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History · eight historical periods

A thread through time.

Explore 74 sourced milestones across eight historical periods, with a full reading for each chapter.

Sources, dates and illustrative images

Editorial period boundaries, not new historical facts. All dates and uncertainties are preserved. Illustrations remain provisional; distinct page-specific assets are in preparation.

Eight periods

A history in eight chapters

Images for 1922–1936, 1937–1955, 1956–1983, 1984–1996, 1997–2013, 2014–2026 are AI-generated illustrations for MyQuotaBag, not archives or Hermès objects. The others are museum images credited on their pages.

Moments

Moments that shaped the house

1880–1921 · A new address, wider horizons

Every milestone, with its sources

Filter milestones

74 milestones across 8 periods

01

1837–1879 · 2 milestones

The workshop years

Thierry Hermès opened a harness workshop on rue Basse-du-Rempart in Paris in 1837. The story begins with equipment made for use: leather whose value lay in the work it had to do, long before the name became associated with celebrated bags.

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02

1880–1921 · 3 milestones

A new address, wider horizons

In 1880, Charles-Émile Hermès, Thierry’s son, moved the workshops to 24, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and opened a store. Hermès’s history describes made-to-measure saddles and harnesses offered there. The address brings two activities into the same story: making equipment and meeting the people who would use it. The continuity of the trade is as important as the change of location.

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1880 · year

The move to Faubourg

Charles-Émile relocates workshops and opens a store.

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1880 · year

Charles-Émile relocates workshops and opens a store.

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1903 · year

Rocabar blanket

Rocabar enters the company chronology.

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1903 · year

Rocabar enters the company chronology.

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03

1922–1936 · 10 milestones

Designing for modern life

Explore an american fastener in france, a two-handled bag.

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1923 · year

A two-handled bag

The company dates this bag format to 1923.

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1923 · year

The company dates this bag format to 1923.

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1924 · year

Zip-fastened gloves

A fastening mechanism reaches another accessory.

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1924 · year

A fastening mechanism reaches another accessory.

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1925 · year

The golf jacket

Hermès dates its first ready-to-wear garment to 1925. The official chronology records a first men’s ready-to-wear garment.

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1925 · year

Hermès dates its first ready-to-wear garment to 1925. The official chronology records a first men’s ready-to-wear garment.

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1927 · year

Filet de selle bracelet

The first jewelry piece in the corporate chronology. Hermès dates the introduction of jewelry to 1927.

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1927 · year

The first jewelry piece in the corporate chronology. Hermès dates the introduction of jewelry to 1927.

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1928 · year

Watches and sandals

The official chronology records watches and sandals in 1928.

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1928 · year

The official chronology records watches and sandals in 1928.

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1929/1932 · range · interval 1929–1932

Beachwear survives in a museum

The Met dates its ensemble to 1929–1932.

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1929/1932 · range · interval 1929–1932

The Met dates its ensemble to 1929–1932.

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1930 · circa year

A muff bag

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs dates its example around 1930.

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1930 · circa year

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs dates its example around 1930.

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1930 · year

Diaries

Diaries appear in the company’s product chronology.

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1930 · year

Diaries appear in the company’s product chronology.

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04

1937–1955 · 6 milestones

A house of many métiers

A silk square asks to be looked at in more than one way. Spread out, it offers an image; folded or tied, it reveals only parts of that image. Hermès dates its first carré, Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches, to 1937. The new format gives this chapter a starting point: an object whose appearance changes through the simple act of wearing it.

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1937 · year

The first silk scarf

Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches. Hermès dates Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches to this year.

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1937 · year

Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches. Hermès dates Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches to this year.

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1938 · year

Chaîne d’ancre bracelet

Robert Dumas’s bracelet enters the house chronology.

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1938 · year

Robert Dumas’s bracelet enters the house chronology.

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1949 · year

Printed silk ties

The official chronology dates printed ties to 1949.

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1949 · year

The official chronology dates printed ties to 1949.

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05

1956–1983 · 14 milestones

Objects become icons

A famous name can eclipse the object that came before it. Look beyond the name and this period becomes full of other things to notice: the meeting of silk and knit, the outline of a watch, the way a room or a window gives an object a setting.

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1956 · year

Grace Kelly association

The house identifies photographs of Grace Kelly as the turning point; formal renaming date disputed.

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1956 · year

The house identifies photographs of Grace Kelly as the turning point; formal renaming date disputed.

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1961 · year

Calèche

Guy Robert’s first women’s fragrance for Hermès. Guy Robert creates Calèche.

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1961 · year

Guy Robert’s first women’s fragrance for Hermès. Guy Robert creates Calèche.

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1961 · year

Twillaine

Knit and silk twill are combined in clothing.

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1961 · year

Knit and silk twill are combined in clothing.

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1967 · year

Constance

Constance enters the official chronology.

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1967 · year

Constance enters the official chronology.

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1970 · year

Équipage

The fragrance is launched in the house’s published chronology.

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1970 · year

The fragrance is launched in the house’s published chronology.

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1972 · year

Rena Dumas establishes her studio

Rena Dumas founds Rena Dumas Architecture Intérieure; this is the studio’s foundation date, not the beginning of its Hermès collaboration.

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1972 · year

Rena Dumas founds Rena Dumas Architecture Intérieure; this is the studio’s foundation date, not the beginning of its Hermès collaboration.

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1976 · year

RDAI begins working with Hermès

The studio’s own chronology dates the beginning of its Hermès collaboration to 1976.

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1976 · year

The studio’s own chronology dates the beginning of its Hermès collaboration to 1976.

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1978 · year

Jean-Louis Dumas takes the helm

Robert’s son leads the next phase. The house history marks the beginning of his leadership.

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1978 · year

Robert’s son leads the next phase. The house history marks the beginning of his leadership.

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1978 · year

La Montre Hermès and Arceau

The watchmaking entity enters the house history. The watchmaking operation in Biel/Bienne and d’Origny’s Arceau date to this year.

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1978 · year

The watchmaking entity enters the house history. The watchmaking operation in Biel/Bienne and d’Origny’s Arceau date to this year.

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1978 · year

Evelyne

Hermès dates the Evelyne’s equestrian story to 1978; this is not a first-release date for every later size or generation.

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1978 · year

Hermès dates the Evelyne’s equestrian story to 1978; this is not a first-release date for every later size or generation.

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06

1984–1996 · 12 milestones

The Birkin years and a wider design culture

A roomy bag is a good place to begin, but there is more to these years than the Birkin. Porcelain and furniture bring the home into the story; a watch draws attention to proportion; the workshops remind us where finished objects begin.

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1984 · year

Pivoines porcelain

Pivoines tableware enters the product chronology.

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1984 · year

Pivoines tableware enters the product chronology.

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1986 · year

Pippa furniture

Pippa enters the house product chronology.

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1986 · year

Pippa enters the house product chronology.

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1987 · year

Annual theme tradition

The 150th-anniversary fireworks begin the theme tradition.

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1987 · year

The 150th-anniversary fireworks begin the theme tradition.

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1988 · year

Véronique Nichanian begins at Hermès

Nichanian’s October 2025 statement dates the beginning of her work for Hermès to 1988.

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1988 · year

Nichanian’s October 2025 statement dates the beginning of her work for Hermès to 1988.

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1990 · year

Pierre Hardy joins Hermès

Hardy’s biography dates his arrival to 1990.

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1990 · year

Hardy’s biography dates his arrival to 1990.

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1991 · year

Cape Cod watch

Henri d’Origny’s Cape Cod is introduced. Henri d’Origny’s Cape Cod is launched.

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1991 · year

Henri d’Origny’s Cape Cod is introduced. Henri d’Origny’s Cape Cod is launched.

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1993 · year

Puiforcat integration

The house history dates Puiforcat’s integration to 1993.

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1993 · year

The house history dates Puiforcat’s integration to 1993.

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1995 · year

Saint-Louis integration

The house history dates Saint-Louis’s integration to 1995.

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1995 · year

The house history dates Saint-Louis’s integration to 1995.

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07

1997–2013 · 17 milestones

A new creative conversation

Sometimes a fresh approach begins with a small part of an object: a strap, for instance. Sometimes it begins with materials another workshop has set aside. These years reward attention to such decisions and to the different people behind them.

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1997 · year

Martin Margiela at Hermès

Margiela is appointed to women’s ready-to-wear. MoMu dates the beginning of Margiela’s Hermès womenswear work to 1997.

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1997 · year

Margiela is appointed to women’s ready-to-wear. MoMu dates the beginning of Margiela’s Hermès womenswear work to 1997.

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1998 · year

The double-tour strap

Margiela presents Cape Cod with a double-tour strap.

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1998 · year

Margiela presents Cape Cod with a double-tour strap.

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2001 · year

Hardy and jewelry

Hardy’s biography dates his jewelry creative appointment to 2001.

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2001 · year

Hardy’s biography dates his jewelry creative appointment to 2001.

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2002 · year

Picotin

Picotin enters the house’s product chronology; no separate Lock-variant introduction date is inferred.

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2002 · year

Picotin enters the house’s product chronology; no separate Lock-variant introduction date is inferred.

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2003 · year

Gaultier follows Margiela

Grand Palais dates Gaultier’s Hermès tenure 2003–2010; MoMu gives Margiela’s end year as 2003.

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2003 · year

Grand Palais dates Gaultier’s Hermès tenure 2003–2010; MoMu gives Margiela’s end year as 2003.

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2003 · year

A Mediterranean garden

Ellena creates Un Jardin en Méditerranée; Aurore de La Morinerie illustrates its packaging.

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2003 · year

Ellena creates Un Jardin en Méditerranée; Aurore de La Morinerie illustrates its packaging.

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2008-10 · month

Jean-Louis Dumas publishes Photographer

Steidl issues Photographer, a collection of Jean-Louis Dumas’s photographs.

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2008-10 · month

Steidl issues Photographer, a collection of Jean-Louis Dumas’s photographs.

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2010 · year

Petit h and haute bijouterie

Petit h is founded; the official chronology dates a first Haute Bijouterie collection to the same year.

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2010 · year

Petit h is founded; the official chronology dates a first Haute Bijouterie collection to the same year.

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2011 · year

Arceau Le Temps Suspendu

Hermès’s 2012 Annual Report lists Arceau Le Temps Suspendu under 2011, extending the Arceau story beyond its already-recorded 1978 origin.

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2011 · year

Hermès’s 2012 Annual Report lists Arceau Le Temps Suspendu under 2011, extending the Arceau story beyond its already-recorded 1978 origin.

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08

2014–2026 · 10 milestones

Heritage in the present

The life of a house continues in the objects it makes and the knowledge it passes on. Here, a reversible coat, a new perfume and a school bring that relationship into the present. Temporary creations also return in another form, inviting a fresh look at work that might otherwise be known only through its record.

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The accompanying reading extends to July 2026: selected workshop events through April, with an artist’s account published in July. The 74 milestone records are unchanged.

2014-07 · month

Vanhée-Cybulski appointed

Appointment to women’s ready-to-wear is recorded in July 2014.

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2014-07 · month

Appointment to women’s ready-to-wear is recorded in July 2014.

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2015-03 · month

Vanhée-Cybulski’s debut

Her first collection is presented in March 2015.

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2015-03 · month

Her first collection is presented in March 2015.

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2016 · year

Nagel’s expanded responsibility

After joining in 2014, Nagel becomes exclusive perfumer and director of olfactory heritage.

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2016 · year

After joining in 2014, Nagel becomes exclusive perfumer and director of olfactory heritage.

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2017-11-08 · day

The worlds of Leïla Menchari at the Grand Palais

Hermès presents eight scenes in a retrospective with exhibition scenography by Nathalie Crinière.

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2017-11-08 · day

Hermès presents eight scenes in a retrospective with exhibition scenography by Nathalie Crinière.

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2020 · year

An electric guitar appears in the petit h record

The 2020 Activity Report documents an electric guitar and an Arçon chair among petit h’s examples. This is a documentary milestone, not a claimed first creation date.

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2020 · year

The 2020 Activity Report documents an electric guitar and an Arçon chair among petit h’s examples. This is a documentary milestone, not a claimed first creation date.

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2021 · year

École Hermès des Savoir-Faire opens

Hermès dates the opening of its leatherwork vocational school to 2021. This institutional milestone is distinct from the much older practice of training within workshops.

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2021 · year

Hermès dates the opening of its leatherwork vocational school to 2021. This institutional milestone is distinct from the much older practice of training within workshops.

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2024-09 · month

Barénia launches

The dated October shareholder letter records the September launch of Nagel’s Barénia.

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2024-09 · month

The dated October shareholder letter records the September launch of Nagel’s Barénia.

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2025 · year

A continuing wardrobe

The annual report identifies Vanhée as women’s ready-to-wear artistic director and describes adaptable AW2025 garments.

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2025 · year

The annual report identifies Vanhée as women’s ready-to-wear artistic director and describes adaptable AW2025 garments.

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2026-01 · month

Nichanian’s final collection presentation

The October 2025 announcement scheduled her final collection for 24 January 2026; the 2025 annual report subsequently confirms the autumn–winter 2026 presentation at the Palais Brongniart in late January. Month precision preserves the retrospective source’s wording.

Contextual illustration of craft, travel or objects; not an archival photograph
AI-generated contextual illustration · MyQuotaBag. Context only, not a documented object or person.

2026-01 · month

The October 2025 announcement scheduled her final collection for 24 January 2026; the 2025 annual report subsequently confirms the autumn–winter 2026 presentation at the Palais Brongniart in late January. Month precision preserves the retrospective source’s wording.

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