But fashion eyes went straight to what sat on her shoulder: a tan Hermès Constance, its signature gold H clasp catching the Italian sun.
2 / 7 Constance: The Bag Named After A NewbornThe Constance dates back to 1959, and its origin is a sweet one.
Hermès' Executive Chairman Jean-Louis Dumas asked a young designer to create a new bag for the house, and she named it after her newborn daughter, Constance.
ADVERTISEMENT3 / 7 Birkin: Sketched On A Flight To LondonEvery Hermès story eventually arrives at the Birkin, and this one begins mid-air.
4 / 7 Kelly: Born From A Pregnancy PhotographLong before it was named after her, the Kelly bag already existed, designed with straps by Robert Dumas in the 1930s.
Last Updated: August 06, 2026, 22:05 IST
1 / 7 Kareena Kapoor Khan's latest holiday post from Venice had all the makings of a postcard, gondolas in the background, a domed skyline, an arm around Saif Ali Khan. But fashion eyes went straight to what sat on her shoulder: a tan Hermès Constance, its signature gold H clasp catching the Italian sun. It's a bag with a story nearly as storied as the city she wore it in, and it's as good an excuse as any to look at the Hermès icons every fashion follower should be able to recognise on sight, along with what they'll actually cost you.
2 / 7 Constance: The Bag Named After A Newborn
The Constance dates back to 1959, and its origin is a sweet one. Hermès' Executive Chairman Jean-Louis Dumas asked a young designer to create a new bag for the house, and she named it after her newborn daughter, Constance. It went on to become one of Hermès' most enduring pieces, instantly identifiable by its structured flap and that oversized H clasp, and versatile enough to work as a crossbody or shoulder bag depending on the day. In India, a Constance in classic leather like Epsom typically starts upward of ₹9-10 lakh, with rarer skins and larger sizes climbing well past ₹15 lakh.
ADVERTISEMENT
3 / 7 Birkin: Sketched On A Flight To London
Every Hermès story eventually arrives at the Birkin, and this one begins mid-air. In 1984, actress Jane Birkin sat beside Jean-Louis Dumas on a Paris-to-London flight, complaining she'd never found a bag practical enough for a young mother. Dumas sketched one on the spot, roomy, rectangular, with a dedicated slot for baby bottles. Availability remains famously restricted even today, and pricing reflects that scarcity: a Birkin 25 or 30 in standard leather generally starts north of ₹11-12 lakh in India, with waitlists, exotic skins, and special orders capable of pushing the number several times over.
4 / 7 Kelly: Born From A Pregnancy Photograph
Long before it was named after her, the Kelly bag already existed, designed with straps by Robert Dumas in the 1930s. Its transformation into legend came courtesy of Grace Kelly, photographed holding the bag over her stomach to shield her pregnancy from paparazzi lenses. That single image rewrote the bag's fate. The Kelly now comes in everything from mini to size 40, and in India, a standard Kelly in leathers like Togo or Epsom generally starts around ₹10-11 lakh, with exotic skins pushing prices to even 50 Lakh.
ADVERTISEMENT
5 / 7 Lindy: Built For Movement
Named after the Lindy Hop, this one was designed for women who don't stand still. Its defining feature is a pair of side handles placed on the gussets rather than the top, a small design choice that lets the bag hug the hip rather than swing at it. The mini Lindy, in particular, has become a favourite for its compact frame and long, easy-to-sling strap. Expect a Lindy in India to start in the ₹4-5 lakh range depending on size and leather, making it comparatively more accessible within the Hermès universe.
6 / 7 The Della Cavalleria, meanwhile, borrows its silhouette from a horse's saddle and its clasp from the Verdun half-bit, a nod to Hermès' equestrian roots that shows up in the curve of the metal hardware itself. Both fall in a similar bracket to the Lindy, generally starting between ₹4-7 lakh depending on size and material, though exact India pricing shifts often given Hermès' near-annual increases.
ADVERTISEMENT
