Last Spring, I inquired with my Hermes home store (Washington, DC) about a 25cm Retourné Kelly to commemorate a major life accomplishment. Since I am no longer the big spender that I used to be, that bag was never offered. Nor will it be. And that’s OK. 
So, what’s a girl to do?
I have long admired Peter Nitz’s work. He is a self-taught leather worker who clearly loves and is passionate about his work. In his words, “I met an Hermes craftsman in Paris and she showed me how to saddle stitch and edge finish and I got addicted”.
He since founded his own atelier in Zurich. His designs share a simple, refined, and elegant aesthetic. I’m particularly enamored with his “Dream” bag design. It’s a tote like a Birkin, yet it has a cross-body shoulder strap like a Kelly. It’s easy to use, functional, and holds way more than you think.
I reached out to Peter in late August. The hardest part of the bespoke process was deciding what to commission. With a universe of choices, it’s hard to hone in on what will work best. At first, I had about a half dozen ideas. I knew I wanted to do a matte croc/normal leather combo. Peter sent me some non-exotic leather swatches to review. I fell in love with a Lilac Gray Bull Calf (Clemence) swatch. It is an amazing neutral that has an effervescent quality in the way the color reflects the light. My initial thought was to use a tan/brown for the croc. But then I had an epiphany— Himalaya!!! Since I have a better chance of winning the PowerBall lottery (even though I don’t play) than being offered a Himalayan croc at Hermes, everything clicked into place.
The next morning I reached out to see if Himalaya would work. Peter had the perfect skin to match the Lilac Gray bull calf. He had put this skin aside for himself because he loved the rare lilac-y gray color.
I paid a deposit to begin construction of the bag. Peter sent me pictures of the cutting and stitching progress of the bag as it was being made. I followed his Instagram account (@atelierpeternitz) too for more pictures and videos. Even my DH, who normally does not care about this kind of thing thought that the process was very cool and interesting and the bag would ultimately be a star in my collection.
After Peter conducted a professional photo shoot, the bag (and CITES) was on its way to me. It was in U.S. Customs for a few days; and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service examined and released the bag back to FedEx for its delivery to my home. I do kind of wonder what they thought when they examined it. But it was carefully repackaged and boxed. I received the bag in the first week in October. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
The cost for the 25cm Dream bag with the croc was not far different than purchasing a normal leather B35 at Hermes.
My Dream Bag incorporates all the reasons why I was drawn to Hermes bags in the first place — and none of the drawbacks:
This will not be my only 25 Dream Bag. It’s a great everyday size that is cross-body, light and easy to wear.
I like that the bag is niche, under the radar, and not worn ad nauseum by “Look at ME!!!! influencers.”
The Himalaya and lilac bull calf is such an elegant combination. It goes with so much of my wardrobe and jewelry collection, especially, my 35th anniversary present, a VCA Magic Alhambra 16 motif.
I wholeheartedly recommend reaching out to Peter if you are frustrated with the Hermes bag chase. The Dream bag is aptly named.
Here are some pics of the finished bag. Some shots are outtakes from a professional photo shoot that Peter held. My next post will show bag in progress development.
So, what’s a girl to do?
- Pay crazy reseller prices to complete my bag collection; or
- Go bespoke.
I have long admired Peter Nitz’s work. He is a self-taught leather worker who clearly loves and is passionate about his work. In his words, “I met an Hermes craftsman in Paris and she showed me how to saddle stitch and edge finish and I got addicted
”.He since founded his own atelier in Zurich. His designs share a simple, refined, and elegant aesthetic. I’m particularly enamored with his “Dream” bag design. It’s a tote like a Birkin, yet it has a cross-body shoulder strap like a Kelly. It’s easy to use, functional, and holds way more than you think.
I reached out to Peter in late August. The hardest part of the bespoke process was deciding what to commission. With a universe of choices, it’s hard to hone in on what will work best. At first, I had about a half dozen ideas. I knew I wanted to do a matte croc/normal leather combo. Peter sent me some non-exotic leather swatches to review. I fell in love with a Lilac Gray Bull Calf (Clemence) swatch. It is an amazing neutral that has an effervescent quality in the way the color reflects the light. My initial thought was to use a tan/brown for the croc. But then I had an epiphany— Himalaya!!! Since I have a better chance of winning the PowerBall lottery (even though I don’t play) than being offered a Himalayan croc at Hermes, everything clicked into place.
The next morning I reached out to see if Himalaya would work. Peter had the perfect skin to match the Lilac Gray bull calf. He had put this skin aside for himself because he loved the rare lilac-y gray color.
I paid a deposit to begin construction of the bag. Peter sent me pictures of the cutting and stitching progress of the bag as it was being made. I followed his Instagram account (@atelierpeternitz) too for more pictures and videos. Even my DH, who normally does not care about this kind of thing thought that the process was very cool and interesting and the bag would ultimately be a star in my collection.
After Peter conducted a professional photo shoot, the bag (and CITES) was on its way to me. It was in U.S. Customs for a few days; and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service examined and released the bag back to FedEx for its delivery to my home. I do kind of wonder what they thought when they examined it. But it was carefully repackaged and boxed. I received the bag in the first week in October. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
The cost for the 25cm Dream bag with the croc was not far different than purchasing a normal leather B35 at Hermes.
My Dream Bag incorporates all the reasons why I was drawn to Hermes bags in the first place — and none of the drawbacks:
- Same leather quality as Hermes
- Hermes master craftsperson level stitching and construction
- Usable and functional design
- Option for repair and/or spa the bag
This will not be my only 25 Dream Bag. It’s a great everyday size that is cross-body, light and easy to wear.
I like that the bag is niche, under the radar, and not worn ad nauseum by “Look at ME!!!! influencers.”
The Himalaya and lilac bull calf is such an elegant combination. It goes with so much of my wardrobe and jewelry collection, especially, my 35th anniversary present, a VCA Magic Alhambra 16 motif.
I wholeheartedly recommend reaching out to Peter if you are frustrated with the Hermes bag chase. The Dream bag is aptly named.
Here are some pics of the finished bag. Some shots are outtakes from a professional photo shoot that Peter held. My next post will show bag in progress development.
