BEJEWELLED TRIBUTE

With the Kellymorphose fine and high jewellery creations, Hermès pays tribute to one of the most iconic creations in its stable: the Kelly bag.

- FRANÇOIS OOSTHUIZEN

Hermès first launched Kellymorphose—inspired by the Kelly bag and the components that make up one of the most coveted fashion accessories in the world—in February last year. Just more than a year later, Bangkok was the first Asian stop for an exclusive exhibition of more than 150 precious creations from the Kellymorphose collection; some from last year’s inventory, but also with many new additions bedazzling the inspiring scenography at a completely transformed venue of Park Hyatt Bangkok.

For Pierre Hardy, Creative Director of Hermès Jewellery, finding inspiration from the Kelly bag—from the bag itself to the clasp and padlock—obviously proved to be an exercise in expressing classic Hermès design codes. “The Kelly bag elevates its functional components: the side straps, and an elemental clasp consisting of a turnlock, a plate and four studs. I do the same with Kelly jewellery, by reinterpreting or disrupting its original lines,” he says. “I like movement—a chain that winds around itself, a ring that splits into two, a keychain that swings as you walk. I like capturing mobility without ever fixing it in place. I like the momentum of the body, which echoes creative momentum.”