But they do not come cheap, prices start at around $7,500 for a Kelly bag and can go well into the hundreds of thousands if you are using crocodile, diamonds, and other precious materials. But it is not just the materials we are paying for, or the brand name, the Hermès bag is expensive because of the laborious construction process involved in making each bag. Today's Fashion 101: Why Luxury is Expensive is about the Hermès bag.

Fashion 101: Why Luxury is Expensive; The Hermès Bag - Bag - Hermès

First of all, the craftsman will train for several years before they are allowed to make a bag. Most of the Hermès craftsman come from a school in Paris called Ecole Grégoire-Ferrandi, who specialize in leather, particularly saddle making and "maroquinerie" which refers to handbags and similar items.