Hermes
Passed down over generations, the House of Hermes has been committed to quality in
design and production for over 150 years. At the close of the
twentieth century, the name Hermes represents the ultimate in French luxury.
Hermes began as a Parisian harness shop in 1837, making finely wrought harnesses and bridles
for the carriage trade. As early as 1855 Hermes was earning accolades,
winning first
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prize in its class at the 1855 Paris Exposition.
Thierry Hermes' son Emile Charles established the current
flagship store at 24 rue du Faubourg Saint Honore, where he introduced authentic Hermes saddlery
and began retail sales. With the advent of the automobile,
the firm adapted its careful saddle hermes stitching techniques
to the production of hermes leather wallets including original, kelly, dogon, and bearn
hermes black handbag in ostrich and crocodile leather with different
colors such as green leather,
black soft leather handbags, white, brown leather handbags,
orange, pink leather handbags, red in paddington, sling, evelyn, hermes tote,
birkin handbags and shoulder bag styles;
luggage, watchbands, hermes bags, and accessories for golfing, hunting,
and polo playing, and began to design couture sportswear. All were made with the same fine
materials and attention to detail as the original leather wares, and the firm continued to build
on its reputation for quality. Hermes made fashion news in the 1920s by designing one of the first
leather garments of the 20th century, a Hermes Jacket a zippered golfing jacket, for the Prince of Wales. For a
time the zipper was called the fermature Hermes.
The fourth generation of proprietors were two sons in law, Jean Guerrand and Robert Dumas.
Guerrand and Dumas added Hermes designer perfume gift sets and
Hermes scarves to the line, while the leather artisans remained
loyal, often staying on for decades. Into the 1960s the company continued to expand, with the
introduction of new styles and perfume fragrances such as 24 faubourg mens perfume hermes mini,
Rocabar mens perfume, rouge and calache.
Jean Louis Dumas Hermes, Robert Dumas's son, became president directeur general in 1978.
The 1980s were a period of unprecedented growth for the firm. Hermes benefited from the revival
of status dressing. Women sported a Kelly bag or Hermes Birkin two of the most
popular hermes leather bags, the Constance clutch, brightly colored leathers,
sensuous cashmeres, bold jewelry, wallets hermes tri colored spectator
shoes and silk ballet slippers. For men,
Hermes made leather jackets with sherpa lining and trim, gabardine blazers and dashing greatcoats,
and richly patterned silk ties. Dumas Hermes introduced new materials like porcelain and crystal,
expanding the line to 30,000 items. It is to the firm's credit that they have never licensed any
of their products, but keep tight controls over the design and manufacture of this vast range of
goods. Thus, every leather bound datebook, porcelain teapot, bags, silk waistcoat,
and custom saddle is made under Hermes' watchful eye.
One of the most visible and bestselling items in the Hermes line is the genuine scarf, or carre as
they are called in different group patterns like birds silk scarf,
giraffe, horse, celtic silk scarf hermes lions,
ducks and jungle love black silk scarf, in animal group patterns
scarves hermes like seashells orange, shells, marine et cavalerie in sea world;
and many others like dancers and ballet, music scarves, brides de gala, kachina, coral scarf,
balloons, conquillages, passifleurs, celtic silk scarf orange, silk garden scarf, snowflakes and winter .
The carefully printed, heavy hermes silk scarves are coveted for the air of Parisian
style they impart. Many of the scarf silk feature equestrian motifs, as well as other symbols of
prestige, like coats of arms, banners, and military insignia. Women boast of how many they own,
and hand them down through generations; some of the scarves end up as framed wall hangings or
are made into pillows. The firm corresponds regularly with Hermes addicts trying to collect
every carre on the books, and reports that, during the holiday season in the Paris store, a silk scarf
is sold every 20 seconds. Queen Elizabeth II was pictured on an English postage stamp with a Hermes
silk scarf wrapped around her royal head. Each one could be considered a small symbol of all of the
carefully made luxury goods that Hermes has produced for generations.
Hermes has always kept pace with trends in contemporary fashion, but the clothing and accessories
remain essentially timeless. The Hermes look relies not on the vagaries of fashion but on the
finest materials, exquisite construction, and the instinctively casual chic of French style.
Thus, over the course of the 20th century, the cut of the clothing or the palettes may have
changed, but the classic quality of Hermes designs has remained constant. Beyond mere status
symbols, the firm's goods are the embodiment of simplicity and elegance in extremely well made
and durable products. Whether it be a hermes large leather handbags of meltingly soft leather,
a paisley silk dressing gown, a large Hermes Kelly handbag, a Birkin bag, an authentic hermes handbag
ostrich leather, a valise, or a carre, an Hermes purchase comes with the assurance that
it will be stylish and appropriate for a lifetime.
Extract from “Contemporary Fashion”, written by Richard Martin. Detroit: St. James Press, 1995.
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