Hermès Leather Forever - Exhibition

Celebrating 175 years, since the house was founded by Thierry Hermès in Paris, Hermès has taken residency at London's Royal Academy, with an exhibition dedicated to the brand's history and dedication to craftmanship. Alongside iconic designs – including the Kelly and Birkin bags, saddles and silk scarves – and an insight into leather, colourways and production techniques, the comprehensive exhibition incorporates a temporary "workshop". Cleverly acknowledging that interactivity is key to a successful exhibition, artisans from the Hermès workshops in Paris will be in situ demonstrating the art of leather working by creating some of its iconic works.

Leather Forever also showcases four one-of-a-kind versions of its Passe-Guide handbag, representing England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which will be auctioned later this month. First created by designer Henri d’Origny in 1975, all four of these unique versions have been re-imagined by Couli Joubert, Hermès’ artistic director of leather. Each bag is then handmade using time-honored techniques in the Hermès workshops in Paris, where one craftsman has made each bag from start to finish.