Fine French Jewelry

Hermès is a French fashion house specializing in leather, ready-to-wear, and lifestyle accessories. The company was founded by Frenchman Thierry Hermes in 1837. It specialized in saddles and leather goods during those early years. The first women's collection was shown in Paris in 1929. The Hermès scarf was introduced in the early 1930s. The Kelly bag debuted in 1956 after Grace Kelly used a large crocodile handbag to hide her pregnancy. Haute Couture collection was stopped in 1956, but they continued to give shows during the European Fashion Week.


Hermès Passerelle Silver Cuff
Cuff bracelet, 2.25" diameter, 2" wide
$2100

Celebrity fans of Hermès fashions and accessories include Madonna, Martha Stewart, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, and Elle MacPherson. In 1984, actress Jane Birkin replaced her old straw purse with a leather Hermès number in 1984, and started the rage that is the Birkin bag. Today the Birkin continues to have the longest waiting list of any luxury accessory-about six years.


Hermès Lima Silver Pendant
Necklace in silver with black silk cord
$790

By 1987, women sporting Hermès carried the Constance clutch, brightly colored leather, sensuous cashmere, bold jewelry, tri-colored spectator shoes and silk ballet slippers. For men, the brand made leather jackets with Sherpa lining and trim, gabardine blazers and dashing greatcoats, and richly patterned silk ties.


Hermès Collier de Chien Bracelet
Leather bracelet, taupe with silver plated, 2.25" diameter
$1000

In 2003, following Martin Margiela, Jean-Paul Gaultier joined the house as women's ready-to-wear designer, debuting on the runway for fall/winter 2004-2005. Gaultier put a high-fashion spin on the label's equestrian roots, with super-luxurious sheared mink jackets, velvet jodhpurs, and fringed blanket jackets. In June 2004, perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena took a post as the in-house perfumer and launched several scents that have amassed cultish popularity.

As of 2008, Hermès has 14 product divisions encompassing leather, scarves, ties, menswear, women's fashion, perfume, watches, stationery, footwear, gloves, enamel, art of living, tableware, and jewelry. There are over 240 Hermès boutiques internationally, including a Wall Street location, the North American flagship on Madison Avenue, and in the fall of 2009, the first menswear-only boutique right across the street.