Ask for It by Name!

In Ancient Greek mythology, Hermes was a god, the son of Zeus and Maia. Hermes was the messenger of the gods, known for his inventiveness, and also the god of both merchants and thieves. Hermes is usually represented wearing winged sandals and carrying a staff entwined with serpents. (If Hermes sounds familiar, it’s because the Romans later called him Mercury.)

In 1828 an inventive modern Hermes arrived in Paris from his native Germany. Thierry Hermes first went into business making saddles and harnesses, and within a few years became known for the high quality of his products. As the Hermes enterprise expanded under Thierry’s descendants and added European royalty to its clientele, leather garments and luggage were added, and in 1928 Hermes began buying silk scarves to sell along with their clothing line. The scarves were so popular that Hermes decided to design their own, and today Hermes scarves are probably the firm’s most famous product. But the firm also still produces around 400 hand-tooled saddles every year.