The Hermès Collier de Chien (CDC) Cuff is one of the luxury brand’s marquee motifs. And the cuff’s name, Collier de Chien, translates to “dog collar.” As strange as that moniker may seem, it is actually a tribute to the cuff’s original design.

Throughout the 1920s, it was common for chic Parisian women to travel about town with their dogs in tow—if not a whole pack of leashed dogs. And given the brand’s renowned and history for fashioning horse bridles and leather goods, Hermès excelled at designing covetable dog leashes and collars.

In 1923, the house of Hermès was commissioned to design a collar for a client’s bulldog. The original dog collar set the tone for later iterations of the motif; the design included the center O ring for the leash and is signature pyramid studs.

The custom-made Hermès dog collar created a sensation among other fashionable dog owners who requested a similar collar for their own pets. Soon after, couturière Marie Gerber requested the iconic collar be refashioned into a belt for women. In turn, the Hermes Collier de Chien belt was released in 1927.

From there, the iconic Collier de Chien motif was adapted into the Hermès Collier de Chien cuff we know today. First released in 1940, the Hermès CDC Cuff prominently features the O ring and pyramid studs. The O ring can freely spin on its own—although it looks as if it’s made of solid metal. This hefty bracelet is issued in a myriad of materials and metal-types including palladium, Permabrass, calfskin leather and exotic skins. The immediately recognizable studs and the bracelet’s generous width give the Hermes CDC Cuff an unutterably cool downtown and punk rocker vibe.

To learn more about how to spot a fake Hermès Collier de Chien Cuff, read our post here.

 

Featured image by Cocouture.org