French Luxury · Paris · Est. 1837
Hermès
Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.
Thierry Hermès founded his harness workshop on the Grands Boulevards of Paris in 1837, supplying the finest European noblemen and royalty with hand-crafted leather goods for their horses. The business passed to his son Charles-Émile, who moved it to 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 1880 — the address it has occupied ever since. By the early 20th century, Hermès had pivoted from saddlery to leather goods and accessories as the automobile replaced the carriage.
Hermès's two most celebrated creations were both born from chance. The Kelly bag — a refined trapezoidal leather bag with a padlock and single handle, originally called the Sac à Dépêches — entered global consciousness in 1956 when Grace Kelly was photographed using it to shield her pregnancy from paparazzi. Hermès renamed it in her honour. The Birkin followed in 1984 after Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas found himself seated next to actress Jane Birkin on a Paris-London flight and sketched a new bag design for her on the spot. Each Birkin requires 15–20 hours of work by a single artisan.
Every Hermès bag is made entirely by hand by a single craftsman who trains for 18 months before touching a Kelly or Birkin. The supply of these bags is strictly controlled — they cannot be purchased on demand but must be earned through a purchasing relationship with a boutique. This deliberate scarcity drives a secondary market where leather Birkins routinely sell for two to three times their boutique price, and exotic skin versions command far more. A Himalayan Niloticus Crocodile Birkin 30 with diamond hardware sold for over $400,000 at Christie's.
Beyond leather, Hermès is famous for its silk carrés — 90cm square scarves designed by artists and printed in Lyon. First introduced in 1937, each scarf requires 18 months of development and the dyes of a single printing can number up to 45 colours. The house also produces ties, perfumes, tableware, ready-to-wear and watches. The Kelly watch, the Arceau, and the Cape Cod are among the house's beloved timepiece designs.
Entry Hermès pieces — small leather goods, silk twilly scarves — begin around €400–600. The silk carré costs from around €420. A leather Birkin 25 retails from approximately €9,500–€11,000; the same bag on the secondary market typically sells for €18,000–€35,000 depending on colour and condition. Exotic skin versions (ostrich, crocodile) begin at €20,000 retail and reach six figures on the secondary market.