Hermès Clemence leather

Taurillon Clemence is a drummed, grained leather that Hermès has used since 1992. Hermès describes it as semi-matt with a generous, irregular grain, soft and smooth to the touch, and more supple with time. It is the leather behind most Evelyne, Picotin and Lindy listings we record online.

Clemence at a glance: the Hermès profile

Where Clemence comes from

Hermès named the leather in tribute to the daughter of the designer who brought it into the collections. It was first developed for luggage rather than handbags, and it has been part of the range since 1992.

In the Hermès description, Clemence is the ultimate example of a grained leather that has been drummed. The drumming does two things: it softens the skin and brings a generous grain to the surface. That grain is brought out by the process, not printed on as it is with Epsom, and the profile calls it irregular.

Taurillon is French for a young bull, and product pages name it "Taurillon Clemence leather" rather than calfskin.

Clemence compared with Togo, Epsom and Swift

Togo is the closest relative, because both leathers are drummed. Hermès describes Togo as matt, with a round grain and veins and wrinkles that are often very pronounced, and its feel as dry. Clemence, five years older, is semi-matt, soft and smooth.

Epsom takes the opposite approach. Its fine, regular grain is machine-printed, it is round and firm in the hand, and Hermès says it keeps its shape. Clemence is described as yielding and becoming more supple, so expect a Clemence bag to soften with use while an Epsom one holds its lines. Swift sits at the smooth end: almost no visible grain and a delicate shine.

Shortened from the leather profiles on hermes.com product pages, checked 17 September 2026.

Which bags come in Clemence

Hermès lists Clemence for the Evelyne 16, 23 and 29, the Picotin Lock 18 and 22, the Lindy Mini, 26 and 30, the Halzan 25, the Jypsière 28, the Bolide Relax 45 and the P'tit Arcon. The range is wide in price: in the UK an Evelyne 16 Amazone in Clemence costs £1,720 and a Lindy 26 costs £7,300, according to product pages checked on 17 September 2026.

In our monitoring, Clemence shows up in the online store far more often than Epsom, the next most frequent leather, and the Evelyne accounts for most of those appearances.

What Clemence costs on the same bag

Leather is the cheapest way to change the price of a Hermès bag, and Clemence usually sits at the bottom of the range. The Picotin Lock 18 is £2,700 in Clemence and £2,990 in Barenia Faubourg — the same bag, the same size, £290 apart. The Evelyne 16 Amazone repeats the pattern at a smaller scale: £1,720 in Clemence against £1,920 in Barenia Faubourg and £2,050 in the Grizzly version.

Clemence is the cheapest leather listed for the Picotin, the Evelyne and the Lindy, and where a model also offers a canvas-and-calfskin mix or a printed leather, the mix costs more. On the Bolide it appears on one variant only, the Relax 45 at £7,040, so there is nothing on that line to compare it with. If the price matters more than the finish, Clemence is where a line starts.

Caring for Clemence

Keep a Clemence bag away from water and out of prolonged sunlight. Between uses, stuff it lightly with paper or soft fabric and store it in its dust bag, which helps a soft, yielding leather keep its shape.

For stains, scratches or wear on the handles, avoid home remedies and take the bag to a Hermès boutique, which can pass it to the Hermès aftercare service for an assessment.

Frequently asked questions