Hermès makes bags that aren't leather, and they're absolutely stunning.
Yes, this is the house that basically invented exotic leather luxury. Yes, everyone's obsessed with Birkins and Kellys in crocodile and ostrich. But Hermès has been playing with canvas, wicker, silk, and even mushrooms for years, and these pieces are just as precious.
Don’t get us wrong, though, Hermès non-leather bags aren't backup options or budget alternatives. They're limited editions that collectors fight over, innovations that signal where luxury is headed, and some of the most interesting pieces the Maison makes.
Let's dive into the Hermès world beyond leather because trust us, you're about to discover your next obsession!
Canvas Never Looked This Good
Hermès canvas bags have been around since the beginning. The Maison's relationship with Toile canvas goes back to its equestrian roots, when durable, weather-resistant materials weren't trendy; they were essential.
Fast forward to today, and that heritage translates into bags that work for real life while looking incredibly chic.
The Hermès Herbag is your gateway drug into Hermès canvas. Think of it like the Kelly silhouette, but make it sporty and way more accessible. Same trapezoidal shape, same saddle studs and padlock, but here's the genius part: interchangeable canvas panels.
You swap out the Toile body while keeping the leather frame. Multiple looks, less investment, pure Hermès brilliance.
Sizes come in PM and GM because Hermès knows one size doesn't fit all lifestyles. The best parti s that you can actually buy a Herbag without playing sales associate mind games or proving your worth through scarf purchases.
Then there's the Garden Party, and honestly, it's the tote we all need! Available in Toile Officier canvas with leather trim, it gives you that countryside look alongside city functionality. That signature Clou de Selle snap closure is iconic, and those adjustable side snaps let you make the bag wider or slimmer.
People use Garden Party bags as laptop carriers, weekend totes, and shopping companions; it's genuinely versatile! Sizes range from the compact 30cm to the massive 39cm (hello weekend getaway), with the 36cm being the Goldilocks option. Canvas makes it light, leather makes it luxurious, and Hermès makes it perfect.
The Hermès Fourre-Tout is the flat portfolio tote nobody talks about enough. Cotton canvas, leather trim, exterior pockets for days. It's less common than Garden Party, which makes it even more special for collectors who love finding under-the-radar Hermès pieces.
But you know what makes these Hermès canvas bag designs so special? Same meticulous hand-stitching as exotic leathers, same attention to hardware detail, same construction quality. Hermès doesn't do "lesser" materials; they elevate everything they touch.
Wool Birkins Exist, and They're Gorgeous
Hermès wool bags sound unexpected until you see a Feutre Birkin in person, and your jaw literally drops! The Maison uses dense, structured wool felt, often paired with buttery Swift leather, for bags that feel like luxury sweater weather!
Feutre Birkins and Kellys appear in Fall/Winter collections when soft textures and warm materials just make sense. These aren't your everyday bags; they're seasonal statements, collector dreams, the pieces you pull out when autumn hits and suddenly everything needs texture.
These pieces are relatively rare, which drives the collector frenzy. The best part is that wool felt is remarkably durable when you care for it properly! Light rain resistant, develops gorgeous character over time, and has serious Hermès heritage.
Hermès Turned Silk Into Handbags, and It's Art
Hermès silk bags are the Maison taking their most iconic product, those legendary silk carrés, and saying, let's make this three-dimensional. Not scraps, not leftovers, deliberate creations where silk becomes the star.
The Silky City bag is pure genius. It’s Hermès signature silk twill constructed into a structured handbag with leather accents. The Picotin Lock Soie reimagines the laid-back bucket bag in printed silk. It's casual and precious at the same time, which creates this amazing tension. Elegant but not formal, special but surprisingly wearable, Instagram-perfect without trying too hard.
Kelly en Désordre takes things even further. Silk scarves are artfully arranged to create a deliberately unstructured Kelly. It's Hermès having fun with its own rules, taking the rigid Kelly and making it soft, romantic, and unique. Each bag looks different because scarf placement varies.
The vibrant prints mean these Hermès silk bag designs photograph like dreams!. Your Silky City won't look like anyone else's because print placement differs, which is basically the point, right?
Hermès Made Picnic Baskets Bougie, and We're Here for It
The Hermès Kelly Picnic and Hermès Birkin Picnic are what happens when Hermès decides summer deserves luxury bags! Handwoven Osier wicker (fancy willow) combined with supple Barenia or Swift leather.
Kelly Picnic debuted in 2011 thanks to Jean-Paul Gaultier's final collection, and collectors went WILD! Original Kelly Picnic 35 in Fauve Barenia, with natural wicker, and finally, a luxury bag that understands summer afternoons deserve Hermès-level craftsmanship.
Making these bags requires TWO specialised artisans! A master saddler handles leather (flap, handles, interior), and an expert basket weaver creates the wicker body. It takes approximately 10 hours to complete one bag. The wicker gets meticulously woven, then attached to leather using matching leather lacing.
Then there’s the Mini Kelly Picnic 20, which arrived in 2019, and the collector chaos was real! Seven gorgeous colours, Fauve Barenia, White, Jaune de Naples (sunshine yellow), Bleu du Nord (deep ocean), Rouge de Coeur (vibrant red), Vert Verone (fresh green), and Bleu Brume (soft blue-grey).
Hermès Birkin Picnic launched in 2021 in Birkin 25 size, and collectors manifested this into existence! Jane Birkin herself famously carried actual picnic baskets as accessories, so a Birkin Picnic feels cosmically right.
Beyond Kelly and Birkin, there are Garden Party Picnic 36, Bolide Picnic, and even Farming Picnic, each one screaming eternal summer.
Hermès wicker bags are loved by so many because they're not pretending to be practical everyday bags. Wicker ages beautifully, develops subtle colour variations and a lived-in quality that adds character.
Hermès Made a Bag from Mushrooms (No, Really)
Hermès vegan bag options just entered a whole new dimension with Sylvania, and we're obsessed!
Hermès Sylvania came from a three-year collaboration with MycoWorks, a California biomaterials company specialising in mycelium leather. Mycelium is the mushroom root structure, those thread-like filaments creating fungal networks. MycoWorks' patented Fine Mycelium process creates material with strength and durability matching cowhide.
The amber-hued material that MycoWorks grows in California, then ships to Hermès ateliers in France, where artisans tan and finish it using traditional techniques. It’s the same expertise they use on animal leathers, applied to mushrooms. The material reportedly matches or beats leather in tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and colourfastness.
Hermès sustainable materials aren't about eliminating what works; they're about evolution. Hermès mycelium leather signals where luxury is headed! As environmental concerns grow and younger consumers prioritise sustainability, materials like Sylvania offer real alternatives without sacrificing quality.
Will we see mycelium Birkins? Time will tell! Victoria is the testing ground, and Hermès will monitor how Sylvania ages before expanding.
Your New Hermès Obsession Just Dropped
Hermès non-leather bags prove luxury isn't about the material, it's about the mastery. Canvas heritage, wicker summers, literal mushroom futures, Hermès keeps pushing boundaries while staying utterly Hermès.
The thing about exploring beyond leather is that you discover a whole side of Hermès most people miss. While everyone's obsessing over the same Birkin waitlist, there's an entire world of canvas totes, wicker masterpieces, and silk creations that actually feel accessible.
Well, Hermès-level accessible, which is its own category.
The best Hermès bag is the one you actually want to carry. Want to build your luxury knowledge beyond the obvious? Browse authenticated pieces at Love Luxury!
