Hermès
Corporate brand
UnclaimedIndependent, family-controlled French luxury house known for leather goods, saddlery, silk, fashion, fragrances, watches, jewelry and lifestyle objects.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Hermès International is the listed corporate entity behind Hermès, one of the world’s most prominent luxury houses. Founded in Paris in 1837 by harness-maker Thierry Hermès, the company began by producing refined and durable horse harnesses and saddlery for a clientele whose needs were changing with the modernization of urban life and transportation. The business remains headquartered at 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, the address to which Thierry Hermès’s son Charles-Émile moved the workshops and opened a store in 1880. The house developed from a specialist saddler into a diversified luxury group without abandoning its craft-based identity. During the leadership of Émile Hermès in the early twentieth century, Hermès responded to the rise of automobiles, travel and modern leisure by expanding into bags, luggage, clothing and accessories. Émile secured exclusive French rights to an American fastener system in 1922, helping establish the zipper as a practical feature of Hermès bags. The company subsequently entered men’s ready-to-wear, jewelry, watches, sandals, silk and ties. The first Hermès silk scarf, Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches, appeared in 1937 and became the foundation of a major silk and textile business. The postwar period brought further transformation. Robert Dumas, who led the house from 1951, helped shape many of its enduring visual codes, including silk scarves, the Kelly bag and the Chaîne d’ancre bracelet. The Kelly became globally iconic after Grace Kelly was photographed carrying the bag in 1956. Jean-Louis Dumas, who progressively assumed leadership from 1978, expanded the house internationally and broadened its métiers. Under his direction Hermès developed watchmaking, integrated or partnered with specialist houses such as John Lobb, Puiforcat and Saint-Louis, and opened distinctive stores in major world cities. In 1984, Jean-Louis Dumas created the Birkin bag after meeting Jane Birkin on a flight between Paris and London. The Birkin became one of the most recognizable and scarce luxury handbags in the world. Hermès is differentiated by its combination of family control, long-term capital allocation, direct distribution, scarcity, craftsmanship and creative independence. The group operates across métiers including leather goods and saddlery, silk and fashion accessories, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes, perfumes and beauty, watches, jewelry, home, travel and bespoke objects. It also operates the petit h activity, which transforms unused materials from Hermès workshops into unique objects, and supports cultural and educational work through the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès. The company’s commercial model emphasizes directly operated stores, carefully managed e-commerce, controlled wholesale exposure and a high degree of product and service curation. Hermès describes its stores as homes for its objects, with local architecture and assortments adapted to individual markets. Leather goods and saddlery remain the central economic and symbolic pillar, while silk, ready-to-wear, fragrance, beauty, watches, jewelry and home products extend the relationship with customers. The group continues to invest heavily in French production capacity and craft training. In 2025, it opened its twenty-fourth leather goods workshop in France at L’Isle-d’Espagnac, planned to accommodate approximately 260 trained artisans. Hermès has remained independent despite a highly publicized confrontation with LVMH after LVMH accumulated a substantial position in Hermès through equity derivatives in 2010. The Hermès family subsequently strengthened its collective shareholding through H51 and related structures. A settlement eventually led LVMH to distribute its Hermès shares to its own shareholders and leave the investment. This episode reinforced Hermès’s strategic emphasis on family continuity and independence. The company is publicly traded and entered France’s CAC 40 index in 2018. It remains governed through the distinctive structure of a société en commandite par actions, with the Hermès family retaining significant influence. Axel Dumas, a sixth-generation family member, has served as Executive Chairman since 2013. Pierre-Alexis Dumas, also from the sixth generation, is Artistic Executive Vice-President. As of 2025, the group reported 26,494 employees and 294 stores in its exclusive distribution network. Hermès continues to position itself not as a conventional fashion conglomerate but as an independent house of durable objects, where craftsmanship, controlled growth, creativity and intergenerational transmission are central to the brand’s identity.
History
Hermès traces its origins to 1837, when Thierry Hermès opened a harness-making workshop in Paris. The company’s early success rested on an unusually strong combination of technical precision, durability and discreet elegance. Its products were designed for practical use by riders and travelers, but their quality also appealed to affluent European customers. In 1867, the house received recognition at the Paris Universal Exhibition for the quality of its harnesses. In 1880, Thierry Hermès’s son Charles-Émile moved the workshops to 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and opened a store. The address became the symbolic center of the house. Hermès continued to make bespoke harnesses and saddles while gradually serving a wider international clientele. As transport and social habits changed, the company adapted rather than treating its original saddlery identity as a limitation. Émile Hermès, the founder’s grandson, guided the business during the interwar period. He broadened the range from saddlery into leather goods, luggage, clothing and accessories. A trip to Canada inspired him to acquire exclusive French rights to a military-car hood fastening system. In 1922, the system became associated with the zipper and was used on Hermès bags and travel products. Under Émile’s leadership the house also created a men’s golf jacket in 1925, introduced jewelry in 1927, and added watches and sandals in 1928. The 1930s established several of the design codes that remain central to Hermès. In 1937, the house produced its first silk scarf, Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches. Silk became a major creative field, allowing Hermès to combine illustration, color, printing expertise and recurring annual themes. The house’s horse-and-carriage emblem, based on Alfred de Dreux’s Duc attelé, groom à l’attente, was adopted in 1945 and reinforced the connection between the modern brand and its equestrian origins. Robert Dumas, Émile Hermès’s son-in-law, took over the business in 1951. He helped develop the silk scarf, the Kelly bag and the Chaîne d’ancre bracelet. The Kelly was originally designed in the 1930s, but became internationally famous in 1956 after Grace Kelly was photographed carrying it. Hermès subsequently named the bag after the Princess of Monaco. The episode illustrated a recurring pattern in Hermès history: products gained cultural importance through association with real people, travel and everyday use rather than through conventional mass advertising. During the 1960s and 1970s, Hermès extended its fashion activity. The company established women’s ready-to-wear in 1967, developed the H buckle as a recognizable accessory code, and began publishing Le Monde d’Hermès, a house journal combining culture, objects, travel and the company’s creative world. From 1978, Jean-Louis Dumas progressively reshaped the business. He diversified into watchmaking, expanded international retail, developed relationships with specialist workshops and encouraged a broader interpretation of the house’s métiers. Jean-Louis Dumas’s period saw Hermès become an international luxury group while preserving a distinctive family-controlled structure. The house expanded into watches, shoes, jewelry, home furnishings and specialist products. It worked with or integrated specialist companies including John Lobb, Puiforcat and Saint-Louis. Stores were opened in major cities and designed to express both Hermès’s French identity and the culture of their local setting. Hermès opened a Maison in New York in 2000, a Ginza Maison in Tokyo in 2001 and a store in Seoul in 2006. E-commerce was introduced in the United States in 2002 and in France in 2005. The Birkin bag was created in 1984 after Jean-Louis Dumas met Jane Birkin on a flight. The design responded to Birkin’s request for a practical yet elegant large bag. It later became one of the most recognizable luxury products in the world, known for hand craftsmanship, long production times, limited availability and a strong secondary-market following. The bag’s fame also generated ethical debate, especially concerning exotic skins and animal-welfare practices. Hermès marked its 150th anniversary in 1987 with a major Paris celebration and began a tradition of annual themes intended to stimulate creativity across the house. In 1992, the leather workshops moved from the upper floors of the Faubourg store to a larger site in Pantin. The Pantin complex later expanded into the Cité des métiers, supporting production, training and the transmission of savoir-faire. Pierre-Alexis Dumas, a sixth-generation family member, became artistic director in 2005. His tenure supported the expansion of creativity across the company’s métiers, including jewelry, home textiles, wallpaper and bespoke objects. The Fondation d’entreprise Hermès was created in 2008 to support artistic creation, training, transmission of craft skills, environmental preservation and solidarity. In 2010, the petit h workshop introduced a reverse-creation model in which unused materials from Hermès production are transformed into unique objects by artists and craftspeople. A management transition took place in the 2000s. Patrick Thomas, a former associate of Jean-Louis Dumas, managed the group during the transition after Jean-Louis Dumas’s retirement for health reasons. Axel Dumas, another sixth-generation family member, became Executive Chairman in 2013. Under Axel Dumas, Hermès expanded its international store network, redesigned its digital presence, developed omnichannel retail and continued investing in French production capacity. Hermès faced a major corporate-control challenge after LVMH disclosed a substantial position in 2010. The Hermès family responded by consolidating its shareholding through H51 and related family structures. The dispute involved regulatory scrutiny and litigation-related proceedings. In 2014, LVMH and Hermès reached a settlement that resulted in LVMH distributing its Hermès shares to its own shareholders and ending its investment. The episode reaffirmed the family’s determination to preserve Hermès’s independence. The group entered the CAC 40 in 2018 and continued to expand its métiers. In 2020, it launched Rouge Hermès and formally established beauty as a new métier. In 2021, it opened a leather goods workshop in Guyenne and created the École Hermès des Savoir-Faire to train artisans. Hermès also developed the École des Artisans de la vente in Paris from 2022 to strengthen sales expertise and customer service. By 2025, Hermès operated a global network of stores and workshops while continuing to prioritize production in France. Its twenty-fourth French leather goods workshop opened at L’Isle-d’Espagnac. The current house combines a highly international commercial presence with a deliberately local production model. Its central strategic challenge is to increase capacity without weakening scarcity, quality, craftsmanship or the sense of independence that distinguishes it from larger luxury conglomerates.
- 2025
Twenty-fourth French leather goods workshop opens
[2]The L’Isle-d’Espagnac manufacture expands the group’s French production and training capacity.
- 2021
École Hermès des Savoir-Faire is created
[2]Hermès opens a craft-training school connected with the expansion of its French leather goods workshops.
- 2020
Beauty becomes a Hermès métier
[2]The house launches Rouge Hermès and establishes beauty as a new area of activity.
- 2018
Hermès enters the CAC 40
[2]Hermès International joins France’s benchmark stock index.
- 2015
Apple Watch Hermès partnership begins
[2]Hermès enters a technology and design collaboration with Apple.
- 2014
LVMH exits Hermès after settlement
[7]A settlement ends the shareholding dispute and leads to the distribution of LVMH’s Hermès shares to LVMH shareholders.
- 2013
Axel Dumas becomes Executive Chairman
[2]Axel Dumas succeeds Patrick Thomas and begins the current phase of family-led management.
- 2010
Creation of petit h
[2]The workshop transforms unused production materials into unique objects through collaborations between artisans and designers.
- 2008
Fondation d’entreprise Hermès is created
[2]The foundation begins supporting artistic creation, craft transmission, environmental preservation and solidarity.
- 2005
Pierre-Alexis Dumas becomes artistic director
[2]A sixth-generation family member assumes artistic leadership and broadens creative development across the métiers.
Products and positioning
Independent, family-controlled French luxury house centered on craftsmanship, durable materials, creative freedom, controlled distribution, heritage and understated exclusivity.
Leather goods
Leather goods and handbags
Leather goods are Hermès’s most important and emblematic métier. The category includes Birkin, Kelly, Constance, Bolide and other handbags, as well as wallets, belts, small leather goods and travel pieces. Products are associated with hand craftsmanship, carefully selected materials, distinctive hardware and controlled distribution. Hermès continues to expand French leather workshops and trains artisans through dedicated apprenticeship programs.
Equestrian goods · 1837
Saddlery and equestrian equipment
Saddlery is the house’s original activity and remains central to its identity. Hermès produces saddles, bridles, harnesses, riding accessories and related equestrian products. The business preserves the technical knowledge from which the company emerged in 1837 while continuing to develop products for contemporary riders and horses.
Textiles and accessories · 1937
Silk scarves and textiles
Hermès silk scarves, especially the carré, combine silk twill, elaborate illustration, color and printing expertise. Since 1937, the house has produced designs that draw on equestrian imagery, travel, art, architecture, mythology and contemporary culture. Silk accessories also include twillies, ties, shawls and other textile products.
Fashion · 1925
Ready-to-wear
Hermès offers women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections built around fine materials, restrained silhouettes, leather expertise and functional luxury. The category grew from early pieces such as the 1925 golf jacket and later developed into a complete wardrobe with seasonal collections, outerwear, knitwear, dresses, tailoring and accessories.
Footwear · 1928
Shoes and sandals
The footwear business includes sandals, loafers, boots, sneakers and other styles that use Hermès leather, hardware and design codes. The Oran sandal is among the house’s most recognizable footwear offerings. Hermès has developed footwear both through internal design and through specialist expertise associated with makers such as John Lobb.
Beauty · 1951
Perfumes and beauty
Hermès fragrance includes long-running creations such as Eau d’Hermès, Calèche and Terre d’Hermès, as well as newer lines including H24. Beauty became a formal métier with the 2020 launch of Rouge Hermès lipstick. The category extends the house’s material, color and storytelling approach into fragrance, makeup and personal care.
Watchmaking · 1978
Watches
Hermès watchmaking developed as a distinct activity from the late 1970s. Its collections include Cape Cod, Arceau, H08 and R.M.S. watches, combining Swiss watchmaking with the house’s leather, equestrian and graphic vocabulary. Straps and case details are important expressions of Hermès’s broader craft identity.
Jewelry · 1927
Jewelry
Hermès jewelry ranges from everyday silver and gold pieces to high jewelry. Recurring codes include the Chaîne d’ancre, equestrian hardware, the H motif and forms inspired by movement and architecture. The first jewelry creation dates to 1927, while the house introduced a dedicated high-jewelry collection in 2010.
Home furnishings · 2011
Home and lifestyle
The home métier includes furniture, tableware, blankets, cushions, wallpapers, fabrics, lighting, decorative objects and other lifestyle pieces. Hermès applies its leather, silk, printing, porcelain, crystal and design expertise to domestic settings, often working with specialist manufacturers and designers.
Technology collaboration · 2015
Apple Watch Hermès
Apple Watch Hermès is a collaboration combining Apple’s smartwatch platform with Hermès-designed straps, cases, watch faces and packaging. It represents the house’s willingness to enter contemporary technology when the partnership can preserve its design language and craftsmanship standards.
Objects and sustainability · 2010
petit h
petit h is an experimental Hermès activity based on creation in reverse. Designers and artisans begin with unused or surplus materials from Hermès workshops and transform them into one-of-a-kind objects. The activity connects material reuse with artistic experimentation and provides a distinctive outlet for the house’s craftsmanship.
Controversies
2015
Jane Birkin crocodile-skin controversy
Jane Birkin asked Hermès to remove her name from crocodile versions of the Birkin bag after animal-welfare concerns were raised about crocodile treatment. Hermès said it investigated the relevant farm and took measures concerning the practices involved. The episode generated wider criticism of exotic skins and luxury fashion’s animal-welfare standards.
2010
LVMH shareholding and corporate-control dispute
LVMH disclosed a substantial economic position in Hermès after building exposure through equity derivatives and share purchases. The move triggered a public conflict over disclosure, corporate control and the independence of Hermès. Regulatory proceedings and negotiations followed, and Hermès family shareholders consolidated their position through H51 and related structures. A 2014 settlement led LVMH to distribute its Hermès shares to its own shareholders and exit the investment.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021École Hermès des Savoir-Faire
France
Hermès created an apprenticeship and vocational training program for leatherwork as part of its French manufacturing expansion.
Outcome. The program strengthened the pipeline of trained leather artisans and formalized transmission of production skills.
- 2020Rouge Hermès
Global
Hermès launched its first major beauty collection, Rouge Hermès, after a multiyear design and development process.
Outcome. Beauty became the house’s sixteenth métier and expanded Hermès’s presence in color cosmetics.
- 2015Apple Watch Hermès
Global
Hermès collaborated with Apple to create a luxury smartwatch edition featuring Hermès straps, interface designs and packaging.
Outcome. The partnership extended Hermès into wearable technology while preserving a premium, design-led positioning.
- 2010petit h creation in reverse
Global
The petit h workshop turned unused materials from Hermès manufacturing into unique objects designed by artists and made by artisans.
Outcome. The initiative established a distinctive reuse-oriented creative program within the group.
- 2008Fondation d’entreprise Hermès
France · International
Hermès established a corporate foundation supporting artistic creation, craft training, transmission of savoir-faire, environmental preservation and solidarity.
Outcome. The foundation became a permanent platform for cultural and social initiatives connected to the house’s humanist and craft-based positioning.
- 1987150th anniversary and annual creative themes
Global
Hermès marked its 150th anniversary with a major fireworks display over Paris’s Pont-Neuf. The celebration initiated a tradition of annual creative themes that gives the house a shared conceptual framework across products, communications and events.
Outcome. The annual-theme tradition became a long-running part of Hermès’s cultural and creative communication.
Brand decisions
2026
Approve the 2025 ordinary dividendOtherBackground
Following the strong 2025 financial year, shareholders considered the proposed distribution for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Action taken
The General Meeting approved an ordinary dividend of €18.00 per share on April 17, 2026.
Aftermath
The approved distribution reflected Hermès’s continuing profitability and listed-company obligations while leaving the family-controlled operating model intact.
Ordinary dividend per share. €18.00 (Financial year 2025, approved April 17, 2026)
2025
Open the twenty-fourth French leather goods workshopStrategyBackground
Hermès continued to expand production capacity in response to demand for leather goods and saddlery while maintaining a predominantly French manufacturing model.
Action taken
The group opened the L’Isle-d’Espagnac manufacture, designed eventually to accommodate 260 trained artisans.
Aftermath
The investment reinforced Hermès’s strategy of controlled capacity growth, local production and long-term craft transmission.
Planned artisan capacity. 260 artisans (2025 announcement; eventual capacity)
2021
Expand French leather-goods production and trainingStrategyBackground
Demand for Hermès leather goods required additional capacity, but the house sought to grow without abandoning French production or craft standards.
Action taken
Hermès opened a leather goods workshop in Guyenne and created the École Hermès des Savoir-Faire apprenticeship school.
Aftermath
The group continued to add French workshops and formal training capacity, including the L’Isle-d’Espagnac site in 2025.
2020
Establish beauty as a formal métierProduct launchBackground
Hermès had long participated in fragrance but sought to extend its material, color and design expertise into cosmetics.
Action taken
The company launched Rouge Hermès after approximately five years of design, research and development.
Aftermath
Beauty became a distinct Hermès métier with subsequent expansion into makeup and related products.
2015
Launch Apple Watch HermèsProduct launchBackground
Hermès sought to participate in digital luxury and wearable technology without building a mass-market electronics platform of its own.
Action taken
The house partnered with Apple on a co-branded Apple Watch incorporating Hermès straps and interface design.
Aftermath
The collaboration became an enduring example of Hermès using selective partnerships to enter a new category while retaining control over design expression.
2014
Settle the LVMH shareholding disputeM&ABackground
LVMH’s accumulated position in Hermès had created a major corporate-control conflict and raised questions about the future independence of the family-controlled house.
Action taken
Hermès and LVMH accepted a settlement under which LVMH distributed its Hermès shares to its shareholders and ended its position.
Aftermath
Hermès remained independent and the family’s collective shareholding became a central pillar of the company’s governance and long-term strategy.
- LVMH — LVMH accepted the settlement and distributed its Hermès shares to LVMH shareholders.
2013
Appoint Axel Dumas as Executive ChairmanStrategyBackground
Hermès needed to transition from the leadership of Patrick Thomas while preserving family influence and the house’s independent operating model.
Action taken
The company appointed sixth-generation family member Axel Dumas as Executive Chairman.
Aftermath
Dumas led continued international expansion, digital development, omnichannel retail and investment in French production and training.
Recent events
Sources10 sources
- 1Hermès Finance: Group managementfinance.hermes.com
- 2Hermès: Six generations of artisanshermes.com
- 3Hermès Finance: Key figuresfinance.hermes.com
- 4Hermès Finance: Strategyfinance.hermes.com
- 5Hermès Finance: Share and dividendfinance.hermes.com
- 6Hermès 2023 Universal Registration Documentpresse.hermes.com
- 7LVMH and Hermès settlement announcementlvmh.com
- 8Hermès statement on Jane Birkinassets-finance.hermes.com
- 9Jane Birkin crocodile-skin controversypeta.org.uk
- 10Hermes下调私人包裹寄送价格postandparcel.info
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