JEAN-LOUIS DUMAS, THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF HERMES AND ONE OF EUROPE'S GREATEST EXPERTS ON LUXURY, DIED SATURDAY MORNING AFTER A LONG ILLNESS. DUMAS, THE GREAT GREAT GRANDSON OF THIERRY HERMES, WHO FOUNDED THE FAMED LUXURY LABEL IN 1837, HAD BEEN PRESIDENT OF HERMES FOR 18 YEARS UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 2006. FAMOUSLY ELEGANT, AND NOTED FOR HIS INVENTIVE AND CURIOUS MIND, DUMAS WAS REGARDED AS THE DRIVING FORCE IN HERMES' REMARKABLE FLOWERING IN THE PAST THREE DECADES, AS THE LABEL GREW FROM LARGELY A LEATHER GOODS BUSINESS INTO A MAJOR LEAGUE LUXURY BRAND. 'IT IS WITH A PROFOUND EMOTION AND GREAT SADNESS THAT THE HOUSE OF HERMES ANNOUNCES THE DEATH OF MONSIEUR JEAN-LOUIS DUMAS', THE HOUSE SAID IN A RELEASE MONDAY. 'POET AND MAGICIAN, LOVER OF CREATION AND QUALITY, ATTENTIVE TO ALL, HE SEWED THE DEEPEST BONDS WITH THE STAFF, SUPPLIERS AND CLIENTS', THE RELEASE ADDED. FLUENT IN ENGLISH WELL BEFORE MANY FRENCH EXECUTIVES OF HIS ERA, DUMAS TAPPED INTO HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS A BUYER FOR BLOOMINGDALE'S WHEN HE JOINED HERMES IN 1964, AFTER A LEGENDARY TRIP TO INDIA IN A CITROEN 'DEUX CHEVAUX' AUTOMOBILE TO KATMANDU, NEPAL. HE THREW OPEN THE DOORS OF HERMES TO WIDELY VARYING OUTSIDE IDEAS; CREATING A POLICY WHEREBY ANYONE CAN SUBMIT A SKETCH TO THE HOUSE WHICH, IF DEEMED FINE ENOUGH, WILL BE TURNED INTO A SCARF. AND IT WAS DUMAS WHO REQUESTED SINGER JANE BIRKIN TO DEVELOP ONE OF THE LABEL'S MOST ICONIC PRODUCTS, THE BIRKIN BAG. IN THE THREE DECADES AT THE HELM, DUMAS HELPED TRANSFORM HERMES FROM A COMPANY WITH ANNUAL SALES OF $53 MILLION, TO ONE WITH 2009 TURNOVER OF $2.5 BILLION. DUMAS' CHILDREN SANDRINE AND PIERRE ALEXIS SURVIVE HIM. HIS MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD IN THE REFORMED CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PARIS THIS COMING FRIDAY.
No comments:
Post a Comment