Class Is In Session

The eminent house of Hermès demonstrates its rightful leadership in the luxury sphere through a host of arts and craftsmanship programmes by its foundation, as Yanni Tan discovers.

- Yanni Tan

Behind every great company in the luxury sphere is a mission to not just sustain the artisanal know-how that is the backbone of its success, but to preserve and refine such creative skills for heritage and posterity. Since its launch in 2008, the Fondation d’entreprise HermeÌ€s has spearheaded a diversity of training and learning activities throughout the world, which are complemented by an evolving calendar of external projects and initiatives.

Headquartered in Paris at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honore, the foundation is governed by this single, over-arching belief: “Our gestures define us”. Olivier Fournier, HermeÌ€s’ Executive Vice-President for Corporate Development and Social Affairs, and also President of the Fondation d’entreprise HermeÌ€s, elaborates: “HermeÌ€s is a house with strong craftsmanship and humanist values, both part of its DNA since the very beginning. The actions and home-grown programmes driven by the foundation, whose aim is to promote these values, are dedicated to people building tomorrow’s world. In fields such as creation, know-how, biodiversity, and solidarity, nothing is possible without transmission and learning.”

Currently, the foundation runs eight major programmes across various sectors that have a combined focus on skills, creativity and transmission. And they are impressive. New Settings is an annual programme supporting new theatrical productions at the frontier of performing arts. Artists In The Community is another performing arts programme that features mainly artist-led initiatives supporting young artists, and promoting knowledge transmission and citizens’ voices.