A viral claim suggesting that luxury fashion house Hermès once refused to sell a rare Kelly handbag to North West, the 12-year-old daughter of Kayne West and Kim Kardashian, is now being disputed.
What’s True
The rumor began circulating after blogger Amy Odell referenced the alleged incident in her “Back Row” newsletter. In the piece, a former employee of the Hermès boutique in Beverly Hills claimed that not every celebrity shopper was guaranteed access to the brand’s most coveted handbags. According to the source, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West once attempted to purchase a rare black Mini Kelly bag for their daughter but were turned down.
“Kanye West and Kim Kardashian wanted a Black Mini Kelly bag for North or something like that. And Hermès said no,” the former employee reportedly said, according to the newsletter. The source suggested the decision may have gone through corporate channels because high-profile customers wearing rare bags often generate publicity for the brand.
The alleged bag in question, an alligator Mini Kelly, is considered one of the most exclusive pieces in the Hermès lineup. On the resale market, the ultra-rare handbag can fetch more than $75,000, depending on the materials and condition.
However, the claim quickly drew pushback. According to sources cited by TMZ, the story is simply not true.
People familiar with the situation told TMZ that Kardashian never attempted to buy the rare handbag for North and was never refused by the luxury label. The sources also said Kardashian has maintained a strong relationship with Hermès for years, typically purchasing items through a long-standing contact in Paris rather than through store press offices.
North is no stranger to high fashion. She has grown up surrounded by designer brands and has already been spotted carrying luxury handbags on several occasions. In 2019, when she was just 6 years old, she was photographed carrying a white Birkin bag.
Kardashian herself is well known for her extensive Hermès collection. Over the years, she has amassed some of the brand’s most exclusive styles, including multiple Mini Kelly bags and rare Birkin designs. Among the standout pieces in her collection is a Birkin painted by artist George Condo, which was gifted to her by West during their marriage.
Another notable piece in her collection is the highly coveted Himalaya Birkin, a crocodile handbag that can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction and is often considered one of the most luxurious handbags in the world.
In 2014, as a small child, North finger-painted one of her mother’s Hermès bags as a personalized gift. This incident was widely shared online.
