How did you first hear about Hermes?

[JA_UK]

My stylish aunt always loved colourful accessories and I would remember her beautiful Hermes scarves when she would come and visit. She would always tie them on me, show me how to brighten up my outfits and tell me not to mind my mum constantly moaning about me always wearing dark coloured clothes in my rebellions teen years! When I graduated from Uni in 2000 (yes I’m old lol) I bought my first Hermes scarf as a treat to myself and continued buying them once in a while until I bought my first bag in 2008. I dont see my aunt much as she retired abroad but every time I wear an Hermes scarf it always evokes good memories of her.

 

[allanrvj]

This ad in a magazine, years ago. I had known about the leather goods, but not the other offerings of H. This image sticks with me- so inviting and beautiful.

View attachment 5850196

I believe this is a part of the fairytale series of ads H had before, and this one in particular was inspired by The Princess and the Pea

Other ones I could find:

Cinderella


Little Mermaid

 

[Jeanneret]

My first memories date back to my ealy childhood in 1980´s. My maternal grandmother wore many different silk scarfes and she used Hermes parfum lavishly. My late mother had a very nice boucle sellier sterling silver bracelet. they both were fashianble women with fine taste in style and interior design. the quality of the materials and the colours of the scarfes are so vivid in my memories. this must have been the starting point for the love of hermes.
forcasting my universal generosity, i saved up enough money to buy my two years older sister a present for her 18th birthday. i went to my local hermes store and heard my heart beat in my head of excitement. this was my first purchase with hermes. it was a very nice leather keychain, barenia with contrast stiching. twenty and some years later i would purchase the first bag, herbag in black for my whife as her first Hermes bag. followed by some more... thank you for bringing up this thread!

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[lill_canele]

This thread has been a great read! Thank you all for sharing your fun and wonderful stories.

Tbh, I don't exactly recall when I first heard of Hermes.

During my research on handbags and luxury brands, sometime in 2015? 2016? I do remember watching Charles Gross's earliest Youtube videos when he spoke about "the big three": LV, Chanel, Hermes and how he got into being a personal shopper etc.
At the time I was more interested in Chanel, but I was like, huh, Hermes? Okay, that's nice. Moving on.
But after that video and watching some more here and there, I vaguely recall hearing about Hermes in the past, I just don't remember exactly. Probably because I wasn't interested in luxury at the time. Oh have times changed.

 

[handbagparfait]

I made my first trip to Paris in the mid-1990s and discovered that all the fashionable Parisian women were wearing black trousers, black shirts, black heels, black bag and a colorful silk scarf. I had never seen anything like it! I grew up in a hot and humid climate, so wearing all black was not something I was used to. I asked my French boyfriend where I could find a beautiful, colorful silk scarf and he told me to go to Hermès.
I had to save up my money for a long time to buy one. But, I continued to buy H silks for years before I ever learned about the Birkin and Kelly!

 

[sihetho]

I grew up in Milan in the 70s and 80s so Hermes,Chanel etc. have always been quietly in the background when going for a stroll in via Montenapoleone and surroundings.
When I was a teenager I was more interested in Fiorucci,Moschino (when Franco Moschino was still alive), Gaultier etc...but the appreciation for Hermes workmanship has always been there.

 

[CTLover]

In the 1970's My Mom was the executive assistant to the CEO of a shoe company. Buyers etc would give her Hermès scarfs, which she did not like (she wasn't a scarf person back then). My sister and I thought they were gorgeous, so Mom would give them to us, and tell us they came from a very exclusive French company. In college I went to school in France, and a lot of the women wore Hermès, and I went to the store in Paris. When I was a student/young professional in NY in the 1980's, I shopped in the 57th street store.

 

[CTLover]

I was reading a magazine in the waiting room of my doctor in 2007 or was it 2008. Suddenly I saw this cool yet elegant black shiny trapezoid shaped bag carried by a model. The next day I started searching a boutique from 'that brand' called Hermès. Maybe a couple of weeks later I went to that boutique witch was 1.5 hours traveling. Outside I was thinking cr*p it's a very chic shop! Exhaled and went in. Did some browsing and fancied a gorgeous scarve. I remember the silver chain d'ancre bracelet around the wrist of the male sa when he was wrapping on my scarf. And I also saw him sizing me up, feeling very intimidated, but I didn't fling. Gave him a big smile/grin. Bye my next visit I asked him for a Kelly. He sold me an ebene chevre retourne with PH. That thing was heavy though.

LOL, I remember those days when Kellys were on display and all you had to do is point to it, and, if you had the money, you could walk out with it.

 

[stacy_natalie]

A little late to the party but have enjoyed reading this thread. I recall first hearing about Hermès as a child when my mother was referencing the brand and explaining that "a scarf costs like $1000" as if it was outrageous. My parents actually lived in France when I was born and my father was a poor medical student (they are from the US but he attended medical school in France). They used to regale me with stories about their exposure to the finer things in life they couldn't afford at the time (dinner at a professor/doctor's home who literally rang a bell and staff members would come running, visit to a chocolate factory where my father apparently pulled up a chair as if it were a buffet when offered free samples at end of tour). I distinctly recall the Hermès comment for some reason and even though quote insignificant, it stuck with me. Not sure if she really said $1000 in exaggeration or maybe it was "a scarf costs $100" as if even that was outrageous back then. I checked and it appears price of scarves were around $130 back in 1980 and have gone up approximately $100 each decade since then. Can you imagine being able to scoop them up for $100 now?! Anyway, what really put H on the map for me in recent years of escalating popularity, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit but recall seeing those celebrity gossip magazines frequently featuring Lindsay Lohan and the likes carrying their Birkins, which were made out to be extremely expensive and were likely a fraction of what they cost today. if I recall correctly were maybe a few thousand dollars and at the time, I couldn't fathom spending that on a handbag! LOL

 

[katarzynaanna]

I've been addicted to Ellena's perfumes for a while (since 2010 or so), which naturally means buying Hermes (and having to go to the boutique to get Hermessence).

 

[CTLover]

A little late to the party but have enjoyed reading this thread. I recall first hearing about Hermès as a child when my mother was referencing the brand and explaining that "a scarf costs like $1000" as if it was outrageous. My parents actually lived in France when I was born and my father was a poor medical student (they are from the US but he attended medical school in France). They used to regale me with stories about their exposure to the finer things in life they couldn't afford at the time (dinner at a professor/doctor's home who literally rang a bell and staff members would come running, visit to a chocolate factory where my father apparently pulled up a chair as if it were a buffet when offered free samples at end of tour). I distinctly recall the Hermès comment for some reason and even though quote insignificant, it stuck with me. Not sure if she really said $1000 in exaggeration or maybe it was "a scarf costs $100" as if even that was outrageous back then. I checked and it appears price of scarves were around $130 back in 1980 and have gone up approximately $100 each decade since then. Can you imagine being able to scoop them up for $100 now?! Anyway, what really put H on the map for me in recent years of escalating popularity, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit but recall seeing those celebrity gossip magazines frequently featuring Lindsay Lohan and the likes carrying their Birkins, which were made out to be extremely expensive and were likely a fraction of what they cost today. if I recall correctly were maybe a few thousand dollars and at the time, I couldn't fathom spending that on a handbag! LOL

I actually bought an Hermès scarf in the 57th Street store in 1980. It was Les Cles in pink. It cost $100 and with tax it came to $105.

 

[belgravia]

I read Vogue from the time I was 13, and the gorgeous Hermes ads always caught my eye. And I vividly remember as a teenager visiting the H boutique in Vancouver when it was tiny and located in Holt Renfrew.

 

[Beauty2c]

I first noticed the beautiful Hermes ties the company (where I worked) CEO used to wear and bragged about. Later my husband gifted me a Hermes silk scarf when he came back from Europe business trip. I did not know he has such good taste. Only Later I became aware of the Kelly bags from this movie in 2003.
Le Divorce, staring Kate Hudson, turned an Hermes bag from a status symbol, into an influential character. The red crocodile Kelly bag featured gold hardware, and became a huge part of Hudson’s role. Due to the expense of using this bag as a prop, it even had a stunt double – an identical knockoff that was used any time the original piece had to get banged up.

 

[stacy_natalie]

I actually bought an Hermès scarf in the 57th Street store in 1980. It was Les Cles in pink. It cost $100 and with tax it came to $105.

So I guess it makes sense that maybe she did say $100. It's just hard to imagine that seeming like "alot" for an Hermès scarf these days (warped perception). Thanks for validating

 

[LifelongLearner]

I learned of this brand a few years ago when I started researching the “perfect daytime handbag” and realized it was the Birkin because it is simple, the handles have flexibility and give which is very comfortable, and it has soft sides which I find visually appealing, but could not find in any other handbag out there. I wanted a top handle tote because I am so petite that constantly flexing my shoulder and neck muscles to keep shoulder bags on left me with tension headaches. Much prefer engaging biceps. I also wanted one big compartment. Basically, it was the perfect handbag.

Then I learned what a charming brand it was. I loved the petit H concept. I loved the equestrian theme because I have owned 4 horses in my lifetime. The house has a very happy and recreational vibe.

In the beginning, I made some newbie mistakes in the leather, color, size, and hardware combos and recently started over armed with lessons learned (and this forum). However, I am still in the beginning stages of my journey because I have not yet had the nerve to step into an H store, and stick rather introvertedly to Fashionphile. One day.