Today we are introducing a special Hermès Kelly 28 in chèvre leather, custom-made for a Shebag client. With her consent, we took the bag and captured a series of high-definition photos to showcase Shebag’s craftsmanship in replication.

The hardware on Hermès bags is more durable than that of most designer brands, mainly because of a special gilding technique and a thicker electroplated layer.

Hardware base material: usually brass or bronze, which has moderate hardness and allows for precise detailing.
Surface treatment: polished, buffed, and finished with an anti-oxidation protective coating, giving it a refined shine that does not fade easily.
Texture: unlike ordinary gold-plated hardware, Hermès hardware is not overly shiny; instead, it has a warm, weighty golden tone, which sets it apart from typical electroplated metal fittings.

Although Hermès does not disclose its leather suppliers, insiders are well aware of the sources. Hermès controls much of its leather through its own tanneries. For instance, Tanneries d’Annonay in France, owned by Hermès, specializes in calfskin, while Tannerie de Haas focuses on fine leathers. For chèvre leather, Hermès primarily relies on external suppliers, while processing and finishing are carried out internally.

Hermès’ chèvre leather supply chain mainly comes from:

• Southern India (Mysore region): world-renowned for top-quality goat hides.

• West Africa (Niger, Mali, etc.): also exports goat hides, though generally less consistent in quality and volume compared to India.

• France/Italy tanneries: Hermès often sources raw hides and sends them to high-end European tanneries for processing. Notably, Alran S.A.S in Tarn, France, is recognized as one of the world’s finest goat leather producers, and it is widely believed within the industry that Hermès collaborates with them for its chèvre leathers.

With Shebag’s leather supply chain and procurement scale in Europe developed over more than a decade, we have gained a complete understanding of Hermès’ sourcing system. By mastering both the leathers and the hardware, our Hermès-inspired handcrafted bags have achieved a level of true-to-original perfection.