle by a leather strap. To open, unlock the tab and pull the leatherback and both zippers open at once. Inside, the bag is roomy with two pockets and fully lined in leather.
The bag's exterior has two outside pockets and five metal feet on the bottom (the mini only has four) to keep the leather from getting scuffed when the collector sets it down.
Materials and Craftsmanship of the Hermès Lindy Bag
Hermès was founded by Thierry Hermès as a saddlery in the 19th century, crafting saddles and harnesses for wealthy noblemen. As the brand evolved into one of the premier French fashion houses, the company prioritized quality and craftsmanship. The Lindy tends to come in a limited range of leathers, most commonly Swift, Clemence and Evercolor, though you will find some rare options like crocodile and toile on the secondary market.
Hermès leather comes in various colors. Options for the Lindy span the rainbow, with shades of red, pink, yellow, orange, green, purple and blue available in addition to neutral blacks, browns and greys. The most celebrated detail of a Hermès bag is the stitching. Artisans do the perfect 45-degree saddle-stitch by hand using the same technique the brand established in the 18th century.
When it comes to hardware, Hermès uses metals in various tones that do not tarnish. Gold-plated and silver palladium are the most common, with more precious options like rose gold, 24K gold-plated and black ruthenium showing up on rarer bags.
The Hermès Lindy Bag’s Value and Collectibility
A wide variety of Lindy bags can be found on the secondary market with the popular mini 20 cm iteration fetching, on average, more than $9,400. When searching resale markets, keep an eye out for bags with original boxes, receipts and tags.