Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (2024)

Table of Contents
Welcome to the Hermès factory. The company is owned by The Hermès and Dundas families. The entire bag-making process starts with the leather cutter. Here, he inspects the crocodile leather to determine which pieces are ideal for a bag. A worker inspects for imperfections in the leather. Many of the leathers, like this blue crocodile skin, are dyed. Hermès bags come in multiple colors and fabrics. This is only one page of an entire book of color swatches. The factory can only produce 15 a month because much of the entire process is done by hand. Those double magnifying glasses helped enhance the tiny stitches for the craftsmen. The chains for the handles of the bag are all hand welded. The metal is made malleable in this bubbling bath. And heated to extreme temperatures. In order to be employed as a craftsman at the factory, workers have to pass a few exams. These two women are making the handle of the bag. They use a mallet to flatten it out and ensure the handle is smooth. The tiniest of details are given great attention at the factory. The blade used for cutting leather looks like something you'd see in a professional kitchen. This worker is smoothing the leather. And then another worker assembles the bag. This woman had been training for about a week. It was her job to work in the leather. She says the factory makes only a few bags a month, and loves that no two bags are the same. It takes a lot of work to stretch the leather. Yes, that's a hammer being taken to the Hermès bag. In other parts of the factory, saddles are made. This man carefully cuts the leather. More hand threading goes into the saddles, too. Check out the heavy duty press that creates a horse head figurine. Everyone in the factory takes great pride in working with their hands. In another section of the factory, Hermès produces drawings. This woman said she spent 1,500 to 2,000 hours on a drawing. The detail is really incredible. And they do this by hand. The drawers mostly sketch and outline in black and white. Color is added later. This man is airbrushing a drawing. Then, the drawing is laid out on this table. Next, it's laid to dry. This man inspects the project, while the fan helps speed the drying process. Then, they are dried again above the factory on this complicated clothes line. Take a look at one of the finished products. The horse with wings is one of Hermès' symbols. There's a huge one in a rotunda in the factory. Make sure that Hermès is real. DON'T MISS: An Undercover Look At The Billion Dollar Fake Goods Market Of Chinatown > FAQs References

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Lifestyle

Meredith Galante

Whether it's Kim Kardashian buying a $100,000 purse or a photographer burning one for the sake of art,Hermès' coveted bags create a stir whenever they are mentioned.

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The 2011 documentary "Hearts and Crafts," directed by documentary filmmaker Frederic Laffont, depicts daily life inside a Hermès factory in France where bags, glass goods, drawings, and leather saddles for horseback riding are crafted.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (1)

Hermes

In a month, theHermès staff can produce 15 hand-crafted bags of different styles and textures. The bags range from $10,000 to $150,000 depending on the size and material used. Last year, the company said it was hiring 400 people to keep up with demand.

Because they took so long to produce, there was at one time a wait list for the popular Birkin bag.

The bags come with a hefty price tag, but growth in the second quarter of 2012 was up 21.9 percent. The label has come a long way since its start in a Paris workshop in 1837.

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So how, exactly, are Hermès' bags made? Watch the full documentary here, or click through to see.

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Welcome to the Hermès factory. The company is owned by The Hermès and Dundas families.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (2)

Hermes

The entire bag-making process starts with the leather cutter. Here, he inspects the crocodile leather to determine which pieces are ideal for a bag.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (3)

Hermes

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A worker inspects for imperfections in the leather.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (4)

Hermes

Many of the leathers, like this blue crocodile skin, are dyed.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (5)

Hermes

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Hermès bags come in multiple colors and fabrics.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (6)

Hermes

This is only one page of an entire book of color swatches.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (7)

Hermes

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The factory can only produce 15 a month because much of the entire process is done by hand.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (8)

Hermes

Those double magnifying glasses helped enhance the tiny stitches for the craftsmen.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (9)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

The chains for the handles of the bag are all hand welded.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (10)

Hermes

The metal is made malleable in this bubbling bath.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (11)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

And heated to extreme temperatures. In order to be employed as a craftsman at the factory, workers have to pass a few exams.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (12)

Hermes

These two women are making the handle of the bag. They use a mallet to flatten it out and ensure the handle is smooth.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (13)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

The tiniest of details are given great attention at the factory.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (14)

Hermes

The blade used for cutting leather looks like something you'd see in a professional kitchen.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (15)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

This worker is smoothing the leather.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (16)

Hermes

And then another worker assembles the bag.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (17)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

This woman had been training for about a week. It was her job to work in the leather.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (18)

Hermes

She says the factory makes only a few bags a month, and loves that no two bags are the same.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (19)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

It takes a lot of work to stretch the leather.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (20)

Hermes

Yes, that's a hammer being taken to the Hermès bag.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (21)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

In other parts of the factory, saddles are made. This man carefully cuts the leather.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (22)

Hermes

More hand threading goes into the saddles, too.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (23)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

Check out the heavy duty press that creates a horse head figurine.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (24)

Hermes

Everyone in the factory takes great pride in working with their hands.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (25)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

In another section of the factory, Hermès produces drawings. This woman said she spent 1,500 to 2,000 hours on a drawing.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (26)

Hermes

The detail is really incredible. And they do this by hand.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (27)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

The drawers mostly sketch and outline in black and white. Color is added later. This man is airbrushing a drawing.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (28)

Hermes

Then, the drawing is laid out on this table.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (29)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

Next, it's laid to dry. This man inspects the project, while the fan helps speed the drying process.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (30)

Hermes

Then, they are dried again above the factory on this complicated clothes line.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (31)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

Take a look at one of the finished products.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (32)

Hermes

The horse with wings is one of Hermès' symbols. There's a huge one in a rotunda in the factory.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (33)

Hermes

Advertisem*nt

Make sure that Hermès is real.

Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (34)

Flickr / autoreverse tiramisù

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Go Inside The Factory Where $10,000 Hermès Purses Are Crafted By Hand (2024)

FAQs

Where are Hermès factories located? ›

Hermès objects are manufactured mainly in France, across 54 production sites located in 11 different regions. Hermès is looking to the future with confidence and continuing to expand its production capacity by opening new sites, each on a human scale and creating 250 jobs on average.

Are Hermès bags made by hand? ›

Each bag is hand-sewn by a single artisan, and is then buffed, painted, and polished, taking up to 18 hours to make.

How long does it take to make a Hermès handbag? ›

It takes a single expert craftsperson up to 40 hours to produce a Birkin bag. The stitch on which the brand's reputation is based — the saddle — cannot be replicated by a machine, as it requires two needles simultaneously passing through the same seam.

Can a regular person buy a Birkin? ›

Only customers with an extensive purchase history at the French brand are offered the opportunity to buy “quota bags” such as the Birkin or the Kelly. This practice, dubbed “the Hermès game,” has kept the bags exclusive—but it's also ruffled many feathers.

Are Hermès purses made in China? ›

Our bags, luggage and small leather goods are produced by our artisans at approximately 12 French leather goods manufacturing facilities. All of our silk items (notably, ties and scarves) are woven and printed at our factories in the region of Lyon, the birthplace of silk.

What is the raw material of Hermès? ›

Hermès uses more than 35 different types of leather to make its goods, most of which come from calves raised in France (including our flagship “Box” leather, made using an English tanning technique), but also natural cowhide in our equestrian leather product line and “exotic” leathers such as crocodile, lizard and ...

Which is harder to get, Kelly or Birkin? ›

Well, then you've definitely heard of the infamous Kelly bags. This Hermès bag is a customer favourite but can be as tricky to obtain as Birkin bags. However, the Birkin tends to be more elusive because of its iconic status in the fashion world. It's also the price point that makes Hermès bags more attainable.

Does Hermès destroy fake bags? ›

If You Send Your Bag to Hermès For Service and They Think It's Fake, They Keep It and Destroy It - PurseBlog.

What is the most demanded Hermès bag? ›

Of all of the Hermes' bags, the most coveted one is the iconic…. birkin bag. It was actually named after actress, Jane Birkin. The bag comes in many colors, materials, and sizes.

Can you walk into an Hermès store and buy a Birkin? ›

It may take you a while, but you can buy a Birkin straight from the boutique. You just can't walk into an Hermès boutique and buy a Birkin immediately. It must be ordered, and there is a waiting list. You also can't buy the Birkin, Kelly, or most of Hermès's more iconic styles online.

What's the average cost of a Birkin bag? ›

The price of a standard Birkin 25 Togo in the USA has risen to $10,400 in 2023, while a Birkin 30 and 35 in Togo leather are now priced at $11,600 and $12,700 respectively. Even in Europe, the price for a standard Birkin 25 Togo has seen a significant increase to €8,050 in 2023.

Why is Hermès so expensive? ›

The exceptional level of craftsmanship in producing the handbag is the rationale for the company's pricing. Each Birkin takes a minimum of 18 hours to make as a single artisan hand-sews, buffs, paints and polishes the bag, according to Sotheby's.

How long is the waitlist for a Birkin bag? ›

How long is the waitlist for a brand-new Birkin? The world of Hermès Birkin bags is a rather mysterious one, so there are no set rules or timelines on how long you'd have to wait to be able to buy one.

Which bag is the most expensive? ›

The Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse reigns supreme as the world's most expensive handbag, commanding a staggering $3.8 million. This iconic masterpiece is crafted from 18-karat gold and bedecked with an astonishing 4,517 diamonds, including rare yellow and pink diamonds, exuding unparalleled luxury and opulence.

How many Hermès locations are there? ›

There are 43 Hermès stores in the United States as of April 18, 2024. The state and territory with the most number of Hermès locations in the US is California, with 9 stores, which is about 21% of all Hermès stores in the US.

Where is Hermès delivery based? ›

Hermes Europe
Company typePrivate
HeadquartersHamburg , Germany
Area servedUnited Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Germany, China, Russia
Key peopleCarole Walker (CEO)
ProductsParcel delivery
5 more rows

Are Hermès shoes made in Italy? ›

The French-based group allocates around 20% of its production to Italy and the rest to France. Hermès shoes are produced in Italy through the footwear supply chain in Parabiago, outside of Milan.

References

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