The collections are currently being developed and formulated in-house, but manufactured by third-party suppliers in France and Italy.
Luxury fashion houses venturing into the cosmetics industry is nothing new (see Chanel, Dior, Saint Laurent and Burberry), so it’s about time Hermès – one of the oldest French designer labels – joins in the ranks.
The house, traditionally famed for its leather goods like the ever-coveted Birkin bag, first entered the beauty world with a fragrance line in the 1960s. Next year, however, it will be expanding its beauty range lineup to include skincare and makeup.
“It’s quite exciting. It’s a new activity, with all the risks that involves, so we will deploy it progressively, initially in our own stores mainly, in a limited distribution so that we can learn,” Hermès CEO Axel Dumas told Business of Fashion.
The collections are currently being developed and formulated in-house, but manufactured by third-party suppliers in France and Italy. In favour of ongoing sustainability efforts across industries, the new skincare and cosmetics products will be housed in plastic-free packaging.
There’s no word yet on what products will be available in the launch, but if other fashion houses are anything to go by, we’ll be looking out for Hermès cleansers, serums, moisturisers and lipsticks, for starters.
Commenting on the news to Business of Fashion, luxury analyst Mario Ortelli said, “Beauty is a great product category because it allows a low price point without diluting the brand perception. It’s also a category in which you can recruit new customers, it creates digital engagement and permits to sustain additional communication investment which are beneficial for the overall brand equity of the maison.”
Kering-owned fashion house Gucci has also sparked rumours of expanding its beauty range following the unveiling of its new Instagram account (@guccibeauty) last September.