Hermès takes on Chanel and Dior in the high fashion market, CEO Dumas Confirms
What would be the aesthetic reason for Hermès to launch an haute couture line? “To be beautiful,” executive chairman Axel Dumas told Jing Daily. Hermès is considering adding an haute couture line in the future, with Dumas saying on Friday that “the idea is on the table.”
Hermès has yet to make a final decision on the launch, with Dumas saying the design house needs more time to consider the execution. He added that “architecture is a good source of inspiration for haute couture. The structure is very important in haute couture.”
While haute couture is an extremely niche market, with “only three to four hundred people” globally buying pieces every year, according to Dumas, it serves a very important artistic purpose. “It’s about creativity and craftsmanship,” he said.
Hermès is already known for its craftsmanship, with anything from saddles to haute horlogerie timepieces made in-house. A new line would likely showcase a new type of know-how, with couture pieces being constructed with “very specific materials and gestures.”
Dumas said Hermès is “trying to imagine what the first collection would be like.” Hermès could launch the line as early as 2026, or possibly in 2027.
Hermès haute couture won’t be for everyone, but that’s not the point.
“Haute couture is not supposed to be something you wear every day,” said Dumas. “It’s more like a sculpture, a beautiful object you see in a museum.”
Hermès follows a tradition of craftsmanship, with the brand founded as a leather goods supplier in 1837 before expanding into other categories like fashion and home decor. The brand has a long history of creating couture pieces, with founder Thierry Hermès saying that “the saddle is the eighth wonder of the world” and that “Hermès craftsmen have mastered the ninth.”
Dumas noted that Hermès craftsmanship is also used in its haute horlogerie — or luxury watchmaking — saying “our engineers are like tailors for metal.”
Hermès is currently focused on expanding its existing categories, with Dumas saying Hermès will continue to expand its product offering across its existing categories.
“Hermès is a big house with a lot of energy,” he said. “Hermès in 2024 is a big store full of treasures.”
