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Hermès
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Hermes International S.A. is a French luxury goods company founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermes (1801-1878) in Paris. Hermes opened his first workshop at 56 rue Basse-du-Rempart, near the Madeleine church, specializing in the manufacture of harnesses and saddles for horse-drawn carriages. His products were distinguished by a particular stitch, the saddle stitch, worked by two needles pulling two waxed linen threads in tensile opposition, that could only be executed by hand. This technique, still used in the production of Hermes leather goods, established the company's commitment to artisanal craft from the outset. Hermes received recognition at the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris.
Charles-Emile Hermes, the founder's son, relocated the workshops to 24 Faubourg Saint-Honore in 1880, an address that remains the company's headquarters and symbolic centre. Under his direction, the shop began selling finished saddlery directly to clients. The transition from equestrian equipment to personal luxury goods began in earnest with the third generation. Emile-Maurice Hermes, who assumed leadership in 1920, introduced the first leather handbags and secured exclusive French rights to the zipper, which the company branded as the fermeture Hermes. In 1922, the first handbag was created for his wife, who had complained about not finding one to her liking.
The company expanded across product categories through the twentieth century. The first silk scarves appeared in 1937, printed in Lyon using traditional screen techniques. The Kelly bag, originally designed in the 1930s as a saddle holder, was renamed after Grace Kelly was photographed carrying one in 1956. The Birkin bag originated in 1984 when then-chairman Jean-Louis Dumas sat beside the British actress Jane Birkin on a flight from Paris to London; Birkin sketched her ideal bag on an airsickness bag, and Dumas had a prototype made for her. Jane Birkin's original Hermes bag sold for approximately 10.1 million dollars at Sotheby's Paris in July 2025, setting a world auction record for any handbag. Hermes also produces watches (since 1928), perfumes (since 1930, with Eau d'Hermes debuting in 1951), jewellery, ready-to-wear, tableware, and enamel accessories. The company operates across sixteen product divisions.
Hermes remains controlled by descendants of the founder, now in the sixth generation. The company is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange and consistently ranks among the most valuable luxury companies globally.
With over 750 lots on Auctionist, Hermes is a major presence in the Nordic luxury auction market. Birkin and Kelly bags in various leathers and colourways are the most sought-after items, with crocodile and ostrich variants achieving the highest premiums. Silk scarves, particularly vintage designs from the 1960s through the 1980s, are actively collected. Smaller leather goods, enamel bracelets, and fashion accessories form the broad base of auction activity at Nordic houses including Bukowskis and Stockholms Auktionsverk.