Hermès

About Hermès

Hermès began as a harness workshop supporting movement between horse and rider, then extended artisan knowledge into leather, silk, clothing, watches, and perfume. Fragrance is treated as a distinct métier connecting material, story, and the freedom of the wearer.

History

Thierry Hermès opened a harness and saddle workshop in Paris in 1837. As transport and daily life changed, the house expanded into bags and other personal objects, and perfumery became a substantial métier in 1951. Jean-Claude Ellena became the in-house perfumer in 2004, and Christine Nagel later succeeded him.

The fragrance history grew from early landmarks into collections built around gardens, materials, journeys, and the relationship between a person and the surrounding world. The continuity comes from craft rather than from repeating one fixed olfactory style.

Philosophy & Signature Style

The artisan's practice of reading a material's character and finding a form suited to use also guides the fragrances. Leather, gardens, travel, stories, and ordinary objects become subjects, while air, texture, and open space often matter more than sheer density. A small number of precise lines can suggest a complete scene.

The house also links beauty with function. Bottles, travel sprays, and refill systems are conceived as objects to handle and keep, extending the same attention to utility that shaped its equestrian beginnings. Perfumer authorship remains visible inside that broader house language.

Iconic Fragrances

Important Hermès fragrances include Calèche, Terre d'Hermès, Un Jardin sur le Nil, Voyage d'Hermès, Galop d'Hermès, Twilly d'Hermès, H24, and Barénia.