Have Mini Kellys been crowned the unofficial bag of Fall? Hermès patrons, new and old rally in style
Between 20, 25 and an ultra luxe 15 centimetres, the Hermès Mini Kelly is a top tier luxe specimen of bite-sized grand luxury. If the overtly packed annals of fashion hory have taught us anything at all, it’s that the higher you go up the rungs of pricing and clientele, the more sparse and exclusive, accessibility gets. After all, if it costs a mini fortune, it’s not meant for the mainstream. That’s your fore-grounder on the hory of the Hermès Mini Kelly. Now before we jump into the small sea of Mini Kellys that are quietly streaming onto red carpets, it’s important to truly understand the decades-long spell-binding impact the Hermès original has had on the luxe market. Shanaya Kapoor to Suhana Khan: The Mini Kelly seems to be reigning big this season(Photos: Instagram/shanayakapoor02, suhanakhan2) 1957 is when the earliest known Mini Kelly hit the market. Ever-so-slightly different than the Kelly as you now know it, the first of it’s kind came with a mid-length shoulder strap. It would be about 30 years before the Kelly got it’s iconic minimised revamp. But before that came the Hermès Kelly 25 sometime during the 1960s. The Kelly 25 carried evidently more hardware than it’s simultaneous predecessor — the key, lock and clochette being a constant. The 1980s marked another milestone, with the Kelly 15 making an exclusive debut mid-decade. The hardware and aesthetic were minimally tweaked to reflect pint-sized luxury. More than 25 years later, in 2011, Chrophe Lemaire’s Candy Collection rebirthed the Kelly 15, which remains as exclusive as ever. The primary footprint of the Mini Kellys remain the same with alterations and revamps entailing minimal change in details such as the bracelet handle, shoulder strap, Plaque to palladium hardware and a double-loop. The Hermès Mini Kelly 20 Now what demands this crash course on the evolution of the Mini Kelly you ask? It’s Nita Ambani casually flaunting one during her brat-coded appearance at a recent public event. Draped in a neon green saree paired with a lace-lined net blouse, the big diamond accessorisation received a worthy accompaniment with the eau de nil Mini Kelly in Nita’s hand. The same red carpet also saw another Mini Kelly get papped — the one in Shanaya Kapoor’s hand. The Grecian all-white Manish Malhotra pre-draped saree with a boned, risque bustier blouse received a splash of colour with the vert yucca Mini Kelly the look was accessorised with. Was it a fit for the ensemble? We’re not sure. But then again, whipping out an Hermès is rarely ever, not a power move. Coming back to the Ambani ladies, Isha Ambani too is rediscovering her love for the Mini Kelly. The peplum-style Moonray metier cocktail gown, decked out in shimmer, was neatly accessorised with a raven black Crocodile Mini Kelly. Mama-Magish got innovative with her little Hermès moment, embellishing the mini with tassel-adorned crystal charms spelling out the names of her twins, Aadiya and Krishna. Now while anything Hermès, screams upscale, the Mini Kelly is actually quite versatile when it comes to looks and settings. Take Ananya Panday for instance who turned out at a Mumbai movie screening, dressed in an all-white co-ord set, seamlessly layered with a midnight blue Mini Kelly, complete with a cross-body strap. Birthday special: The second mother-daughter duo to feature on this l, birthday girl Gauri Khan was posted to daughter Suhana Khan’s Instagram story. The former was holding up a powder grey Kelly. Suhana Khan shares a photo of Gauri Khan on the latter’s birthday, holding up their Mini Kelly(Photo: Instagram/suhanakhan2) The very same Kelly had been sported Suhana during a dinner outing, back in July, matching her ribbed midi and dainty Prada hairclip. Are you (aesthetically) sold on the Mini Kelly yet?
