Hermes

Hermes timeline

Hermes is a fashion house that has been around for over two centuries, known for producing some of the world’s most luxurious and high-quality goods. Family-owned for five generations, the label is a symbol of class worldwide. From beginnings in saddlery and fine equestrian leather goods, Hermes today is best known for their handbags as well as a range of other superior items. They have certainly come a long way in the last two centuries and today, we dig a little deeper into the story of this iconic brand.

The story of Hermes begins in 1828 when the Hermes family moved to Pont Audemer, north of Paris, where Thierry Jr. learned the trade of leather making and began crafting harnesses. In 1837, Thierry Hermes established the French house of Hermes as a harness workshop along the Grands Boulevards quarter of Paris. The house served the noblemen of Europe creating wrought iron harnesses and bridles for carriage trade.

The high quality wrought harnesses and bridles crafted by Hermes gained recognition, winning several awards including the First Class Medal of the Exposition of Paris in 1855. In 1867, Hermes won the First Class Medal for the second time at the Expositions Universelles in Paris. Thierry Hermes passed away in 1878, and his son, Charles-Emile Hermes, took over management of his father’s workshop and moved the store to a different location, on 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, where it remains to this day.

Charles-Emile continued with the saddler artisan and focused on international retail sales with lines catering to the elite of Europe, Russia, North Africa, Asia, and the Americas. With the help of his sons, Adolphe and Emile-Maurice, Charles-Emile designed the ‘Haut a Courroies’ bag in 1900, intended to allow riders to carry their saddles with them. Charles-Emile retired in 1902, leaving the business to his sons, Adolphe and Emile-Maurice, who renamed it Hermes Freres, or Hermes Brothers.

Emile-Maurice began furnishing the czar of Russia with saddles, and up to 80 saddle craftsmen were employed by the workshop. Due to this, Emile-Maurice gained exclusive rights to the use of the zipper on leather goods and clothing, becoming the first person in France to introduce the device. In 1914, Hermes introduced the first leather golf jacket with a zipper, crafted for Edward, Prince of Wales. Due to their exclusive rights agreement, the zipper became known throughout France as the ‘fermeture Hermes’, or the ‘Hermes fastener’.

Hermes,History and Tradition

Hermes introduced the silk scarf in 1937, which instantly became a huge hit with celebrities such as Jacqueline Kennedy. In 1935, Hermes launched one of their most recognizable original goods, the Sac a depeches bag, which would later go on to become known as the Kelly bag. The Chaine d’ancre bracelet and the riding jacket and outfit joined the classic collection in 1938. The company’s designers also began to draw inspiration from books, paintings, and art objects around this time.

The perfume division of Hermes was established in 1950, and in 1951, Emile-Maurice Hermes passed away. Robert Dumas Hermes, husband of Jacqueline Hermes, took over the company with perfumer Jean Rene Guerrand, husband of Aline Hermes, both of whom are great-granddaughters of Thierry Hermes. In the early 1950s, Hermes began to use a caliche logo based on a drawing by French painter Alfred de Dreux. At this time, Hermes also began using their iconic orange boxes.

In 1956, a photo of Hollywood actress turned Monaco Princess, Grace Kelly, carrying a Hermes Sac a Depeches to cover her pregnant belly was published on the front cover of Life Magazine. Suddenly, women were flooding into Hermes stores asking for the ‘Kelly Bag’. Hermes renamed the Sac a Depaches as the Kelly.

.

Great-great-great-grandson of Thierry Hermes, Jean Louis Dumas, took over the company in 1978, and the same year Hermes purchased the building next to 24 Rue Faubourg Saint-Honore, expanding the flagship in Paris. In 1981, the iconic Birkin bag was introduced, named after British actress Jane Birkin following a chance encounter the year previous.

Following the retirement of Jean Louis Dumas in 2003, Patrick Thomas became the new head of Hermes. Upon the purchase of 28 Rue Faubourg Saint-Honore, Hermes once again expanded its flagship store in Paris in 2007. In 2012, the sixth generation Hermes family member, Axel Dumas, was named CEO of the company and remains in position today.

Hermes is a brand that has stood the test of time, and its legacy continues to inspire awe and admiration from people all around the world. From humble beginnings as a workshop crafting harnesses for noblemen to becoming a global fashion powerhouse, Hermes has truly come a long way. It is a brand that is synonymous with luxury, quality, and heritage, and one that will continue to be celebrated for generations to come.