By World Licence 
ÉQUIPE COBRA / BACKGRID
In the grand tradition of Jane Birkin, Kate Moss treats a five-figure Hermès bag like any other.
Vacationing on the Spanish island of Formentera with her daughter Lila, the model opted for the ultimate in beachside luxury. Instead of a raffia tote or canvas tote, she opted for a brown Hermès Kelly bag to hold her beach essentials—yes, the same model that will set you back over $10,000 pre-owned. But true to Jane Birkin, who inspired the Kelly’s sister bag, Moss didn’t coddle her investment. She tossed the strap haphazardly over her arm, à la Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, letting the top flap fold in on itself and the gold hardware dangle from the sides. Sandy debris covered the lower half of the bag, while a few scratches and the bag’s tanned, faded leather suggested this wasn’t Moss’s first time taking her precious treasure to the beach.
True to form, the rest of Moss’s beach outfit was just as unconventional as her bag. She wore a sheer bohemian blouse, mixed metal bangles that ran up her arms, and a nude thong that she cinched with an unnecessary black belt.
Before heading to the beach, Moss was spotted wearing a long silk skirt to cover up, her hair pulled back in a low bun. She nearly spilled the contents of her Kelly bag as she held it so casually in her hand.
It’s been a busy year for Hermès. Last month, an anonymous bidder acquired Jane Birkin’s original Birkin bag for a whopping $10.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Paris. Given the price, one might have expected a Birkin in perfect condition, but that wasn’t the case. The 40-year-old bag showed numerous scratches and signs of use, perfectly in keeping with the vocation of the woman who once said, “A Birkin makes a great rain hat; just put everything else in a plastic bag.”
Although Moss used the Kelly model instead of the more coveted Birkin for her beach day, she wore it like a brilliant student at Jane Birkin’s school would have: disheveled, nearly falling apart, and filled to the brim with who knows what.