Hermēs Paris

Hermès is a French high fashion luxury goods manufacturer established in 1837. It specializes in leather, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready to wear. Its logo, since the 1950s, is of a Duc carriage with horse. Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski is the current creative director. Thierry Hermès was born in Krefeld Germany to a French father and a German mother. The family moved to France in 1828. In 1837, Hermès first established a harness workshop in the Grands Boulevards quarter of Paris, dedicated to serving European noblemen. He created high-quality wrought harnesses and bridles for the carriage trade, winning several awards including the first prize in its class in 1855 and again in 1867 at the Expositions Universals in Paris. Hermès’s son, Charles-Émile took over management from his father in 1880 and moved the shop to 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where it remains. With the help of his sons Adolphe and Émile-Maurice, Charles-Émile introduced saddlery and started selling his products retail. The company catered to the élite of Europe, North Africa, Russia, Asia, and the American’s. In 1900, the firm offered the Haut à Courroies bag, specially designed for riders to carry their saddles with them. Throughout the 1920s when he was the sole head of the firm, Émile-Maurice added accessories and clothing collections. He also groomed his three sons-in-law Robert Dumas, Jean-René Guerrand, and Francis Puech as business partners. In 1922, the first leather handbags were introduced after Émile-Maurice’s wife complained of not being able to find one to her liking. Émile-Maurice created the handbag collection himself. In 1924, Hermès established a presence in the United States and opened two shops outside of Paris. In 1929, the first women’s couture apparel collection was previewed in Paris. During the 1930s, Hermès introduced some of its most recognized original goods such as the leather “Sac à dépêches” in 1935 later renamed the “Kelly Bag” after Grace Kelly and the Hermès carrés square scarves in 1937. The scarves became integrated into French culture. In 1938, the “Chaîne d’ancre” bracelet and the riding jacket and outfit joined the classic collection. By this point, the company’s designers began to draw inspirations from paintings, books, and objets d’art. The 1930s also witnessed Hermès’s entry into the US market by offering products in a Neiman Marcus department store in New York however, it later withdrew. In 1949, the same year as the launch of the Hermès silk tie, the first perfume, “Eau d’Hermès”, was produced. From the mid-1930s, Hermès employed Swiss watchmaker Universal Genève as the brand’s first and exclusive designer of timepieces, producing a line of men’s wrist chronograph manufactured in 18k gold or stainless steel and women’s Art Déco cuff watches in 18k gold, steel, or platinum. Both models contained dials signed either “Hermès” or “Hermès Universal Genève”, while the watch movements were signed “Universal Genève S.A.”. The Hermès/Universal partnership lasted until the 1950s. The perfume business became a subsidiary in 1961, concurrently with the introduction of the “Calèche” scent, named after a hooded four-wheeled horse carriage, known since the 18th century, and is also the company’s logo since the 1950s. In 2004 Jean-Claude Ellena became the in-house perfumer or “nose” and has created several successful scents, including the Hermessence line of fragrances. Then, throughout the 1980s, Dumas strengthened the company’s hold on its suppliers, resulting in Hermès’s gaining great stakes in prominent French glassware, silberware acquiring venerable tableware manufacturers such as Puiforcat, St. Louis, and Périgord. Thomas became the first non-Hermès family member to head the company. In February 2015, Hermès has announced an increase of its turnover of 9.7%, which represents more than €4 billion in sales. Hermès is known for its handmade luggage and handbags. One of them might require 18 to 24 hours to produce. The construction of each Kelly Bag for example, requires 18 hours to fully realize. Another famous Hermès handbag, the “Birkin” was named after actress Jane Birkin. After a chance encounter with Dumas, she complained that her “Kelly” was not practical for everyday use. Consequently, he invited her to France where they co-designed the bag in 1984.