SPECIAL CONTENTS

Unboxing 7 stories
about the orange box

Tradition and invention, the touch of the artisan, and the innovation of the creators—all this awaits you each time you untie the ribbon of an orange box from Hermès. For its finale, Lanterne Hermès leaves you with seven stories that trace the history of the orange box—an iconic object in its own right.

The first Hermès box

What was the first Hermès box? It was a wooden packing case—a typical container at the time for transporting harnesses and bridles, which is what Hermès was initially known for.

It was Charles-Émile Hermès (1831 – 1916) who took over the family business from his father in 1880 and set up the family’s saddlery at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

The cream-white box

Around 1925, Hermès created this small box to package a clutch called the Bouclier—a classic of French couture.

The box features a cream-white background, golden edges, and the Hermès branding used at the time: “Hermès,” below which is printed “24 Faub Saint-Honoré”—“Faub” being short for “Faubourg”—and below that, “Paris”. This branding would continue to accompany Hermès’s objets, marked outside on the box as well as on the objets inside.

The orange box

World War II was drawing to a close, and Hermès’s box maker had a problem: they were all out of the cream-white boxes with the gold edging that had given Hermès products such a touch of elegance. All that was left was orange paper—the kind that nobody wanted. Hermès had no choice but to switch to using orange boxes.

However, the warm tone and grain of the orange recalled the maison’s leather items. In the 1960s, Hermès reinterpreted this choice as one of ingenuity, transforming what had been a last resort into the joyous banner of its orange revolution.

The Bolduc ribbon

It all starts with the yarn, which comes from Egypt. The yarn is dyed and then spooled before being woven. Hermès ribbons are woven on shuttle looms that are over 50 years old—true artisan looms.

Once the ribbon is woven, a design is engraved on steel cylinders—a process requiring specialist knowledge—and printed on the ribbon with inks that are produced in-house at Hermès.
The ribbons are then packed and sent out to Hermès stores worldwide.

Custom boxes

Hermès also designs custom boxes, such as for exceptional bags decorated with gold and diamonds and special orders from Ateliers Horizons or petit h. Each prototype is designed freely with specialist input from Hermès’s suppliers and cardboard manufacturers.

Most of the times, the prototype ends up being the final packaging as the attention to quality and details are at the heart of each creation at Hermès. For example, look at the orange box developed for Eric Clapton’s guitar case!

A playful spirit

One Christmas, inside the Faubourg display window, there was an immensely long box designed to make passersby wonder what could be inside. Perhaps it was meant to represent a specific objet in the same way as the glove box, Kelly bag box, or boot box.

This was the octopus box. It was created on a whimsy—after all, window displays should always be fun!

Orange but green

Recycling is a very important issue for Hermès. The paper used in the orange box has been made by the same French supplier for over 70 years.

This paper is FSC certified, meaning it comes from sustainably managed forests where economic, social, and environmental aspects of production are monitored. The tissue paper lining the box is also FSC certified, while the glues used to make the box are water-based, and therefore natural.