Latest news with #BirkinandKelly
Fashion United
02-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
PETA attends Hermès meeting, calls for vegan bags; Dumas speaks of ‘ethical farms'
'When will Hermès ban wild animal skins and embrace ethical luxury by launching vegan Birkin and Kelly bags?' This was the question that PETA, which owns shares in the French company, put to chief executive officer Axel Dumas on April 30, during Hermès's general meeting. 'The action follows PETA's new DIY video on YouTube, which has garnered over one million views across all platforms and shows a fashion blogger teaching her audience how to make an 'Hermès Birkin bag' from scratch, starting with a live three-year-old crocodile,' explained PETA, an acronym for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in a statement. 'Numerous designer brands are ditching deadly, destructive wild animal skins, but Hermès is still clinging to the same old cruelty,' said Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of PETA, urging the French company 'to use only luxury vegan materials, which do not involve the torture and killing of sentient beings'. Dumas told shareholders he was 'open to world' while rejecting PETA's request to visit an Australian intensive farm supplying Hermès together Dumas's response during the meeting, according to PETA, was an empty and shameful attempt to avoid all responsibility. Dumas told shareholders he was 'open to world' while rejecting PETA's request to join him on a visit to an Australian intensive farm supplying Hermès, where it claims crocodiles languish in tiny, dirty cages before workers electrocute them, cut their throats and stab them in the brain with screwdrivers, sometimes while they are still conscious. FashionUnited contacted Hermès for an official statement on PETA's intervention at the meeting, but has not yet received any comment. Full text of question to Hermès president Axel Dumas Here is the full text of the question to Dumas: 'My name is James Fraser and I have a question for chief executive officer Axel Dumas on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. An investigation into Australian farms owned by Hermès and its suppliers shows that crocodiles are confined to cramped cages or small concrete pens filled with dirty water before being electrocuted, dragged and mutilated with blades and screwdrivers, some while still conscious. On farms in South Africa that supply Hermès with ostrich skins, young animals spend their short lives in barren pens. At a slaughterhouse, workers force ostriches into stun boxes, causing many to slip and fall before slitting their throats. In response to the investigation, Hermès continues to mislead the public and shareholders by referring to Cites, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, knowing full well that this regulation concerns the number of animals traded, not the horrific way they are raised and killed.' 'Monsieur Dumas, selling macabre accessories made from the body parts of wild animals is tarnishing our company's reputation and alienating the conscious consumers who represent the future of luxury fashion. When will Hermès ban wild animal skins and embrace ethical luxury by launching vegan Birkin and Kelly bags?' Fraser concluded. Following Dumas's response, the animal rights association reiterated in a statement that it would not be possible to speak of 'ethical farming' as the chief executive officer of Hermès had done when, 'obviously, there is nothing moral about cramming animals into overcrowded cages and brutally slaughtering them for their skin. From Texas to Zimbabwe to South Africa, PETA has denounced the appalling conditions in which animals are raised and killed for Hermès accessories, and the fashion house will continue to be pressured by PETA until it stops selling products made from the skin of tormented animals and switches to luxury vegan materials'. PETA finally noted that many other fashion houses such as Chanel, Balenciaga, Burberry, Mulberry, Victoria Beckham, Diane von Furstenberg and Vivienne Westwood have banned the use of reptile or other wild animal skins from their collections. Hermès, AW25. Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Fashion Network
24-04-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Hermès marks 27th workshop milestone with new Colombelles facility
On April 22, French luxury house Hermès unveiled plans to develop a new leather goods workshop in Colombelles, in the Normandy region of northern France. According to the company, the project will 'create 260 artisan jobs in the long term' and will help sustain the growing success of Hermès' iconic leather goods and saddlery collections. Hermès, renowned worldwide for its Birkin and Kelly bags, continues to report record-breaking financial results. In the first quarter of 2025, the company recorded an 8.5% increase in sales, reaching €4.1 billion, despite a broader slowdown in the global luxury market. According to the official statement, the new Colombelles facility will become Hermès' 27th leather goods workshop and is slated to open by 2028. The project adds to three additional workshops already under development in L'Isle-d'Espagnac (Charente), Loupes (Gironde), and Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes). Hermès stated that it is preparing the Colombelles site 'with the support of the Caen la Mer urban community, Normandie Aménagement, and the Colombelles Town Hall.' To recruit and train artisans for the new facility, Hermès will rely on its in-house training school, the École Hermès des savoir-faire, alongside workforce support from France Travail and various local employment partners. The company reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability, choosing to build the new facility on a brownfield site that once housed the Société métallurgique de Normandie (SMN), a historic steelmaking complex active from 1917 to 1993. Since 2010, Hermès has opened 13 leather goods workshops throughout France. The company reaffirmed that all its leather production facilities are still based entirely within the country. In 2024, Hermès reported another record-breaking year, with net profit rising 6.8% to €4.6 billion and total annual sales surpassing €15 billion, marking a 13% increase. Sales of leather goods and saddlery—its core business—grew by 16.4% to €6.46 billion.
Business of Fashion
22-04-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
The Power of a Luxury Handbag
The author has shared a Podcast. You will need to accept and consent to the use of cookies and similar technologies by our third-party partners (including: YouTube, Instagram or Twitter), in order to view embedded content in this article and others you may visit in future. Subscribe to the BoF Podcast here. Background: From the legendary Hermès Birkin to recent sensations like Alaïa's Teckel, luxury handbags have long held a distinctive power within the fashion world. Blending brand heritage, practicality, and emotional resonance, handbags often become a signature item for brands to capture consumer attention and drive commercial success. But the ongoing challenge for luxury brands is maintaining innovation, managing consumer desire, and navigating a landscape rife with copycats and shifting trends. On this episode of The Debrief, senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young speaks with luxury correspondent Simone Stern Carbone about the power of an iconic handbag and the delicate balance brands must achieve to keep them relevant. Key Insights: Bags often become the most recognisable symbols of luxury brands, significantly contributing to their financial performance. For instance, Alaïa's Teckel bag – a playful, wiener dog-shaped design – helped offset the weaker performance of parent company Richemont's other fashion labels. 'That one bag was able to do so much, not just for the brand but for the larger company that the brand sits under,' says Stern Carbone. 'That just says so much about the impact that a single wiener dog-shaped bag can potentially have.' Handbags are particularly attractive as entry-level luxury items because they are recognisable status symbols. 'Consumers might not recognise jeans from Bottega, but they will recognise whether a bag is Louis Vuitton,' explains Stern Carbone. 'Bags are something that people will purchase time and time again; they will use them daily. And if done right, it really becomes the totemic product for a brand.' Successful handbag designs can become immediate targets for imitation due to limited legal protections and the ease of replicating shapes and materials. 'Once the bag gets copied, it's already over,' notes Stern Carbone, underscoring the need for continuous innovation or artificial scarcity, as mastered by Hermès with its Birkin and Kelly bags. Brands must innovate thoughtfully, staying true to their heritage and core identity rather than pursuing novelty for novelty's sake. 'Empower your creative design teams and give new voices a chance,' advises Stern Carbone. 'The beautiful thing is there's variety for everybody. Brands just need to authentically strike the cord with their loyal consumer base… and handbags are a way to do it.' Additional Resources:
Fashion United
22-04-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
In response to global demand, Hermès opens 27th leather goods workshop in France
Paris - French luxury group Hermès announced on Tuesday the establishment of a new leather goods workshop in Colombelles (Normandy) 'with the creation of 260 artisan jobs, in the long term' to support 'the success of its leather goods and saddlery collections'. Hermès, which continues to achieve record results and whose sales jumped by 8.5 percent to 4.1 billion euros in the first quarter, in a context of a slowing luxury market, will open this 27th leather goods workshop 'by 2028', according to the statement. This new project is in addition to the three other leather goods projects currently under development in L'Isle d'Espagnac (Charente), Loupes (Gironde) and Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes). Hermès, known for its Birkin and Kelly bags, 'is preparing this new site in Colombelles with the support of the Caen-la-Mer Urban Community, Normandie Aménagement and the Colombelles Town Hall', the group stated. For the recruitment of its artisans, Hermès 'will be supported by the École Hermès des savoir-faire, the France Travail teams and several local employment partners'. 'In line with its sustainable development ambitions, Hermès will build its new leather goods workshop on a plot belonging to the former site of the Société Métallurgique de Normandie (SMN), a former industrial flagship which operated in Normandy from 1917 to 1993', according to the group. Hermès has opened 13 leather goods workshops in France since 2010 and states that its leather goods workshops 'are all located in France'. In 2024, Hermès achieved another record year with net profit up 6.8 percent to 4.6 billion euros and sales exceeding 15 billion euros (+13 percent). Sales of leather goods and saddlery, its core business, jumped by 16.4 percent to 6.46 billion euros. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Planning to buy a Louis Vuitton bag? Hang on! This luxury brand has finally dethroned LV
A popular luxury brand has surpassed LVMH as Europe's most valuable luxury house due to LVMH's disappointing Q1 performance, which saw shares plunge and market capitalization fall. Investors are re-evaluating their positions as the top brand's focus on ultra-high-end clientele provides resilience against economic downturns. LVMH's broader portfolio exposes it to vulnerabilities in the mid-range luxury market, impacting the entire sector. Click to know which brand it is In a dramatic market shift, Hermès has overtaken LVMH to become Europe's most valuable luxury house by market capitalisation , following a disappointing first-quarter performance from the Louis Vuitton and Dior parent company. The baton change signals a deeper recalibration in the luxury sector, where brand positioning and clientele now count for more than ever. LVMH shares plunged by 7% on Tuesday, wiping out billions in value and pushing the group's market cap down to €246 billion, just below Hermès, which now leads at €247 billion. The tumble follows weaker-than-expected Q1 revenues, largely driven by softer spending in the US, where shoppers pulled back on beauty products and cognac, and continued sluggishness in China. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo The result? Investors are rethinking their bets. "While valuations can swing, this shift reflects diverging investor sentiment and performance trajectories,' said Jelena Sokolova, Senior Equity Analyst at Morningstar. 'Hermès' strength lies in its ultra-high-end clientele-less sensitive to economic downturns, whereas LVMH plays across a broader spectrum.' Hermès' disciplined approach, with its $10,000+ Birkin and Kelly bags and tightly controlled production (capped at 6-7% growth annually), has helped insulate it from the volatility that's currently shaking the broader luxury market. By contrast, LVMH's broader portfolio-including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany & Co., and Sephora, means greater exposure to mid-range luxury, which is proving more vulnerable. As Flavio Cereda of GAM Luxury Brands noted, 'There's short-term pain ahead. Vuitton's middle-market focus is the weak spot.' The ripple effects were visible across the sector. Gucci-owner Kering dipped 2%, Richemont (home to Cartier) slipped 0.7%, Prada dropped 4.2%, and even Hermès slid slightly down 0.3%. LVMH's 3% sales decline starkly missed analysts' forecasts of 2% growth. RBC's Piral Dadhania slashed his full-year growth forecast from 3% to zero, citing growing pressure on luxury consumption following new US tariffs and looming recession fears. The Q1 miss has cast doubt on earlier hopes of a luxury rebound in late 2024. Deutsche Bank flagged a return to 5% sales declines in LVMH's once-bulletproof fashion and leather goods segment. Adding to the gloom, Bernstein analysts revised their 2025 sector outlook, predicting a 2% decline instead of the earlier 5% growth, signalling what could be the luxury industry's longest slump in over 20 years.
