In luxury, there’s Hermès… and there’s everyone else. Stewarded by one French family over six generations, Hermès sells the absolute pinnacle of the French luxury dream. Loyal clients will wait *years* simply for the opportunity to buy one of the company’s flagship Birkin or Kelly bags. Unlike every other luxury brand, Hermès:
- Doesn’t increase supply to meet demand (hence the waitlists)
- Doesn’t loudly brand their products (IYKYK)
- Doesn’t do celebrity endorsements (stars buy their bags just like everyone else)
- Doesn’t even have a marketing department! (they barely advertise at all)
And yet everyone knows who they are and what they represent. But, despite all their iconoclasm, this is not a company that’s stood still for six generations. Unbeknownst to most, Hermès has completely reinvented itself at least three times in its 187-year history. Including most recently (and most dramatically) by the family’s current leaders, who responded to LVMH and Bernard Arnault’s 2010 takeover attempt by pursuing a radical strategy — scaling hand craftsmanship. And in the process they turned the company from a sleepy, ~$10B family enterprise into a $200B market cap European giant. Tune in for one incredible story!
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Visuals for:
Haut a Courroies, the “high-belted bag” to carry saddles and boots
https://images1.bonhams.com/image?src=Images/live/2014-06/02/94558567-11-1.jpg
Chaine d'ancre, “Chain of anchors”
https://assets.hermes.com/is/image/hermesproduct/chaine-d-ancre-bracelet-very-large-model--101995B%2000-worn-2-0-0-800-800_g.jpg
Jeu des Omnibus et Dames blanches, “White ladies at play”
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/61/ac/84/61ac84114c03ee8f818d84a7e5684a80.jpg
Screen printing each color on a scarf individually
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QjlwKL9D4MU/UHLsucReiJI/AAAAAAAABXA/s_45ULViyQo/s1600/IMG_1615.JPG
The Hermès oranges
https://blog.fashionphile.com/hermes-oranges/
Sac à Dépêches (today: the Kelly Bag)
https://www.hermes.com/us/en/content/106196-kelly/
Grace Kelly photo in LIFE Magaine
https://i.huffpost.com/gen/1457564/thumbs/o-GRACE-KELLY-BAG-570.jpg?8
Steps to sew a saddle stitch
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aaLc5iBboXo/V7yawv5AlsI/AAAAAAAAHuc/fTrGbwc-1Gc9FYwBVpTLMCF-r-T7cFj0ACLcB/s1600/Beginning%2Bwith%2Bthreads%2Bover%2Ban%2Bedge.jpg
The Birkin Bag
https://www.hermes.com/us/en/content/106191-birkin/
Pettit h
https://www.hermes.com/us/en/category/petit-h/#%7C
Links:
The saddle stitch (video)
https://youtu.be/g6HOhqaVXW0?si=rdX6cEfgMQpWo31g
Inside the Saddlery at the Faubourg
https://www.thedashingrider.com/hermes-inside-the-saddlery/
Hermès 2022 Annual Report
https://assets-finance.hermes.com/s3fs-public/node/pdf_file/2023-05/1684143348/hermes-urd-2022-en_01.pdf
Axel Dumas Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htlh8IpER5g
All episode sources
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