Introduction:
Hermès was established in 1837 as a harness business, but to most consumers, it’s just the pinnacle of refinement and expertise. Helmut Newton may have thought of Hermès as “the world’s greatest sex shop—with its whips, saddles, spurs.”
- A Legacy of Refinement and Craftsmanship
“Hermès is rumored to be the only store in the world where one cannot purchase a single item that is not in impeccable taste,” The New York Times wrote in 1940. - Timelessness Over Trend
Timelessness is treasured more than trends, and that’s why we love you, Hermès. Former CEO Jean-Louis Dumas of the company stated to Vanity Fair in 2007 that “we don’t have a policy of image; we have a policy of product.” - Famous Items and Celebrity Approvals:
Jackie O carries the Constance sack, Queen Elizabeth II prefers the house’s patterned silk scarves, and the surnames of Grace Kelly and Jane Birkin are shared by two of the most sought-after purses in the world. - The Well-Known Wait Lists:
The wait lists at Hermès are almost as well-known as their horse imagery. An professional crew must put in about 20 hours of work to produce a Kelly bag, and the buyer must have the fortitude to wait up to two years for their purchase. Both the book Bringing Home the Birkin and an episode of Sex and the City drew inspiration from the wait for a Birkin. - Progress and Originality:
Hermès’s womenswear line was previously artistically directed by the Belgian deconstructionist Martin Margiela. He was succeeded by Jean Paul Gaultier, the enfant terrible of Paris fashion, who was then followed by Christophe Lemaire. Dumas stated that the house’s goal, “to make tradition live by shaking it up,” was consistent with the appointments, despite raising some eyebrows. Installed in 2014 at The Row, Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski was formerly employed by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
