The Hermes orange box is a legend and, as such, its origins remain a mystery. The first boxes, made to package new objects, small leather goods, travel bags and clothing, are cream coloured with gold lining along the edges, then beige with brown lining. World War Two breaks out, bringing rations and shortages. The paper-box maker runs out of stock. According to an early version of the story, the maker still had some plain orange paper left. Until then, this paper had not been very popular. Hermes turns this to its advantage, using up the entire stock.
After the war ends, Hermes seizes upon this colour and proves to be a visionary. Although, in the collective unconscious of the West, orange bears the mark of infamy, and is considered a sub-colour, like purple and brown, on the other side of the world, in the Far East, it is the symbol of serenity, wisdom, balance and joie de vivre all wrapped up in one. For a long time in France, orange did not have a name. It was nothing but a blend, banished by the Bible, condemned by the Inquisition. Yet only a few centuries earlier, the Muses' dresses in Greek mythology were orange...Anyway, Hermes was determined to be a pioneer. When the managers of the House were asked "Why orange?" sixty years ago, the proudly answered, "Because it sets us apart!" Times have changed...
Another version of the story shows a certain logic (if it was so rare for people to use the colour orange for their packaging, then why would suppliers keep producing it?), seeing in the choice of orange the exact opposite of a makeshift solution. The packing was meant to resemble as closely as possible, through its grain and bright hue, the pig skin and other types of leather used to craft Hermes objects...
Eventually logic, fiction and symbol are all reconciled by chance. Hermes owes it plenary and definitive deecision to adopt the colour orange to its clients alone. Upon leaving one of their weekly business luches in the 1960s, the three cousins of the upcoming generation, Bertrand Puech, Jean-Louis Dumas and Patrick Guerrand, noticed Hermes clients in the midst of a crowd of thousands, recognising them from afar thanks to their vibrant orange bags..."We absolutely must keep that colour!" they agreed. And a simple color sets the tone...