Will You Let Hermès Kiss Your Lips?

The promise of a perfect pout comes encased in the world’s most desired orange box—will you let Hermès kiss your lips?

- Kenneth Goh

On a cold winter’s day in Paris, a troop of fellow journalists from around the world gathers at the offices of Hermès to hear something so top secret, so closely guarded, that we all have to surrender our passports and sign non-disclosure agreements. We’ve all been flown here to witness a historic moment at this esteemed French house—the pinnacle of luxury and refinement.

We huddle in a room with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Artistic Director of Hermès, who promptly introduces us to Bali Barret, Artistic Director of the Hermès women’s universe; Pierre Hardy, Creative Director for Hermès shoes and jewellery; and Jérôme Touron, Creative Director for Hermès Beauty. It’s a powerful cast of creatives from Hermès in one room—I’ve certainly never witnessed this in my 20-year fashion career. And they’re all here to talk about one very special $103 tube of coloured pigment and wax. Ironic, really, when just downstairs, the never-ending queue for the brand’s $10,000-a-pop iconic bags is the stuff of legend, books and movies.

I soon learn that beauty at Hermès is a lot more than just some nice-smelling, coloured wax. “Beauty at Hermès started exactly 182 years ago,” says Dumas, revealing that its very first customer was a horse—and sharing how Thierry Hermes, then a craftsman at the House, made a harness for it. Harnesses then were extremely ornate, to reflect the owner’s wealth, importance and power. Hermès stripped all of that, and made the harness as light, as functional and as minimal in order to reveal the natural beauty of the horse. “It is about revealing as opposed to masking,” says Dumas, “about enhancing what is naturally there, and creating elegance, comfort and pleasure, so that we’re the best of ourselves.”