Hermès International S.A. history, profile and history video
Hermès International S.A. (simply Hermès) is a French luxury goods manufacturer headquartered in Paris, France. It was established in 1837 when the harness-maker Thierry Hermès opened a workshop in rue Basse-du-Rempart, Paris.
In 1880, Charles-Émile Hermès, Hermès’s son, took over management from his father and moved the workshops to 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
After Charles-Émile Hermès’s retirement, sons Adolphe and Émile-Maurice took leadership and renamed the company Hermès Frères.
In 1922, Émile obtained the exclusive rights to this system, known today as the zip or zipper; and it came to be used on many of the house’s bags.
With Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches, the famous silk scarf was born in 1937, the first of a long series created by Robert Dumas, Émile Hermès’ son-in-law.
As the father of four daughters, Émile Hermès passed the torch to his sons-in-law Robert Dumas-Hermès, who took over from his father-in-law as head of the business in 1951. He was responsible for many of the house’s major successes, including the first silk scarf, the Kelly bag and the Chaîne d’ancre bracelet.
From 1978, Robert Dumas’ son, Jean-Louis Dumas, became chairman and, gradually revolutionized the house of Hermès, being concentrate on silk and leather goods and ready-to-wear.
In 2005, Sixth generation family member, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, son of Jean-Louis, was appointed artistic director of Hermès.
Appointed Executive Chairman in 2013, Axel Dumas, nephew of Jean-Louis Dumas, has strengthened the dynamic growth of the group with the opening of many stores worldwide.
The company specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches, and ready-to-wear.
With over 15 000 employees and more than 305 stores across 45 countries, Hermès International S.A. is considered one of the top 2000 largest public companies in the world and one of the Worlds Most Valuable Brands, according to Forbes.
*Information from Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org, and www.hermes.com.
**Video published on YouTube by “Alux.com“.
