This is a rare Hermès Constance 19 bag in Epsom leather. It is a super classic model, featuring a custom color ordered by a client, rather than the commonly seen black, grey, or brown.

A lady who owns a yellow Epsom Hermès Constance is undoubtedly a high-end connoisseur. However, what many people don’t realize is that many of these sophisticated collectors also own quite a few “super replicas.” Among Shebag’s clients, many own authentic bags but regularly purchase Shebag’s replicas. Some pursue ultimate quality, while others are simply tired of the stock shortages at boutiques. At Shebag, we always have stock, and our customization speed is fast.

To demonstrate just how deep Shebag’s research into the Hermès leather supply chain goes, today we are showcasing a part of that knowledge.

Hermès Epsom leather is essentially an embossed calfskin. Its supply chain belongs to a highly closed, vertically integrated, and strictly controlled French luxury leather system. While Hermès does not directly disclose its supplier structure, industry insights and the operational models of the European luxury leather chain indicate that Epsom is an “exclusive supply” from top-tier European calfskin tanneries. These tanneries provide Hermès with versions featuring exclusive grain patterns and formulas, with no retail channels available to the outside world.

Raw hides for Epsom come from the European livestock system, primarily small dairy and beef cattle farms in high-latitude regions such as France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. These regions are characterized by stable breeding environments, cold climates, fewer insects, and low scarring rates, making them suitable for calfskin that requires an extremely high-quality surface. Hermès has an incredibly low tolerance for raw hide defects; only a minority out of a hundred hides can meet the luxury grade. Therefore, the upstream supply chain must lock in the best raw hides through long-term contracts.

After the raw hides are transported to top European tanneries, they enter Epsom’s exclusive processing flow. Epsom is not a natural full-grain leather; instead, the surface is first smoothed (corrected), and then the regular, fine “Epsom grain” is formed via steel plate embossing. This embossing is not just for visual effect but is also key to structural reinforcement, allowing the leather to remain lightweight, rigid, and resistant to deformation. The stiffness of Epsom comes from specific tanning formulas and a multi-layer finishing structure. The thickness, elasticity, and breathability of the coating are strictly controlled to ensure the leather surface retains its color and does not collapse even after twenty years.

The tanning system generally employs Europe’s most mature chrome tanning or mixed tanning processes, followed by Hermès’ exclusive color tuning. Every Hermès color code has its own independent ink and coating formula, and production is completed in the same cycle with the same batch of color paste to ensure minimal color deviation. Although major European luxury brands procure leather from the same regions, Epsom’s exclusive grain plates, colorways, finishing, and thickness settings are proprietary content that Hermès does not share. Even if a supplier can manufacture leather with an “Epsom structure,” they cannot replicate the Hermès color system.

At the end of the supply chain, Hermès maintains a very high ratio of owned or controlled tanneries, having acquired multiple suppliers particularly in France and Italy. As a core leather, the stable supply of Epsom relies mainly on this vertical integration capability. This insulates Hermès from fluctuations in raw hide market prices and prevents competing brands from fighting for the same resources. When selecting Epsom, Hermès performs multiple rounds of screening based on rigidity, surface uniformity, embossing depth, and gloss consistency to meet the standards required for manufacturing structural bags like the Kelly, Birkin, and Constance.

Once the finished leather arrives at the Hermès workshop, it is re-graded based on grain refinement, rigidity, tactile feel, and color grade. Only Grade A and above can be used for flagship products. Epsom’s lightweight nature, crisp structure, scratch resistance, and humidity resistance make it the preferred leather for travel bags, mini bags, and Sellier (outer-stitch) structures. Hermès has long persisted in using Epsom because its supply chain is completely controllable, its durability is extremely high, its color presentation is excellent, and it maintains the bag’s architectural appearance.