Hermès: behind the scenes of the French luxury gem
Hermès is a quintessential French luxury brand. But behind the beauty, refinement and quality of its products, the company is also financially strong. What are the cornerstones of its success?
Creativity and skills of its artisans
In 2007, Jean Louis Dumas, the group’s iconic chairman from 1978 to 2006, told Vanity Fair: “We don’t have a policy of image; we have a policy of product.”
Hermès would not be Hermès without timeless, iconic models such as “The Kelly bag”(created in 1930, renamed in 1956) and the much larger “The Birkin Bag” (1984).
It takes two years for an artisan to learn how to work leather and six years when it comes to precious leathers. One of Hermès’ core principles is that each bag be made by the same artisan, from start to finish. As Axel Dumas always says, “The rule of one bag, one artisan is part of our DNA”.
At Hermès, the idea of responsibility is very important – the artisan must master all of the different stages of fabrication. Quality begins with the choice of materials. To secure its supply of the highest-quality raw materials, Hermès purchased three Australian crocodile farms at the end of 2012.
Credits to www.theconversation.com
This article was originally published in French
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