A Guide to Hermes Purples

this is a photo of four purple hermes birkin bags lined up next to each other by FASHIONPHILE

Never just call it "purple." Hermes purple colors are incredibly specific. Here are a few purple shades you should know from Hermes.

The Mini Read

Hermes purples are highly specific, ranging from the gentle pastel Lilac to the deep, dark reddish-purple Raisin, both dating back to 2001.
Amethyst is a deep plum purple exclusively produced in alligator and crocodile leathers, first introduced in 2008.
Saturated shades include the blueberry-toned Iris (2010), the bright bluish-purple Crocus (2012), and the classic eggplant-toned Anemone (2014).
Unique undertones define shades like Prunoir, which features gray undertones, and Rose Pourpre, which is brighter and more pink than Tosca.
The appearance of Hermes purples varies significantly by material, looking different on Togo, Epsom, Swift, or exotic skins like Lizard.

Never call it just “purple.”

Hermes colors are incredibly specific to the brand. The following are some of the many notable Hermes purple colors and how they appear on different leather types and textiles. This collection of purple shades from Hermes will continue to evolve as we introduce new purples from upcoming seasons. For starters, here’s a helpful, quick guide comparing Hermes colors and leathers. Ready to score the purple Hermes bag of your dreams?

Hermes Purple Colors

Hermes Lilac

Hermes Lilac, a gentle pastel shade, has been around since 2001 and even earlier.

this is a close up swatch of hermes lilac on box leather by FASHIONPHILE — Box

this is a close up swatch of hermes lilac on veau doublis suede leather by FASHIONPHILE — Veau Doublis Suede

Hermes Raisin

Hermes Raisin, also circa 2001 or older, is a deep dark reddish purple.

this is a close up swatch of hermes raisin on epsom leather by FASHIONPHILE — Epsom

this is a close up swatch of hermes raisin on box leather by FASHIONPHILE — Box

Hermes Cyclamen

Hermes Cyclamen is lighter than Hermes Violet with a pink undertone from 2004,

this is a close up swatch of hermes cyclamen on chevre mysore leather by FASHIONPHILE — Chevre Mysore

Hermes Amethyst

Hermes Amethyst is a deep plum purple that comes in only alligator and crocodile and was introduced in 2008.

this is a close up swatch of hermes amethyst on shiny alligator leather by FASHIONPHILE — Shiny Alligator

Hermes Prune

Hermes Prune came out in 2008 and is a reddish purple.

this is a close up swatch of hermes prune color on Toile canvas by FASHIONPHILE — Toile

this is a close up swatch of hermes prune color on Fjord leather by FASHIONPHILE — Fjord

Hermes Quetsche

Hermes Quetsche is a wine color purple with red undertones similar to Hermes Prune, which also came out in 2008.

this is a close up swatch of hermes quetsche color on box leather by FASHIONPHILE — Box

Hermes Iris

Hermes Iris is a saturated blueberry purple that was introduced in 2010.

this is a close up swatch of hermes iris color on taurillon clemence leather by FASHIONPHILE — Taurillon Clemence

this is a close up swatch of hermes iris color on swift leather by FASHIONPHILE — Swift

Hermes Parme

Hermes Parme was introduced in 2011 and is a softer purple closely resembling lavender.

Hermes Cassis

Hermes Cassis is from 2011 and is a deep purple similar to Amethyst. The Cassis color from Hermes is a returning color for Spring Summer 2022.

this is a close up swatch image of hermes cassis color on togo leather by FASHIONPHILE — Togo

this is a close up swatch image of hermes cassis color on fjord leather by FASHIONPHILE — Fjord

Hermes Crocus

Hermes Crocus is a bright bluish purple introduced in 2012.

this is a close up swatch image of hermes crocus color on epsom leather by FASHIONPHILE — Epsom

Hermes Violet

Hermes Violet came out before Ultraviolet in 2012 and is close to Hermes Cyclamen but with cooler undertones.

this is a close up swatch image of hermes violet color on chevre mysore leather by FASHIONPHILE — Chevre Mysore

this is a close up swatch image of hermes violet color on tadelakt leather by FASHIONPHILE — Tadelakt

Hermes Ultraviolet

Hermes Ultraviolet came out after Violet in 2012 and is a more muted ashy purple.

this is a close up swatch image of hermes ultraviolet color on taurillon clemence leather by FASHIONPHILE — Taurillon Clemence

this is a close up swatch image of hermes ultraviolet color on swift leather by FASHIONPHILE — Swift

Hermes Anemone

Hermes Anemone is an eggplant purple that was introduced in 2014 and returned for the Spring Summer 2022 collection in Epsom.

this is a close up swatch image of hermes anemone color on evercolor leather by FASHIONPHILE — Evercolor

this is a close up swatch image of hermes anemone color on swift leather by FASHIONPHILE — Swift

Hermes Prunoir

Hermes Prunoir came out in 2015 and is a distinct Hermes purple with saturated gray undertones.

this is a close up swatch image of hermes prunoir color on taurillon clemence leather by FASHIONPHILE — Taurillon Clemence

Hermes Rose Pourpre

Hermes Rose Poupre is similar to Tosca but more pink and brighter and was introduced in 2017. Rose Pourpre is an Hermes purple that Charles Gross loves!

this is a close up swatch image of hermes rose pourpre color on swift leather by FASHIONPHILE — Swift

this is a close up swatch image of hermes rose pourpre color on epsom leather by FASHIONPHILE — Epsom

Watch more in this guide to Hermes purples:

Colors, like Hermes purples, are specific to Hermes, and they all look different depending on the leather type it is applied onto.

Discover more Hermes color guides here! Shop all Hermes purple bags and accessories at FASHIONPHILE.

By: Danielle Gumina

Handbag aficionado: Award-winning handbag designer, content lover, and trend spotter

A Guide to Hermes Purples