Hermes.
French design house
Founded in Paris, 1837. Began accessories, including silk scarves, 1926. Founder's grandson,
Emile Hermes, established luggage and couture clothing in 1930s.
Address: 13/15 rue Sadi Carnot, Ram-bouillet, 78120 France.
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"Leather, sport, and a tradition of refined elegance." That is how Emile-Maurice Hermes,
grandson of founder Thierry Hermes, summed up the philosophy of his family's celebrated firm
in the 1920s. 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 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 saddlery and began retail
sales. With the advent of the automobile, the firm adapted its careful saddle stitching techniques
to the production of wallets, luggage, handbags, watchbands, 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 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 perfume and 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 fragrances. 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 the Kelly bag, the Constance clutch, brightly colored leathers,
sensuous cashmeres, bold jewelry, 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, 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 scarf, or carre as
they are called. The carefully printed, heavy silk scarves are coveted for the air of Parisian
style they impart. Many of the carres 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 scarf on the books, and reports that, during the holiday season in the Paris store, a scarf
is sold every 20 seconds. Queen Elizabeth II was pictured on an English postage stamp with an Hermes
scarf wrapped around her royal head. Each scarf 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 jacket of meltingly soft leather, a paisley silk dressing
gown, a Kelly bag, 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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