Hermès Bags and the Transformative Process

FSPC 1 (1) pp. 81–96 Intellect Limited 2014

Annita Boyd Griffith University

‘Oh, honey! It’s not so much the style, it’s what carrying it means’: Hermès bags and the transformative process

Abstract Keywords This article investigates the characteristics that define the suitability of certain Hermès characters in a number of film and television programmes to be consumers of Hermès Birkin prestige handbags. First, it examines the status of a Birkin or Kelly bag and how it Kelly is perceived to have transformative powers within the narrative, its impact upon its prestige carrier’s own sense of identity and how it is read by others. Apart from signalling suitability itself as an index of luxury, the bag may also trigger connotations of a suspicious consumer sexual nature if carried by characters that do not have the means to purchase it, and by virtue of its inherent ability to conceal. Characters require a sophisticated knowledge and class in order to bear successfully the kind of distinction that Hermès represents. Second, it addresses the viewers of these programmes as highly informed and discerning consumers of images of Hermès bags. The ability to identify specific sizes, leathers and speculate upon the authenticity of the bag is remarkable, and can be considered as a particular kind of specialized and exclusive knowledge. These readings invite us to consider this accessory as something that exceeds its function as mere costuming or prop within the mise-en-scène, as the bag seems to have agency and at times overshadows the centrality of characters.

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INTRODUCTION The prestigious Hermès company began its life as a saddlery in Paris in the mid- nineteenth century, providing goods for noblemen and royalty. After the introduction of the automobile the business extended its production of hand-made leather goods to include luxury luggage, and later, fine couture. It is particularly known for its silk scarves and women’s handbags, but retains its link to its equestrian past via its logo of the horse-drawn carriage. Two of their bags have become synonymous with the name Hermès. Grace Kelly (Princess Grace of Monaco) carried the famous Hermès bag known as the ‘small tall bag with straps’ (Steele and Borrelli 1999: 115). After being photographed for the cover of Time magazine using the bag to cover her pregnancy bump, it was renamed the Kelly bag in 1956 (Johnson 2002). The bag therefore, despite its royal connection, is associated with a kind of sexual deception in its representation. The Kelly emerged in 1935 and the Birkin in 1984, after Hermès president, Jean Louis Dumas, offered to make singer, Jane Birkin, a bag that would accommo- date her belongings more comfortably (even though she had to pay for it!). She has since abandoned the Birkin, claiming it was too clumsy for her. It has now become one of the most covetable handbags in the world. In Intolerable Cruelty (Cohen, 2003) Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones), serial divorcee, carries a red ostrich Hermès Birkin in her opening scenes, whilst dressed in stylish red dresses signifying her character’s fire and sexuality, and adorned in a gold multi-strand necklace. Upon learning that the private detective she hired has footage of her husband’s cheating, she declares, ‘I’m delighted you found this material’. Then as she picks up the Birkin and holds it close to her chest, she says, ‘This is going to be my passport to wealth, independence and freedom’. She is referring to the evidence of his infidelity but it is no coincidence that the line coincides with the clutching of her bag. The Birkin also accompanies her to Miles Massey’s (George Clooney) law office where she attends a meeting with him and her husband to discuss divorce proceedings. The bag is associated with wealth, ambition and above all, sexual deception. She carries a pink Hermès Constance bag later when she meets her friend ‘after she fails to get alimony from her ex-husband’ (rochasgirl, 13 August 2006).

Sex and the city

‘It’s not a bag. It’s a Birkin!’ Hermès sales assistant, Sex and the City

Samantha: Look at that one! Isn’t it adorable? Carrie: Which one? Samantha: The red one in the middle. I love it. Carrie: The Birkin bag? Really? That’s not even your style. Samantha: Oh, honey! It’s not so much the style, it’s what carrying it means. Carrie: It means you’re up for 4,000 bucks! Samantha: Exactly! When I’m tooling around town with that bag, I’ll know I’ve made it! Carrie: OK, let’s go. The visiting hours are over. (She pulls Samantha away from the shop window) Samantha: Bye Bye Birkin! (Frankel, 2001, Season 4, Episode 11)

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In the voice-over of the episode ‘Coulda Woulda Shoulda’ (Frankel, 2001) of Sex and the City (Star, HBO, 1998), Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) describes the characters as being at a crossroads, and their destination: ‘a place called who we hope to be’. This speaks of aspiration and Hermès embodies it in myriad forms. After being told she must sign on for a five-year waiting list for a Birkin, Samantha (Kim Catrall) tries to jump the queue by claiming it is for Lucy Liu whom she is representing, and promising that it will be carried by her to a premiere and photographed at length. Days later she is confronted with the horror of seeing on the street, ‘a fucking nobody in a tracksuit carrying the one we want! Is Hermès short for “we take our good old fucking time?”’. Samantha reads this as not only an insulting injustice but also a denial of her entry into a certain class. Earlier she tells Liu, ‘When I’m representing you, it’s class all the way!’ Unfortunately Samantha not only abuses her position but also the publicist at Hermès in an effort to get what she wants. Samantha’s inability to acquire a Birkin signals failure for her. Her statement, ‘When I’m tooling around town with that bag, I’ll know I’ve made it’, says much more about her own perception of achievement than others’. Sam’s lack of ‘classy’ behaviour and loss of composure is incompatible with the cachet Hermès is meant to carry. And Samantha never gets to carry the Birkin. Even when she visits the Hermès store, the bag is snatched away from her by the sales assistant before she can hold it (if she does not own it, she cannot touch it). Her lack of entitlement to the Birkin is reinforced throughout the text. Her object of desire is continually ‘out of reach’. And despite her paying for the bag eventually, her deceptive measures ensure that she does not get to keep it, as it bypasses her and goes straight to Lucy Liu. The potential Hermès customer must demonstrate an observable degree of consumer sophistication to be deemed a suitable candidate for the purchase of a Kelly or a Birkin. To this end, Hermès has established the waiting list. Customers may even be told that the list is closed. The inability to simply walk in off the street and buy one of these bags means that they cannot be purchased upon an impulsive whim. Considerable time and expense is channelled into manu- facturing each unique bag, which is handmade by a single master craftsman/ woman and bears his/her mark. Susanne LeBlanc (2012) identifies this as a commitment by Hermès to slow fashion, selecting sustainable materials and business models that oppose mass-market production. An adherence to traditional handcrafting and a refusal to increase its production volumes, reinforce its brand identity of exceptional quality and exclusivity, to the extent that clients are satisfied to be placed on the waiting list (LeBlanc 2012: 6). However, this waiting list is not as impermeable as it might first appear, as Michael Tonello, noted reseller of authentic Birkins online, discovered after several attempts at purchase in European stores. On initial visits he was informed there were no Birkins for sale, so he tried a different strategy on subsequent visits to different stores. After spending substantial amounts on several other smaller items such as scarves, notebooks and bracelets, he would then enquire as to whether there might be any Birkins available. To his surprise, staff would retreat into the back of the store and inevitably rematerialize with said item. It would appear then, with his initial monetary outlay and no impulsive eager- ness to have the luxury bag, he had demonstrated his sophistication as a serious client. The perceived scarcity of the Birkin had become a construction aimed at singling out discerning customers and a mechanism for ‘value adding’. The Birkin had emerged as rare as the rarefied air that Hermès clientele breathe, and the illusion of an impenetrable waiting list would ‘elude’ unsuitable punters.

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Hermès president, Jean-Louis Dumas, insists that the brand ‘preserves a certain distance while at the same time being determined to remain contemporary. The notion of permanence gives us an aristocratic distinction which has, we must admit, an intimidating side’ (Dumas, quoted in Tungate 2005: 151). Indeed, Hermès manufactures, and relies upon, a certain cultivation of taste in order to maintain its exclusivity. In the article, ‘Pricey Purchases and Classy Customers: Why sophisticated consumers do not need the protection of trademark laws’, Goodwin (2004: 255) argues that, ‘in unique situations where the goods at issue are very expensive and rare, the traditional test of consumer sophistication should trump the other factors in the likelihood of confusion analysis’. The premise of this argument is that Hermès customers are so highly skilled at recognizing authentic bags and their channels of distribution and sale, that it is unlikely that they would confuse mass-produced counterfeit items for real. In such cases, the chance of being misled by a fake trademark with a less than perfect product, and inexpensive price in the context of the market, is not probable. Nevertheless, Hermès is quick to prosecute not only against any counterfeited trademark, but also when there is a perceived infringement of its image, even when the seller markets his bags as satirical rubber (rather than leather) knock-offs, as in the case against Steven Stolman in the United States (Bellafante 2003). There is even a special guide purchasable on eBay written by an ex-Hermès employee (Cynthia Lane Schames), which educates the naive consumer about the finer points of authenticity in legitimate Birkin buying – her employment history in New York and Paris being evidence of her unique authority. It is this specialist knowledge, skill and class possessed by bona fide Hermès clients that prohibit such mistakes.

There are two types of purchasers of knockoff Birkin and Kelly bags – those waiting for the real thing and those who know they will never own the real thing. Either way, these purchasers are aware of the Hermès name, its reputation for quality, and its prestige. This sophistication cuts against Hermès’s claim of infringement because both types of consumers are much less likely to be confused than other purchasers. (Goodwin 2004: 266)

Ironically, when Samantha sees the ‘nobody in a tracksuit’ toting a (presumably) knockoff Birkin, she mistakes fake for real – another proof of her unsuitability as a potential Hermès consumer. Her impulsive behaviour demonstrated in expecting to acquire a Birkin immediately, and also her rudeness to Hermès staff, also precludes her as a serious contender. Bruzzi and Church Gibson (2004: 127) also observe Samantha’s conflation of inauthentic and ‘real’. Her propensity to unabashedly combine the two (as in the case of her purchasing fake Fendi products) undermines her credibility and the ‘real’ must be recouped by other characters within the narrative. They also note how her extreme sartorial style, which quotes 1980’s power dressing and her overt predatory sexuality signal her as unconventionally feminine. Doubtless, this lack of understatement and lack of conservative values would not lend her any authority in a Hermès store. When Samantha and Carrie first look at the Birkin through the Hermès shop window the shot is framed from within the window, a reverse two-shot, almost a point of view from the Birkin’s perspective (Figure 1). It is followed by a zoom out to reveal the Birkin situated centre-frame amongst other bags. The close-up of the Birkin from Samantha and Carrie’s shared point of view displays the coveted item in all its glory. Carrie tells Samantha that visiting hours are over as she yanks her away, and Sam bids the bag farewell. This initial farewell

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Figure 1: Samantha and Carrie peer at the red Birkin bag in the Hermès store window (Sex and the City, HBO, 2001).

is really foregrounding the fact that Samantha can kiss goodbye her chances of ever owning the Birkin. The representation of this exchange imbues the Birkin with a personality, as if the bag could respond in some way. Much more than just a prop, it has attributes, like a character. It has agency because of the traits it carries – the ability to change the self-image of a character, despite its being an object. It is, however, not an inanimate object. It moves with its owner; it is carried. Indeed, it becomes part of the character’s persona. Bruzzi and Church Gibson (2004: 115) address Patricia Field’s intention, as costume designer for Sex and the City, for wardrobe to exist independently of the script. But increas- ingly, not just in this television series, but also in other audiovisual texts, its role seems to surpass even this, thus raising the possibility of fashion as character. Just as Carrie comments on the Birkin’s not being Samantha’s style, Lucy Liu remarks, ‘Well, it’s not really my style, but hey, it’s a free bag’. So why is it not their style and why does it not matter? Possession of a Hermès bag has transformative effects, much like the magical object the hero might acquire in Proppian narrative structure. It assists the hero in his/her quest.

Medium The episode of Medium entitled ‘Twice Upon a Time’ (Schwary, 2006) has Allison Dubois (Patricia Arquette) imagining a different existence for herself. She dreams what life would be like if she had married her teenage sweetheart – and a different life it is indeed. Allison becomes the high-profile lawyer she

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might have been, had she not given up law school to work for the District Attorney’s Office as a consultant psychic on difficult and unsolved cases. In her alternate life, she lives in an expensive apartment with her husband from whom she appears distant; has no children, and clothes herself in high fashion couture. Despite her wealth and career, she is not fulfilled. The episode features a scene wherein Allison is dressed in a Chanel suit, complete with a four-strand pearl necklace, and carries a Hermès black Birkin. The Birkin here is used instead of the briefcase one would perhaps expect in such a functional context. The Birkin in particular becomes a marker of transformation for Allison (who in her other reality could never afford such a luxury). It takes near centre-frame as she visits District Attorney Manuel Devalos. Allison places the highly-polished bag upon the desk between herself and Manuel, indicating her higher-class position. For the most part of the scene, he stands on the left whilst she is seated on the right. This appears to indicate a bid for power. In her ‘normal’ life Allison Dubois, usually carries a slouch tan shoulder bag, often worn across her body. This speaks practically and affordability. She wears smart and unpretentious suits to work with a small pendant around her neck. Despite her husband, Joe, being a systems design mathematician in the aerospace industry (read ‘rocket scientist’) and presumably earning a more than decent wage, the Dubois family lives a modest existence. The moral outcome in this episode hangs on the ‘money (and Birkins) don’t buy happiness’ trope.

Courting alex In the short-lived sitcom Courting Alex (Hanning, CBS, 2006) Jenna Elfman plays Alex Rose, also a successful lawyer, who has difficulty finding love. In her office, her large black Birkin takes its privileged position on its own special chair on one side of her desk. Indeed, Hermès was actually commissioned by Hotel Meurice Paris to craft special little stools on which to place your luxury handbag, whilst dining in their restaurant, so that it need not touch the floor (Anon 2006b). The Birkin is her business bag. Just like Allison, her practical day bag is a brown slouch shoulder bag. The first episode (Fryman, 2006) settles any doubts one might have about the status evoked by a Hermès Birkin. The dialogue and mise-en-scène confirms Alex as an appropriate Hermès consumer. She has wealth and class in spades. Her over-seriousness and lack of impul- siveness is reaffirmed throughout: ‘I can be spontaneous when I choose to be!’ she protests when challenged, just before she plants a kiss on the man she fancies (but of whom her father does not approve). The contradiction in her claim indicates her need for restraint and measured decision-making. Her considered action is in keeping with Hermès sensibility. However, she strug- gles with it, yearning to branch out. In the opening credits Alex carries the Birkin as she walks across screen. It features strongly as she then flings it away. What we have to take from this is that in order for Alex to let go and experience all of life’s potential (i.e. ‘true’ love), she must ‘let go’ of the Birkin, and the restraint associated with it. So as ‘suitable’ as she may seem at first, the underlying tension in her character compels her to rid herself (at least in the credit sequence) of that which constrains her.

Le divorce

‘I know my son – faithful only to Hermès’ Amélie Cosset, Le Divorce

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Figure 2: Isabel receives a red crocodile Hermès Kelly from her secret French lover (Le Divorce, Twentieth Century Fox Corporation, 2003).

Le Divorce (Ivory, 2003) opens with animated icons of French beauty and culture, closing with an image of a red Hermès Kelly bag flying across the screen. The Kelly bag in this film betrays a sexual secret. It is given to American, Isabel Walker (Kate Hudson) as a gift by Edgar Cosset (Thierry Lhermitte) for being his mistress (Figure 2). A married and wealthy French politician, he is her sister’s husband’s uncle. Isabel’s first scenes depict her wearing a brown, leather fringed shoulder bag, worn across the body, in much the same manner as Alex and Allison do. It is in keeping with her casual Bohemian look and long flowing wavy hair. But the acquisition of the Kelly bag signals an outward transformation in other areas too: we witness a rapid increase in her level of sophistication, knowledge of French wines, conservative chic tailored suits, and her free flowing hair is replaced by a straight stylish bob. This transformation is noticed and remarked upon by Edgar at least twice. Isabel’s change is also noted by others: ‘You look like someone who reads Marie Claire’. She replies, ‘Have you any idea what this cost!’. Of course this is not just a reference to its monetary value, but also a metaphor for the social cost to her reputation for being Edgar’s mistress. Upon another meeting with Edgar the bag it positioned between them. When he leaves the room, Isabel places her padded bra inserts inside the bag. The Kelly, as a containment metaphor for sexual deception, is reinforced. Isabel masquerades as an image of a woman suitable to Edgar’s tastes. The more she adopts the mask, the more she is recognized for who she ‘really is’. It seems Isabel remains dis/tastefully conspicuous whilst carrying such an outrageously expensive purse (estimated value, $45,000). It betrays her ‘true’ identity at every turn. A young man with whom she has already had a flirtation remarks, ‘That’s not yours. You stole it from some rich old lady!’. The text is at pains to point out Isabel’s unsuitability to wear the Kelly, and simply that she would never be able to afford it. The text invites us to prefer the ‘real’ Isabel, postpon- ing the inevitable moment where she too will cast it away, as foreshadowed in the opening-credit sequence and confirmed in the closing scenes. Author, Olivia Pace (Glenn Close), is Isabel’s employer. Upon seeing her new bag, she knowingly remarks, ‘Oh a Kelly! You must have an admirer,

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and he must be rich and French’. She is well aware of Edgar’s history of ‘gift-giving’, having received a Kelly from him herself as a younger woman. She later expounds upon Edgar’s attraction to Isabel, proclaiming him as ‘a bit worldly, a bit knowing, famous, older – I suppose that’s sexy, especially to a young person. It’s like fornicating with God!’. Isabel vicariously enjoys the power Edgar wields but there are limits to this power. At her book signing, Olivia inscribes Edgar’s copy: ‘To the Kelly man’ and draws a little sketch of a Kelly bag. He enquires: ‘Do you still have yours?’ to which she replies, ‘No, I lost it a long time ago’, signifying that she has no need of it any longer. She cast it off, no longer wanting it as an outward sign of sexual dependence upon an unfaithful and deceitful man. For her, she has outgrown the need to play games of furtive love and expensive gifts as ‘pay off’ for keeping the secret. Edgar uses the Kelly as a means of courting favour and controlling his mistresses. The downside of this is that he needs to police the locations in which the bag can be seen, if he is to preserve his secret. His constant moni- toring begins to annoy Isabel who just wants to enjoy the bag.

Edgar: It’s not a bag for a bookshop. Isabel: It’s convenient and beautiful.

At a classical concert he reiterates:

Edgar: I’ve told you, a purse of this kind is not suitable for every occasion! A simple black evening bag would be more appropriate. Isabel: What is suitable? The French talk about religion, morality, sex. Why not money? (Ivory, 2003)

Thus, the question of suitability is debated throughout, not just through dialogue but also with disapproving and knowing glances: ‘Such are the wages of sin!’ (with a look to the bag). Isabel’s own admission that she would oblige Edgar with sexual favours, even without expensive gifts, strongly indicates that she is not a fitting recipient of the bag. Whilst at dinner, in an effort to divert her attention away from the cost of the bag, Isabel’s sister, Roxy, declares to her mother, Margeeve (Stockard Channing), ‘She got it on sale’. The notion that a Kelly can be purchased ‘on sale’ is a humorous misnomer. Their often bespoke and handmade qualities preclude any such instance. Should Margeeve entertain any truth to this statement, she too would demonstrate her unsophistication as a potential Hermès customer, and hence, unsuitability. The bag in this situation reveals as much about character, as it seeks to conceal. Shin’ya Nagaswa (2008: 34) reveals how the significance of the customer experience with such luxury brands as Hermès, ‘reflects the characteristics of the upper-class societies of the nations where the brands were founded’ and that the ‘concept of aristocratic value is reflected in the products’. Later, Margeeve takes the Kelly to lunch with Edgar’s family, where she learns the truth about its history. The French–American opposition continues throughout, as scenes depicting the ways French women wear scarves as a symbol of their culture function alongside others, where the French, civilized manners are posed against more crude, unseemly ‘American’ enactments (for example, the preference for sugar

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cubes over grains). Edgar’s parting gift to Isabel is a Chanel scarf and he eventually confesses, ‘I’m much too old for you’, as Isabel’s mother similarly declares: ‘My favourite thing in Paris is this purse you gave me. It was too middle-aged and too lady-like for you’. Thus, the Kelly functions as a synechdoche of unsuitability. But her mother does not retain the bag either, reaffirming that neither she nor Isabel are suitable contenders for its ownership. In an ever-evolving web of sexual deceit, Roxy’s husband, Charles-Henri, is also cheating on her. In a crime of passion, he is murdered by his mistress’s husband, Mr Tellman,. Later, Tellman follows the Walkers to the Eiffel Tower, where Isabel convinces him to give her his gun. She puts the unloaded weapon inside the Kelly, before it is tossed. ‘It might hit someone!’, but the bag might soften the blow – a dangerous, phallic object concealed and enveloped within a feminine container as it floats across the rooftops of Paris. And just like Samantha bidding farewell to the Birkin, Isabel exclaims, ‘Goodbye Edgar! And goodbye Kelly bag!’. It seems they are both much better off without them.

Gilmore girls

‘A beautiful leather, grown-up thing.’ Rory Gilmore, Gilmore Girls

Figure 3: Rory is unaware of the status a pink ostrich-leather Birkin affords (Gilmore Girls, Warner Bros. Entertainment).

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Another text that features a Hermès bag as a gift is an episode of Gilmore Girls (Sherman-Palladino, The WB, 2000–2006). In ‘Welcome to the Dollhouse’ (Douglas, 2005) Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) receives a pink ostrich-leather Birkin from her rich boyfriend, Logan (Matt Czuchry) (Figure 3). Rory’s wealthy and class-conscious grandmother, Emily (Kelly Bishop), is envious that her humble granddaughter who is ignorant of the bag’s status value has received such a gift, whilst such a coveted object has escaped her own clutch. When Rory innocently discloses the news of this present, Emily cannot conceal her surprise and repeatedly exclaims, ‘Well, well, well – a Birkin bag! A Birkin bag. A Birkin bag for Rory!’, thereby signalling her perception that this a much too extravagant purchase and inappropriate gift to bestow upon her granddaughter. Rory is blissfully unaware of its potential impact, and after Emily proclaims, ‘That’s a very nice purse’, she asks, ‘Oh, maybe I shouldn’t use it?’, upon which, Emily replies, ‘No. A Birkin bag is meant to be used, and seen!’. Emily is clearly in tune with the transformative powers of Hermès bags, as Samantha in Sex and the City is. The question is, though, why Emily, as a wealthy older woman who has the means to purchase a Birkin, does not own one. In later scenes she continues to express her extreme desire for ‘the most sophisticated bag in the world’ and her outrage at Rory’s ownership of one. She reminds her husband that, despite her hints, he has still failed to buy her a Birkin. Emily may believe the bag should be a gift from a suitor, and perhaps a too indulgent an item to purchase for oneself. Aware of its capacity as an instrument of social power, she interprets Logan’s gift to be an outward sign that his and Rory’s relationship is about to undergo a social transformation – marriage. The couple’s relationship status, however, is not about to transform and the gesture is misread by Emily. Logan’s real motive for gifting the bag is ambiguous but his intention is definitely to impress. As he enters the room the oversized orange carry bag is conspicuous and the clearly visible Hermès trademark provides the viewer with a moment of anticipation for the reveal. It is surprising though that Rory, as an aficionado of popular culture, is not familiar with the Hermès brand. She says, ‘You know, I think my computer cord would fit in this perfectly,’ but Logan advises, ‘Ah, this is not a computer cord kinda purse’. Just as Edgar in Le Divorce directs Isabel on appropriate use for a Hermès bag, so too does Logan for his girlfriend. The Birkin’s significance goes unnoticed by Rory who appreciates the bag as simply, ‘a beautiful leather, grown-up thing’. How telling this observation is, as several times throughout the episode attention is drawn to how young she is, most impor- tantly by Emily, who, whilst snooping in Rory’s bedroom, finds the Birkin. She jealously holds the bag close (as Marilyn Rexroth does in Intolerable Cruelty) and says, ‘A twenty-one-year-old girl has a Birkin and a grown woman doesn’t!’, thereby reinforcing her opinion that Rory is an unfitting recipient. Like Isabel, Rory is deemed by others not to be mature enough to carry the bag. But Rory happily keeps it, remaining ignorant of its magic. Her charming naïveté and eschewing of social-climbing ironically function as a justification for her suitability as an owner. Indeed, she is an ‘authentic’ character. Emily remains without – her irritating personality and excessive desire for a Birkin, preclude her ownership.

The purse forum

‘Heck, I’d wear the orange box!’ A devotee

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The super sleuths of cinematic fashion pride themselves in finding that heav- enly moment of handbag trivia and pro-actively posting it on the Internet. On the Purse Forum there exist two threads within the Purse Blog: one devoted to film, and one to television programmes with Hermès bags, each containing around 500 posts. On this site members exchange descriptions of sightings of Hermès with great authority. In 2007 (it has since changed) the forum was beautifully decorated in pink and mauve with drawn images of two girls holding bags, one of which is a Birkin. The ‘super girly’ and feminine layout had the attached tag line ‘Shallow Obsessing Strongly Encouraged’, thus validating the outpouring of desire posted on these pages. It also forgives the pleasure sought, with one member declaring, ‘Don’t feel guilty about things that makes [sic] you happy (Whispa777, 26 April 2006). The site does not preclude men from participat- ing, however. The following witty statement was posted by a male in Singapore: ‘Being a true fashionista – or fashionmista, for that matter – isn’t only about a well-dressed body but also a well-dressed mind’ (Femina, 25 March 2007). The Purse Forum showcases the particular trainings that its users have developed. In keeping with Marcel Mauss’s (1973: 70) notion of techniques of the body, members demonstrate not only their powers of observation, but also their extensive mastery of repertoires of knowledge of not only Hermès but of an array of fashion labels. Specific sizes, makes, fabrics and textures are identified within what may only be a second or two of a bag’s appearance within a scene. Of course, with digital playback facilities viewers are able to pause and enlarge images for closer inspection, and thereby halt the narrative and indulge in the spectacle even more.

‘The bags were beautiful but one thing I didn’t like is the fact that Hermès bags were being used as props to help portray these people as rather empty and materialistic. But I tried to look beyond that and just enjoy the bags.’ (Tamarind, 6 June 2011)

‘Exactly!! Just a beautiful view!!’ (Julide, 6 June 2011)

‘Shallow obsessing’ is not as shallow as claimed. Users are demonstrating a familiarity with a certain cultural capital that allows them to participate within this discursive sphere. One can also learn from logging on to this site. Unsure if it is a Kelly or a Birkin? 32 cm or not? Fake or real? The Purse Blog can set you straight. Missed an episode of Sex and the City, Will and Grace (Kohan and Mutchnick, NBC, 1998–2006) or Gossip Girl (Schwartz and Savage, The CW, 2007–2012) that indulges your purse passion? Catch up on the Forum. These are practised readers who pride themselves on their knowledge. They do not watch a film or television show only once, they go back and investigate with close textual analysis, identifying the properties and dimensions of the bag, which actress is carrying it and why, and what effect it has in the film. The impact it has on these particular viewers is also of importance. Declarations of love for this or that accessory or a character’s style are common. Corrections to other members’ observations are also present, with clarifications and explanations, and where possible, images or links to other sites are given to demonstrate a point. One member corrected another’s assumption that the Kelly in Le Divorce was a fake, by alerting them that they had not stayed to read the credits. But most of all it is a game of fun and this was the intention of the individual who started the thread. These viewers are indeed a specific

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audience of dedicated readers of audiovisual texts, who shift their focus of attention away from the driving force of the narrative and onto the pleasure of spectacle. The following quotes reveal the excitement and vigour with which members actively participate in their detailed viewing experience:

‘[T]his Hermes thing has clouded my mind I NEED to watch it so I bought the DVD for my bedroom.’ (shoes319, 24 March 2006)

‘I love to spot them or hear mentions of them!’ (shoes319, 26 May 2006)

‘I am going to have to look more closely.’ (Dianagrace, 17 December 2006)

‘I was gibbering and pointing at the TV, DH and DD thought I’d lost the plot.’ (allaboutnice, 5 February 2007)

‘I love seeing this thread again – it’s so fun to think about going back to some of these movies just to play FIND THE HERMES lol.’ (shoes319, 25 March 2007)

‘Not even a movie or show, but saw a Birkin in a commercial. There was a very attractive business woman/model carrying a 45 cm or possibly 50 cm black togo Birkin into her car in a commercial that played most of 2005 – I can’t even remember which car the commercial was for – I was staring at the Birkin every single time! You could tell the bag was empty because it was very flat! [American car commercial]’ (rainrowan, 16 May 2006)

Some members of the Forum may own a Kelly or a Birkin if they are wealthy enough or seriously in debt, but mostly these entries reveal aspiration and the desire to forge an identity through identification with and of a loved object, and an appreciation of sophisticated style. It is likely that most have never actually seen or touched a real Hermès bag, although there are a number of new companies now where you can hire a prestige bag for a fraction of the cost of owning one. It has been said that the handbag is kill- ing fashion (Samet, cited in Tungate 2005: 146), as women update their bags on a regular basis, and as long as you have the latest cult bag it does not matter so much what you are wearing. Even the cover of Harper’s Bazaar (May 2007) headlines ‘Most Wanted Bags & Shoes For Now’ indicating it will not be long before that changes. But for the price of a Hermès leather accessory you would not want to update so often. This is of course, precisely what the company argues. Karin Upton Baker, managing director of Hermès Australia, says, ‘[A] bag should have ongoing durability, but for clothes I don’t believe in investment dressing’ (Upton Baker 2005: 129). She too, is on the waiting list. Purse Blog members’ status is not measured by whether they have such a bag, but by their knowledge of it. This knowledge is of the same sophistication outlined by Goodwin (2004) in her article on Trade Law practice. They have cultivated their desires through a plethora of representations that have

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celebritized ‘It Bags’ in film, television and glossy magazines that capture the likes of Victoria Beckham or Lindsay Lohan sporting a Birkin whilst out and about on the street. Their fantasies reveal a type of desire to emulate the identities of those held in high esteem, a version of Marcel Mauss’s concept of prestigious imitation (Mauss 1973: 73).

I try to be like Grace Kelly But all her looks were too sad So I try a little Freddie I’ve gone identity mad! Mika

Another verse of Mika’s popular song reads: ‘Say what you want to satisfy yourself / But you only want what everybody else says you should want’ (Mika et al. 2007). The lyrics explore the trying on of different identities to not only see what suits one’s self, but also what is acceptable to others (written after Mika was told by a record executive he should try to be more like the singer, Craig David). In an issue of Harper’s Bazaar (2006) Naomi Watts is featured in a photographic spread employing the concept of the Hitchcock Blonde. Grace Kelly is perhaps the most beloved Hitchcock blonde of all, and it is no surprise that Watts channels her as femme fatale in a film noir styled presentation, with requisite black Kelly bag. In 2007 it was speculated that Watts would star in a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic The Birds (The Daily Telegraph, 8 February 2007), but since then the production has stalled. What do they share, these bag fashionistas? Is it a real or an imagined community, or both? Certainly there are real individuals putting fingers to keyboards, but outside of that one can only assume certain traits about them. They are themselves representations. Each is identified by their geographical location and a chosen codename or, accompanied by an avatar that encapsulates and projects their personality or aspirations (and yes, many are images of Hermès bags). Some also have attached wish lists (bags) or mini‑mantras as their signatures. There is also a fair bit of humour on the Blog, even if not completely based in accuracy:

My vote for the funniest appearance by an H bag in the movies is Le Divorce. Kate Hudson gets a red crocodile Kelly from her French lover, Thierry Lhermitte. His sister sees Kate with her gist bag and immediately calls a friend to gossip – something along the lines of ‘Oh my God, he gave her a red croco bag – he is going to dump her – he always gives them red croco bags before he dumps them!!’ (marietouchet, 12 October 2006)

‘Where is this guy and how do I get him to dump me?’ (Hermesgroupie, 12 October 2006)

Steele and Borrelli (1999: 107) argue according to a branding expert that cult bags acquire their status via three criteria: ‘(1) legitimacy within the fashion industry, (2) great advertising, and (3) celebrity support’. Hermès has all three, especially the first. Hermès lines are decidedly distinct in style from other cult handbags. The Kelly and the Birkin have a rigidity and a strength of line not found in the popular slouch bags that even though expensive,

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do not approach a price anywhere near a Hermès (a crocodile Birkin with pavé‑set diamonds will set you back around $200,000, but you might pick up a more modest number for around $10,000 if you are lucky). There is certainly something different about them. They hark back to an earlier era. Hermès is more than fashion. Fashion is transient, changeable, disposable and recyclable. Hermès has always prided itself on its unique classic design, its longevity, quality and exclusivity. It is about retrained luxury, understatement and durability. The May 2007 edition of Harper’s Bazaar states that current percep- tions of luxury are changing, describing the new luxury as, ‘going back to the old idea of the super-exclusive, the rare; things that simply cannot be mass-produced. The one defining aspect they share is that they are unique, one of a kind, hand- built’ (Huckbody 2007a: 37). The Luxury Institute included Hermès among the top social status brands for 2006 (Huckbody 2007a: 36). This notion of understatement ‘whispers’ throughout this issue of Harper’s Bazaar. In a photographic feature entitled ‘Quiet Luxury, Shhhh: Winter’s best takes on classic pieces’ (Smith 2007: 191) we are re-introduced to the Hermès Kelly bag in light green (price on appli- cation, of course). We may also be green with envy of its perfect complement of the model’s pale neutral-toned House of Cashmere jumper and Emporio Armani pants, complete with Fendi, Cartier and Tiffany & Co. jewellery. ‘Jean Louis Dumas insists that “Hermès is not a fashion house”’ (Dumas, cited in Tungate 2005: 151). Its price tags alone keep it well out of range of most mortals. ‘Pierre-Alexis Dumas, fifth-generation Hermès and succes- sor to his father as artistic director, says silk scarves “capture the spirit of the time without giving in to fashion”’ (Dumas, cited in Huckbody 2007b: 76) – a similar sentiment to that of Jean Louis. It is because Hermès seems so out of reach to us all, it is the royalty of leather goods and couture, as evidenced by Queen Elizabeth often seen wearing their scarves about her head, and also her player, Helen Mirren, in the film, The Queen (Frears, 2006), adorns herself with the equine-inspired silk squares. Tungate notes that Gaultier’s first prêt- à-porter collection for Hermès featured ‘delightfully perverse harnesses and riding boots’ (2005: 150). Hermès and film have also become synonymous with French culture with a glass tower boutique in Tokyo that ‘offers not only the full range of Hermès goods, but also regular screenings of French films’ (Tungate 2005: 150). One of the members of the Purse Blog declares in reference to Le Divorce, ‘The bag was the best thing about that movie … and then it got flung off the Eiffel Tower!!’ (QuirkyCool, 24 March 2006) thus identifying the bag as essential to the film. A strange equation seems to be emerging here: Hermès = French = class = wealth = culture = film = sexuality/sexual deception. It is well known that Sigmund Freud identified the purse as a metaphor for a woman’s sexual parts, but film seems to have run with this on an unprecedented scale, as this observation from the Purse Blog reveals:

In the movie ‘Dream Lover’ with James Spader and Mädchen Amick, I think Mädchen Amick is carrying an Hermès … not completely sure. (The purse that James Spader empties during that part of the movie to confirm that she’s still wearing her diaphragm.) It looks like an Hermès. Does anyone remember? (Buttery, 24 March 2006)

Diaphragms and padded bra inserts – intimately personal feminine objects, concealed in expensive leather containers. The link with bags, sexuality and

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desire is strengthened by the reply to the above post by a woman who is almost breathless at the mention of Spader and Hermès in the same sentence!

CONCLUSION Hermès is, at the very least, provocative and ambiguous. Its high-end products and the cultural and social effects it relays will not go unnoticed by the savvy consumer, whether they are purchasers of bags, or consumers of images. However, it remains that in both many fictional representations and narrative forms, and real life situations, certain characters and individuals will be deemed unsuitable as bearers of Hermès merchandise. The aura that is carefully crafted and purposefully manufactured works to maintain its exclusivity. The entwining of notions of class with conservative cultural values and restrained sexuality complicates this formula of suitability. In addition, knowledge about how to discern a fake from a real Hermès bag is tied in with notions of an authentic personality. There is a distinct code in operation at the level of character and reader, and a certain pleasure in the spectacle of something that surpasses its role as simply an item of wardrobe.

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Mauss, M. (1973), ‘Techniques of the Body’, Economy and Society, 2: 1, pp. 70–87. Mika, Marr, J., Merchant, J. and Warner, D. (2007), ‘Grace Kelly’, UK: Island Records. Nagaswa, S. (2008), ‘Creating Customer Experience in Luxury Brands – Comparison of Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Coach’, Waseda Business & Economic Studies, No. 44, pp. 25–39, http://dspace.wul.waseda.ac.jp/ dspace/bitstream/2065/33710/1/WasedaBusiness%26EconomicStudies_4 4_Nagasawa1.pdf. Accessed 14 August 2013. Purse Forum, http://forum.purseblog.com/hermes/movies-with-hermes-bags- 9179.html. Accessed 12 May 2007 (individual posts cited within text). Schames, C. L. (2007), Guide to Buying an Authentic Hermes Birkin, self-published PDF, Guide #HG90307, purchased on eBay. Schwary, Ronald, L. (2006), ‘Twice Upon a Time’, Medium, Season 2, Episode 22, USA: Warner Bros. Entertainment. Smith (2007), ‘Quiet Luxury, Shhhh: Winter’s best takes on classic pieces’, Australian Harper’s Bazaar, May, p. 191. Steele, V. and Borrelli, L. (1999), ‘Status’ Handbags: A Lexicon of Style, New York: Rizzoli, pp. 104–28. Tonello, M. (2008), Bringing Home the Birkin, New York: Harper Collins. Tungate, M. (2005), Fashion Brands: Branding Style from Armani to Zara, London: Kogan. Upton Baker, K. (2005), ‘Women-Style is …’, Madison, March, pp. 128–29.

Suggested citation Boyd, A. (2014), ‘ “Oh, honey! It’s not so much the style, it’s what carrying it means”: Hermès bags and the transformative process’, Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, pp. 81–96, doi: 10.1386/fspc.1.1.81_1

Contributor details Dr Annita Boyd is a lecturer in the School of Humanities at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, teaching in Screen Studies and Cultural Sociology. Her research interests include the intersection of fashion theory with film and television, and its uptake in various sites of popular culture. She has a number of forthcoming publications in 2013 for Intellect: ‘Returns from the margins: Little Edie Beale and the legacy of Grey Gardens’ in Film Fashion & Consumption with David Adair, and a book chapter on Elsa Schiaparelli in Fashion and War in Popular Culture, edited by Denise Rall (forthcoming, 2014). Annita also has an interest in Victorian fashion and the forgotten histories of Australian women. Her article, ‘The private and public life of Nellie Stewart’s bangle’ is forthcoming in 2014 in The Journal of Popular Romance Studies, and focuses on the hidden story behind the widespread craze for a plain gold bangle, named after a much-adored star of the Australian Victorian stage. Contact: Lecturer in Screen Studies and Cultural Sociology, School of Humanities, Griffith University, Nathan. Q. 4111, Australia. Email: [email protected]

Annita Boyd has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work in the format that was submitted to Intellect Ltd.

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