Information on Hermes

History & Timeline:

1801: Birth of Thierry Hermes in Krefeld, Germany.
The father also called Thierry Hermes was French,
the mother Agnese Kuehnen was German.

At the time Krefeld, near Duesseldorf was part
of the former French department of Roer,
belonging to France (Napoléons Premier Empire),
today it is part of the German State Nordrhein Westfalen.


The Hermes family operates a small texitle company called "Hermes frères".
Krefeld was the German silk and velvet city,
dominated by the powerful "von der Leyen" textile family.



1821: Thierry Hermes moves to Pont Audemer near Deauville
and 160 km north of Paris.
He leans the scills of leather manufacturing
and started the producing of harness equipment.
He is employed by the Pleumer family that has a successfull leather business.

Pont Audemer also called "Venice of Normandy" has many small
water chanels which made it possible to clean leather products.

Hermes lived in Pont Audemer on rue de la Brasserie,
but it looks like
as if his house does no longer exist.

1828 Thierry Hermes married Christine Pétronille Pierrart (1806-1896).


1837: Hermes founded by the French German harness (horse equipment)
manufacturer Thierry Hermes (1801-1878).
The company starts as a workshop on rue Basse de Rempart
(the street was demolised by Baron Hausmann
to erect the Boulevard de la Madeleine)
near the eglise de la Madeleine in Paris 9e.


In the following years Hermes is in contact with Cremerie de Paris
from where the Brand Directory VB.com is edited.
The right side of todays Cremerie is on the grounds
of the no longer existing
Pavillon des Drapiers, 11/13 rue des Déchargeurs,
also demolised by Hausmann and Empress Eugenie
to build the future rue des Halles.

The Pavillon des Drapiers (1660 - 1860)
was the place of the corporation of the clothiers and hosiers
(Drapiers et Bonnetiers). The corportation represented the interests
of people working in clothing and negociated with the Kings of France.
The facade of the Pavillion was so beautiful
it has been transfered to the musée Carnavalet
dedicated to the history of Paris.

Hoisery, also called Legwear, in French Bonneterie
describes garments worn on the feet and on the leg.




1859: Charles-Emile Hermes takes the management of the workshop.

1867: Hermes wins a first class medal at the exposition Universelle.
1870: End of the Second Empire, Napoleon III en Empress Eugenie leave France.


1880: Charles-Emile Hermes (1835-1919) moved the shop
to 24 rue du Fbg Saint Honore where it is still located today.
The move was pushed by construction plans of Emperor Napoleon III
who demolished the street where was located the initial Hermes store.

The Building on 24 rue Saint Honoré is first rented and only used for the Ateliers.

1889: opens the Hermes Boutique next to the Ateliers.


1902: Adolphe (1860 - 1933)
and Emile-Maurice Hermes (1871 - 1951) (3rd generation)
take the management of the company which is renamed "Hermes Frères".


1912: Photo of the 4 Hermes girls,
mothers & grandmothers & great grandmothers of today's Hermes family.

1912 opening of a second Boutique in Chantilly north of Paris.
Chantilly is a city for horses.

1919: opening of a third Hermes Boutique in Fontainebleau,
followed by Pau St Cyr and Samur.

1920: opening of the Hermes Boutique in Le Touquet and La Baule.

1922: Adolphe Hermes leaves the company,
as the demand for horse equipment declines with the raise of the automobile.
Emile Maurice buys his shares.
Contrary to his brother Emile Maurice Hermes
sees a future in the company,
developping new products compatible with the times of the Automobile.
"Be chic while driving your car".

Emile Maurice is able to purchase the real estate of the company seat
on 24 rue du Faubourg Saint Honore.


1922: According to Aimee de Heeren (1903 - 2006)
Hermes exposed in Rio de Janeiro.
This was the first time Aimée de Heeren heared about the brand,
shortly before the opening of the Copacabana Palace Hotel
Sixteen years later, 1938, Aimée de Heeren
was sent to Paris as a secret service agent,
this is when she met Emile Maurice Hermes.
Half a centry later she was friends with his grandsons
Xavier and Hubert Guerrand-Hermes (5th generation).


1925: opening of the Hermes Boutique in Pau and Saumur.

1929: opening of the Hermes Boutique in Alger.

1929: Hermes introduces a woman's line.
The stylist Lola Prousac creates bathing clothes and soon
invents the Carre d'Hermes.

1929: following the Black friday stock crash most of the non Parisian
Hermes Boutiques close.



1936: Opening of the still exisiting Hermes store in Deauville.


1937: Centenary of the company and introduction of the Hermes scarves.


1945: The company adopts a calèche logo
designed by Alfred de Dreux.

1949: Sale of the first Hermes cravats.


1951: Emile-Maurice Hermes dies and is replaced by
by Robert Dumas Hermes (1898-1978)
husband of Jacqueline Hermes (4th generation)
and the perfumer Jean René Guerrand
husband of Aline Hermes (4th generation).

Robert Dumas develops leather and silk products
Jean Rene Guerrand the Perfume division.

1951: Launch of the first perfume Eau d'Hermes

1955: The American actress Grace Kelly discovers the Hermes store
and buys a handbag, called "Sac à Depèches".


1956: A picture will make the Hermes Bag become
a worldwide fashion symbol.
It is the one showing Grace Kelly with her Fiancée, Prince Rainier of Monaco.
She uses the bag to cover the fact that she was pregnant.
The picture published by Life magazine
is reproduced on hundreds of magazine covers worldwide.
Women are pooring into the Hermes Boutiques asking for a "Kelly Bag".


1961: Launch of the perfume Calèche (woman)

1968: Opening of the Hermes store in Luxembourg, rue Philippe II.

1970: Perfume Equipage (men)


1972: October 25, opening of the Hermes store in Brussels, Boulevard de Waterloo.

1975: Perfume Amazone (woman)

1976: Hermes acquires the shoemaker John Lobb.


1978: Jean Louis Dumas (5th generation) is named chairman.
Jean Louis Dumas is the key person in the companies
post war development.

1978: Extension of the flagship store on Faubourg Saint Honore
after acquisition of the neighboring building on number 26.

1979: Eau de Cologne Hermes (men)
1979: Perfume Hermes Orange Vert (men)

1984: Launch of the "Birkin Bag" named after the actress Jane Birkin.
The British fashion Designer Victoria Beckham is known to own over 100 Birkin Bags
making a million euro handbag collection.


1991: November opening of the Hermes store in Florence, Piazza degli Antinori.


1992: December opening of the Hermes store in Cologne, facing the Cathedral.

1993: Hermes enters the Paris stockmarket.
425,000 shares introduced at 300 Francs (45 euros)

1995: Perfume 24 Faubourg

1996: Opening of the Hermes store in Beijing.


1996: September opening of the Hermes store in Duesseldorf, Koenigsallee.


1997: Opening of the new Hermes store in Antwerp, Schuttershofstraat.

1997: November 23 Registration of the Hermes.com internet domain.

1999: Hermes acquires 30% of Jean Paul Gaultier.


1999: Perfume Eau d'Orange Vert

2003: Perfume Jardin en Mediterannée

2005: June 14, around 6.30 pm (shop closing time)
Ophra Winfrey is denied acces to the Paris Flagship Boutique.
It seams that she arrived some minutes after/before the official opening hours.
The incident creates a little media scandal.
There are different versions about the reason why Ophra
couldn't enter the Fbg St Honore store,
but Ophra is furious and suggests to boycott Hermes products.



2006: Perfume Terre d'Hermes


2006: Jean Louis Dumas retires
Patrick Thomas becomes the new CEO, the first time not a family member.


2006: May, opening of the new Hermes store in Amsterdam, Hooftstraat.

2007: Perfume Kelly Calèche


2007: New extension of the Paris flagship store after buying 28 rue du Faubourg St Honoré.


2010: February, opening of the Hermes store in New York.

2010: May death of Jean Louis Dumas.


2010: August, opening of the new Hermes store in Zuerich, Bahnhofstrasse.

2010: October LVMH announces the acquisition of almost 20% of the Hermes shares.
Hermes publicly announces it's hostility to a takeover threat.


2010: November 18, opening of the new Hermes concept store in Paris Saint Germain.

2011: Hermes sells it's participation in Jean Paul Gaultier to Puig.


2012: May 8, 175th anniversary of Hermes - Leather forever Expo in London
at the Royal Academy of Arts


2012: September 28, Clip de Pub Perfume Terre d'Hermes with Clement Sibony.

Origin of Hermes Name & Logos & Internet Domains: