Hermès Exhibits 175 Years Of Luxury Leather At The Royal Academy of Arts

Has it really been 175 years, Hermès? The fashion house has saddled up for a birthday exhibition of its iconic leather goods, now on view at The Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Spread across 12 rooms, the collection traces the history of the company, which began as a Parisian harness workshop servicing European noblemen. Since then, its leather goods have become synonymous with luxury, and visitors to the Academy can actually see artisans at work creating the much-coveted Kelly and Birkin bags.

[Photo via]

In an interview with Reuters, Managing Director of  Hermès UK Thierry Outin stated:

"It's the perfect timing for us to reassess and put forward this culture of craftsmanship, this culture of beautiful objects, of great quality towards a British audience."

The exhibition's title, "Leather Forever," promises many more birthdays to come.

Through May 27 at The Royal Academy of Arts. For more information, go HERE.

Here's some images of the exhibition:

[Photos via]