The bag shown today is a pink Hermès Constance 19 made from Epsom leather. Shebag has extensive experience with light-colored leathers, because it is extremely difficult to replicate the kind of refined, full, and translucent pink tone achieved by Hermès.

The Hermès Group owns and operates several tanneries, such as Tanneries du Puy and Tanneries d’Annonay. The stiff, embossed calfskin required for Epsom leather is very likely sourced mainly from these internal tanneries, allowing Hermès to maintain full control over craftsmanship and quality standards.

Despite having strong in-house capabilities, Hermès also maintains relationships with high-end tanneries in Tuscany, Italy. These tanneries are well known for their advanced vegetable tanning and chrome tanning techniques.

Shebag specifically looks in Europe for competitors of Tanneries du Puy and Tanneries d’Annonay to source Epsom leather.

Tanneries Roux is a tannery founded in 1803 that focuses on calfskin and bull leather. It is an important supplier to brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Celine, and is now owned by the LVMH Group. Since being acquired by LVMH, Shebag has no longer been able to source leather from this tannery.
Bodin Joyeux is a tannery owned by Chanel, known for its high-quality lambskin and also capable of producing Epsom leather. After being acquired by Chanel, Shebag likewise lost access to this tannery.
Conceria Zabri S.p.A., a Tuscan tannery, is one of Shebag’s suppliers. This tannery has long been a supplier of Hermès calfskins such as Swift and Evercolor, and maintains a relationship of both competition and cooperation in the high-end market. Leveraging this relationship, Shebag has been able to source leather in significant volumes. The quality of Conceria Zabri’s leather is not inferior to that of Hermès’ own tanneries.

The dyeing process for Hermès pink Epsom leather is highly specialized and meticulous, combining industrial techniques such as embossing with traditional tanning craftsmanship. While the exact chemical formulas and procedures are confidential, Shebag has mastered the core techniques.

The dyeing of Epsom leather usually takes place during the tanning and retanning stages. Before dyeing, the leather, typically calfskin, undergoes a series of wet processes including soaking, fleshing, liming, deliming, pickling, and tanning. This converts the hide into a stable and dye-absorbent state known as wet blue or wet white.

During the drum dyeing stage, the leather is placed into large rotating drums. The dye solution, including precisely formulated pink dyes, penetrates deeply and evenly into the leather fibers through rotation. This method ensures color depth and consistency.
Achieving Hermès-specific pink shades such as Rose Sakura or Bubblegum Pink requires extremely precise control of dye concentration, temperature, and time.
After removal from the drum, the leather goes through dewatering, flattening, and drying processes.
Embossing is the signature step of Epsom leather. After drying, the leather surface is subjected to high pressure and high temperature using metal plates engraved with the Epsom pattern, creating its fine, uniform, and structured grain. This step is carried out after dyeing and requires careful control to ensure the color is not damaged or uneven.
To enhance durability, sheen, and color fastness, a protective coating is sprayed or applied to the surface. This layer, typically a mixture containing pigments and resins, helps protect the pink color from scratches, ultraviolet exposure, and everyday wear.

The main challenges in dyeing pink Epsom leather lie in maintaining color stability and uniformity, as well as integrating the dyeing process with embossing. This requires advanced craftsmanship, and the core techniques involved cannot be shared, as they are part of Shebag’s core know-how.

Next, take a look at the detailed images of Shebag’s handcrafted pink Hermès Constance 19 in Epsom leather.