The founding story of the French fashion house Hermès
The French brand Hermès has long been synonymous with luxury. No popular capsule collections are in its range, and the house does not need collaborations or loud advertising. Just like 187 years ago, Hermès works as a workshop, but now only for the rich and most demanding customers.
The history of the fashion house
Hermès was founded in Paris in 1837 as a workshop where Thierry Hermès made riding gear and saddles for horses. The range gradually expanded to include accessories for riders. The fine, soft leather products quickly became popular with wealthy Parisians. Gradually, the fame of the workshop reached the royal family members.
The business flourished, and in 1880, Thierry’s son Charles-Emile took over. He embarked on an ambitious course of development – conquering new markets. Hermès products became known in the United States, Asia and North Africa.
In 1900, one of the most important events in the brand’s history took place: the company produced its first bag. The accessory’s purpose was to store saddles.
Charles’ sons Adolph and Emile eventually took over the company’s reins. The latter loved to travel and combine pleasure with utility. On his travels, Emile found the best crocodile leather in Australia and Florida and buffalo leather in West Bengal, India.
What followed was the rapid development of Hermès:
– in 1918, Emil saw the zip in Canada and bought the rights to it;
– at the same time, the company produced the first zip jacket for golfers;
– in 1920, Hermès introduced women’s handbags;
– the company opened a representative office in the USA in 1924;
– in 1929, brand presented its first women’s clothing collection.
Watches, perfumes and accessories followed, attracting an increasing number of fans. The company became famous throughout Europe, and sales in the United States and Canada were excellent.
The modern history of Hermès
Although Hermès had long since abandoned the production of horse-drawn carriages in the 1950s, the company still honours its history. Even the brand’s logo features a carriage and horse.
Handbags came to the fore as an essential Hermès product in 1956 after a photo of Grace Kelly carrying one appeared in Life magazine. The popularity of these products never waned. The production of handbags overshadows all other areas of the company, including perfumery, clothing and tableware. One of the secrets of such excitement is the limited quantity of goods – the accessories are made only from the best leather, which takes time to process. Hermès bags are really difficult to obtain, and the waiting list is several years long.
