Hermes is known as one of the most famous and beloved French fashion and leather luxury goods houses.

Hermes is renowned for having key signature pieces such as the Birkin bag (named after Jane Birkin) and the Kelly bag (named after Grace Kelly, the Princess of Monaco) that are coveted by women and men around the globe.

Hermes was established in 1837 by Thierry Hermes in Paris, who built up the brand by creating horse saddles for the city’s bourgeoisie. After decades of establishing the brand within the elite class, and winning many awards and accolades, the brand began expanding into accessories and handbags suited for the finest equestrians.

Today, Hermes, the privately owned luxury house, still maintains equestrian style as its back bone. French at the core and with revenues in 2009 ringing at $2.64 billion, Hermes is global by its very nature.

The brand’s popularity and recognition has sky rocketed by being a staple on the fashion circuit. Hermes is most recognized by the Birkin bag which ranges between $4,000-$40,000 and up (depending on the leather used) and with a conceived waiting list of anywhere between 2-5 years.

The Birkin bag phenomenon has been featured in shows, books, and movies. The most famous example is in an episode of Sex and The City. Samantha Jones abuses Charlie’s Angels actress Lucy Liu’s name in order to jump the brand’s infamous waiting list at a chance to own the bag for herself.

Michael Tonello also wrote a whole book called ‘Bringing Home the Birkin’ where he charts his experience at trying to buy as many Hermes Birkin bags as possible.