Breaking News
recent

How the Dumas family, heirs to the $49.2 billion Hermès fortune, turned a leather store into a luxury empire and became one of the wealthiest families in the world

Axel Dumas

Thierry Hermès, an orphan, was skilled with leather — so skilled, in fact, that his main clients in the 19th century were royal families.

Six generations later, the Hermès family — and brand — is now known for its exclusive Parisian fashion house and a $49.2 billion fortune

Read more: Meet Amancio Ortega, the fiercely private Zara founder who's worth $62 billion and owns properties in Madrid, London, and New York City

At the head of Hermès today are two cousins: Pierre-Alexis and Axel Dumas. Both are cochairmen of the brand. In addition, Axel is the CEO, and Pierre-Alexis is the company's creative director, whose father, Jean-Louis, revolutionized Hermès, growing it into an international luxury retailer.

In the fashion industry, Hermès is the ultimate status symbol: Its signature Birkin bag takes more than 25 hours to make, costs up to six figures, and can be seen on the arms of celebrities and princesses. 

Take a look at the history of Hermès and the family — which is now one of the richest — that turned it into a fashion powerhouse.

SEE ALSO: Meet François Pinault, the French billionaire who has a $1.2 billion art collection, owns Christie's, and founded Kering, the luxury giant behind Gucci and Balenciaga

SEE ALSO: Meet the Wertheimers, the secretive French brothers worth $42 billion who control Chanel, own vineyards in France and Napa Valley, and breed racehorses

Thierry Hermès, who was highly skilled with leather, opened a shop in Paris in 1837.

Source: Vanity Fair



Hermès, at the time, specialized in saddles, taking precise measurements for horses and riders. Hand-stitched saddles took months to make. Perfection was expected every single time because many Hermès clients were European royalty, such as Napoléon III.

Source: Vanity Fair



Thierry Hermès' son, Émile-Charles Hermès, moved the Hermès flagship store in Paris to 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré when he succeeded his father. It still stands there today. By the 20th century, Hermès had royals from all over the world on its client list.

Émile-Charles Hermès' sons, Adolphe and Émile-Maurice Hermès, succeeded him shortly after, ushering in the third generation of Hermès.

Source: Vanity Fair



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

from Strategy https://ift.tt/2TMJRTm
via IFTTT
Oyetoke Toby

Oyetoke Toby

Related Posts:

No comments:

Post a Comment

© CITGuru. Powered by Blogger.