HAC: The High-Belting Saddle Bag That Birthed Hermès’ Legendary Birkin

No small amount of digital ink has been spilled in regards to the ‘Birkin’ – Hermès’ best-selling, oft-imitated handbag which remains, to date, the most expensive example of leather goods ever sold at auction. Jane Birkin's Birkin just sold yesterday for a whopping 10.1 Million USD.

But a good deal less scrutiny exists around the Parisian luxury house’s Haut à Courroies: a style of top-handle bag that bears a superficial resemblance to the Birkin, and indeed, is its predecessor in both age and aesthetics. 

Often nicknamed the ‘HAC’ by leather lovers, the Haut à Courroies carries the distinction of being the very first handbag (in the contemporary sense of that word) invented by Hermès. When it first emerged from the brand’s Faubourgian workshops in 1892, its purpose was very much of the era: to carry saddles and riding boots, in a container crafted using the same double-needle stitching you’d find in Hermès equipage accessories. 

The HAC’s connection to the Birkin goes all the way back to 1984. In an interaction that brings to mind the story of Gerald Genta designing the Ref. 3700 Nautilus, Hermès’ Artistic Director Jean-Louis Dumas sketched the bag that would become the Birkin, on a flight between London and Paris in the company Jane Birkin – the eponymous singer, actress, and ‘It Girl’.

Much of Dumas’ thinking was inspired by the HAC: to the extent that Hermès itself recognises the lineage between these two, through its use of the official ‘Haut à Courroies Birkin’ product designation. Without having handled both bags on numerous occasions, it’s deceptively easy to conflate the two: thanks to the presence of a turn clasp-style lock and flapped ‘wedge’ top sitting over the bag’s top handles. 

The HAC’s most visible giveaway is its size. To use a typical example: a Birkin 40 and HAC 40 share the same 40-cm-wide base, yet the latter will be around 8 cm taller, giving all HACs an elongated, less obviously trapezoidal appearance. Plus, there are a few easily overlooked nuances relating to the metal hardware. On the HAC, the twin belts pass through U-shaped hasps (rather than the angular versions you’ll find on most Birkins) and are secured with a square-shape lock. 

This has the net effect of turning the HAC into the ultimate carry-all for far-ranging masters of the universe. Vanessa Wat, a handbags specialist at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, describes it as “a sophisticated alternative to briefcases or backpacks”. She also notes how the “larger HACs are [favoured] as versatile travel or weekend bags”: clearly something Gauthier Borsarello (of L’Etiquette magazine) had in mind when he included multiple HAC 50 models in his curated edit for Parisian e-tailer ReSee.

Notwithstanding a handful of notable runway editions – like the motorcycle jacket-inspired ‘Rock’ circa AW 2022 – the on-body storage of the HAC is simple in the extreme. Inside you’ll find no subdividers, pen pockets or mesh hammocks to stash your water bottle; but along with the bag’s widely gusseted sides, this makes each size (right up to the leviathan HAC 55) deceptively spacious, when packed in the right way. 

Like the various vintage sports watches of the mid-20th century we’re so fond of at Unekual, the HAC is a timeless and (relatively) underrated benchmark in the leather bags category. Ideally suited to scratching the same itch you’ll have if you’re partial to the Birkin, this 133-year-old design still steps confidently in its own direction: with a practical shape, dozens of covetable limited editions and just the right amount of difference contained within the small details.