Hermès

Hermès is a French luxury goods manufacturer founded in Paris in 1837 by Thierry Hermès as a harness workshop. Saddlery remains part of a product range that today spans leather goods, ready-to-wear fashion, silk accessories such as scarves, ties, perfumes, watches and jewellery. The company operates more than 300 boutiques worldwide and has been held by the same family for six generations.

Manufacturing is centred on handcraft. Leather goods are made by skilled artisans using what the firm describes as the finest materials, and many products take hundreds of hours to complete. Related disciplines in the house include leatherworking, silk weaving, perfumery, watchmaking and jewellery making, each practised with traditional techniques.

For those considering a career at Hermès, the defining feature is the length of the craft apprenticeship: artisans spend years perfecting skills that are passed down between generations. The company emphasises patience in creation, products built to last, and values of authenticity, innovation and excellence. Work is anchored in its Paris origins and its international boutique network.