Fashion and luxury accessories have a name and that is Hermès. It is one of the most iconic luxury firms, which has always advanced along the path of the exclusive, betting on craftsmanship and know-how. Leather is the star material of the house, which was born in 1837 as a horse harness store.
Perhaps the history of Hermès is one of the most curious in the world of fashion. In 1837, Thierry Hermès opened a shop for the design and creation of horse harnesses. All the products that came out of this small shop were made by hand, betting on the best raw materials.
The highest quality skin and leather were a hallmark of the brand since its inception. Following in the footsteps of the most iconic luxury, the brand began to grow, creating and designing top-quality leather goods.
The invention of the zipper
Emile-Maurice, the grandson of the founder of Hermès, was a lover of travel and it was on one of his adventures in Canada that he discovered a strange contraption known as a “zipper”. The young Hermès, who was already at the helm of the luxury company, took over the patent for this product and began using it in the designs of some of the house’s bags. this is how the current zipper was born.
We owe the use of the zipper in this type of accessories to this fashion brand, which also gave its invention to other firms in the sector, such as Chanel.
Luxury and craftsmanship in equal parts
The father of this visionary installed the company in its current headquarters, at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in Paris. This happened in 1880 and the house is still on the same site.
Over the years, Hermès has been able to position itself as a true luxury firm, which is committed to innovation, raw materials and manufacturing. In fact, all the products that come out of the brand’s workshops are made by hand by the house’s artisans. hence, the long waiting lists to buy some of its most iconic bags, such as the famous Birkin Bag.
Today the fashion firm has collections of accessories, clothing and even perfumes. It was in 1951 when the brand launched its first fragrance, which today is a must have for lovers of luxury.
Kelly Bag
A curiosity is that in 1956 Grace Kelly appeared on the cover of Life magazine, leaving the firm’s Parisian store. In the image she was seen with one of the Hermès bags, the one we know today as Kelly. The bag was named after her because of the immense impact it had. Today, this bag is one of the most coveted objects of desire in the world of luxury.
birkin bag
Without a doubt, the star product of Hermès is the Birkin Bag. The story behind this famous bag is a fabulous anecdote. The idea arose in 1884, after a meeting between the director of the brand and the actress and model Jane Birkin on a plane. Her model dropped the things he was carrying in her bag and commented that he couldn’t find a perfect accessory for her. Jean-Louis Dumas, president of Hermès, told her that he would be in charge of creating a large and beautiful bag, following the quality standards of the house. And so the Birkin Bag was born.
This famous bag became from the first moment the most emblematic of the house. Its price is very high and getting one of them seems like an impossible mission. Hermès has launched ultra-luxury versions of the bag, for which thousands of dollars have been paid.
But, the controversy also shook the brand and the Birkin. It all happened a few years ago, when images of crocodile farms that were mistreated to extract skins came to light. Jane Birkin launched a public message to Hermès asking her to remove her name from the bags, because she did not want to be associated with animal abuse.
When it seemed that there would be no meeting point, the brand released a statement showing its crocodile farms and ensuring that they met the necessary quality standards. Hermès assured that they would never carry out the practices that were seen in that video. Finally, all the waters came to their bed and the Birkin continues to bear the name of the model.
Hermes today
In 2010, the LVMH fashion conglomerate manages to buy 20% of the brand’s shares. This fact made history, because the group of luxury companies was behind Hermès for countless years without any success.
That same year, Jean Paul Gaultier leaves the creative direction of Hermès. Currently, and since 2014, Nadège Vanhee is the creative director of the brand. The designer was part of the ranks of Maison Margiela, which follows the same essence of luxury, craftsmanship and sophistication as Hermès.
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