This week, Hermès brings a glittering expression of artistry and heritage to Toronto with the arrival of Kellymorphose—an exclusive high jewellery collection dedicated to one of the maison’s most iconic and hard to get designs: the Kelly bag.
Under the direction of Pierre Hardy, Creative Director of Hermès Jewellery, the exhibition explores the metamorphosis of the handbag’s signature elements—the clasp, side straps, padlock, and structure—into a sculptural, luminous collection of iconic pieces straddling fashion and fine art.
“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.” – Pierre Hardy
Kellymorphose is Hardy’s elegant rebellion against the static where movement reigns supreme. Think rings that stretch across two fingers, keychain-like elements that swing with each step, and chains that wind fluidly around the body.
The Kelly Gavroche Necklace, in white gold and paved with a staggering 1,771 diamonds (74.32 carats), is the centrepiece of the collection tied elegantly around the neck “like the ethereal scarf,” reads the press release. The Gavroche also extends to a Double Ring done in rose gold, set with 258 diamonds, connecting two fingers in a bold, unexpected silhouette.
Similarly commanding is the Kelly Baguettes Choker, gleaming in white gold with 491 diamonds (65.61 carats), and the Triple-Row Baguettes Bracelet in rose gold—its stacked design evoking a reimagined Kelly clasp, with 275 diamonds (31.99 carats).
For the more demure, the Kelly Chaîne Bracelet is a refined play on proportion while the Gourmette Bracelets, the most masculine pieces of the collection feature a nod to utility with elegance with a semi-pavé diamond clasp.
The most covetable piece in the collection? A fuck you bag. Yep you read that right. A miniature Sac Bijou Kelly in sterling silver, which does not in fact include any diamonds but is the ultimate collectors piece that can be worn as jewellery or as a functional bag fitting little more than a credit card and a lipstick.
“I like movement – a chain that winds around itself, a ring that splits into two, a key-chain that swings as you walk. I like capturing mobility without ever fixing it in place.” – Pierre Hardy
That sense of freedom is fluid throughout the entire collection, as if to whisper “frost yourself” à la Andie Anderson. But Hardy’s designs are not just static symbols of divine luxury—they are living objects, meant to move, surprise, and enchant. What began as homage to the iconic Kelly Bag evolved into a transformative study on the fluidity of form and the beauty of disruption.
Kellymorphose invites us to see the familiar as anew.
