The Wall Street Journal has a few “must-reads” regarding “The Battle for Hermès” with LVMH’s Bernard Arnault. The article, written by Dana Thomas, features a visit to Paris and an exclusive interview with Hermès’s CEO, Patrick Thomas:
“Hermès and LVMH are at the two extremes of the culture and industry of luxury,” Hermès’s CEO, Patrick Thomas, the first nonfamily member to run the 174-year-old company, told me over lunch in the company’s dining room at the Faubourg Saint-Honoré headquarters in June. “We are artisans and creative. We try to produce the most beautiful products in this industry. The artisans put their heart and soul in the bag and when the client buys it, they buy a bit of the ethic of Hermès. For six generations, the same family has run Hermès. That has given this company something no other company has. Our combat with LVMH is not an economic fight, it’s a cultural fight. We try to do poetry and we get excellent economic results. We must protect that.” – read more here…
The second feature takes us “Inside the Hermès Ateliers.” Photographer Brigitte Lacombe’s exclusive tour of the back rooms and ateliers of the celebrated French fashion house illustrates why Hermès is the coveted jewel that LVMH’s Bernard Arnault wants for his crown.
