My latest acquisition, a vintage 1992 Special Order 40cm Hermès Birkin in Black Vache Ardennes with Rouge Vif lining with Gold Hardware, fresh from the Hermès Spa. What sets Hermès apart from almost every other Luxury purveyor is that they will repair and refurbish all of their products, virtually for life. Invest in an Hermès bag and they will stand behind it.
When my favorite dealer approached me with this bag, it was in terrible condition. It had been used to death and likely was never sent to Hermès for refurbishing before now. The edges all needed re-waxing and the exterior had been marked over the years with splashes of coffee and such. Someone really put this bag to task! The Rouge Vif lining had lost some color on the upper edge where it met the Black exterior. However, I recognized that the leather was in excellent condition and only looked bad due to cosmetic issues. The corners and piping were all in tact and undamaged. The base of the lining was banged up, but that did not bother me because I keep so much junk in my bags, I can't even see the base!
I had faith that Hermès could refurbish it and I am absolutely thrilled with the results. The cadena (lock) and clochette (key holder) had been lost, but Hermès was happy to replace the cadena and make a clochette (for a small fee). For Special Order bags with contrast linings, the interior of the clochette matches the lining (unless you request otherwise), and this new one matches perfectly. The skin is now smooth and spotless, yet rigid with the distinctive sheen of Ardennes. Pierre even touched up the color of the lining where it meets the exterior. I doubt anyone would be able to guess that this bag is nearly 18 years old.
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22 comments:
gorgeous! I love it.
the cadena is a different hardware from the Birkin? looks silver to me.
Congrats!!!!
Congrats on your newest acquisition. It looks new as opposed to nearly two decades old.
The gold hardware on the bag has just oxidized to a deeper gold color. The cadena is gold, but it is a lighter shade. I'm sure it will catch up in time. I also need to polish the hardware a bit to remove some of the oxidation.
How much did it cost you to send it back for repair?
Love it ;-) and congrats to your new addition!!!
I am planning to bid on a vintage Hermes birkin also in the auction. Just wondering how much it will cost me to send it to the Hermes Spa like what you did to yours? They really did a great job, it looks almost new. Maybe you can post the before picture? Thanks. :-)
oxidize? how? I thought the point of using gold and palladium was that they do not oxidize in room temperature. (granted, this is now pulling on 20 year old chemistry lessons so I may be mistaken)
I did polish the gold with a rouge cloth and it got a bit paler/less brassy looking.
The refurbishing is $125-200 depending on what needs to be done. If there is extensive re-stitching, then it may be more. They are very reasonable with repairs. Clochettes and cadenas depend on the bag itself but generally around $200 each.
I love it! The rouge lining makes the bag sexy:-P Very good acquistion and good eye to see the potential of this bag. Vintage makes it have even more personality!
L0ve love:-P
It sounds even better than a new one :) with all the efforts you poured!
Not bad at all. Hmmm... Thanks! I'll see if I win the bid.
Tom,
Just be sure about authenticity!!
Yeah, I will. I am bidding on our version of Christies, so I get to see it IRL. Thanks!
oh wow! I am really liking the rouge interior. Great bag! You must post a modeling pic.
http://thegrandeurs.blogspot.com/
love everything! black with GHW and the rouge vif lining is simply to die for!
it is amazing what Hermes can do to revitalize the bag!
enjoy!
congratulations! its a very lovely bag.
Who is the dealer and where is He? Absolutely Gorgeous!!!
I am sooo sooo jealous! It's absolutely exquisite!! And that vintage feel is just to die for!!! I wish i could pull it off with this 14 year old body... sigh...
That bag is beautiful and I love the red lining. How long did the refurbishment take? Also, Hermès isn't the only brand to offer such services - Ferragamo does too, but for free!!! I have taken advantage of their amazing customer service to send back to Italy shoes whose bows had fallen off and a purse whose handle needed to be replaced. Avg delay 6 wks and both the bag and the shoes looked better than new when I got them back.
hey hey,
is that still available?
if yes, how much it cost?
thanks & looking forward to hear from you soon~
cheers,
bernie
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