"TO HAVE AND TO HOLD" - THE HERMÉS STORY

STORY WRITTEN BY GABRIEL GOUVEIA EDITED BY TIFFANY LU NARRATION PAUL G ROBERTS Many famous fashion houses have their roots in the equestrian goods trade. Hermès began in France as a supplier of coach harnesses and equestrian accoutrements in 1837. Thierry Hermès founded the company in 1837 as a harness workshop in Paris. Originally, his intent was to serve the needs of European noblemen by providing saddles, bridles and other leather riding gear. Thierry Hermès founded the company in 1837 as a harness workshop in Paris. Originally, his intent was to serve the needs of European noblemen by providing saddles, bridles and other leather riding gear. The Hermès clientele consisted of only the uppermost circles of high society, but the brand was also able to adapt to changes in transportation, developing travel luggage with a reputation for quality. Still today, Hermès Kelly and Birkin bags are symbols of status, in part due to their pedigree as a Parisian brand. In the early 20th century, Thierry’s son Charles-Émile Hermès moved the company’s shop to 24 Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris, where it remains to this very day and is the company’s global headquarters. Between 1880 and 1900, it started selling saddlery and introduced its product in retail stores. In 1900, the company started selling the “Haut à Courroies” bag, which was meant for riders to carry their saddles in it. It was a specially designed bag, with a high trapezoid shape, for riders to carry their saddl