Hermes – Designer History
Founded by Thierry Hermès as a saddelry company in 1837, fashion house and fragrance manufacturer Hermès soon added boots, jewelry, home decor items, and silk scarves to its line of luxury goods. In 1920, Thierry Hermès’ grandson Emile added luggage. After opening its first store in Paris in the 1930’s, the company’s scarf collection soon became the dominant segment in the collection. However, Hermès perfumes and colognes also account for a significant portion of the company’s sales.
Hermès operates over 200 Hermès stores worldwide, nearly half of which are company-owned. Hermès products are also available in nearly 40 other retail outlets. 75% of the company is controlled by descendants of founder Thierry Hermès. In 2006, Patrick Thomas was named CEO, becoming the first person outside of the family to lead the company.
Hermes – Perfume History
In 1974, Hermès launched Amazone perfume. Other fragrances for women include Eau des Merveilles; 24 Faubourg; and Calèche. Hermès also features men’s colognes: Equipage, Bel Ami and Terre D'Hermès. Additionally, Hermès makes fragrances for use by both men and women, including Eau d'Hermès, Un Jardin sur le Nil, and Eau d'Orange Vert. Since 2004, Jean Claude Ellena has been the in-house perfumer for Hermès and is responsible for the development of several new fragrances in the Hermessence collection, including Paprika Brasil perfume for women.
