The concierge of
the Faubourg store

Thomas Collette

General Manager, Hermès Paris Faubourg Saint Honoré

Hermès Paris Faubourg Saint Honoré—the very first Hermès store—has barely changed in almost a century. Its spirit continues to be carried on by Hermès stores around the world—but what exactly is this spirit? We talk to Thomas Collette, the general manager of the Faubourg store.

A place where Hermès lives and breathes

—A labyrinthine store

One thing I realised after spending many years in the Faubourg store is that there is no other building like this—and that is what draws customers to this place. You see, the store’s design is back to front! It’s a place designed to let you enjoy the sensation of becoming lost, which is the opposite concept of the stores we design nowadays. You can feel the history of the place in the artworks hanging on the walls and breathe in the store’s distinctive air. The store is a wonderful chaos, and it is our job to bring this atmosphere to life with a spark of madness.

—A place of constant discovery

The Faubourg store is like a nutty machine. Entering it is like stepping into a washing machine drum, turning you this way and that to the many different things happening in every direction. But from time to time, if you focus your gaze, you’ll see something that tickles. When you visit the Faubourg store, I hope you will take your time wandering through this complex building. Even now, I’ll sometimes stop in front of something and think, “Interesting. I hadn’t noticed that perspective or that detail”.

—Where past and present intermingle

What’s quite fascinating about the store is that there are lots of paintings and other works on the walls. Some are a bit unusual! We sometimes place these older works near the products in the latest collection, but the incredible thing is it all blends together naturally. We’re creating a real synergy between objects from the past and present-day objects. This is the kind of dynamic you can only find in a place with history like the Faubourg store.

—The people who make the store

Bringing the spirt of the Faubourg to life is about creating a balanced mosaic—a Faubourg mosaic—from the people who have been at the store for 47 years and those who only been there for a month. This coexistence is important for the spirit of the Faubourg to be transferred from one generation to the next. We need to pass on the stories and anecdotes involving the staff who have been here for 10, 15, 20, and 30 years. These stories are part of Hermès’s heritage.

—The best time to be in the store

My favourite time is the end of the day. I’m talking about the last half hour before the store closes. I try to make myself available during this time to get a precise idea of how the day went, to discuss topics with the team, and to see the customers. It’s a time during which things inside the store are still extremely vivid, but you can feel the curtains inevitably coming down. There is a distinctive atmosphere inside the store just after it closes. It’s a particular feeling when the store is empty.

—A place close to the Faubourg spirit

My favourite place in the store, where I spend the most time, is the foot of the central staircase—the very same staircase you go up and down when you visit the Faubourg store! From here, I can see the menswear section on my right, the diaries on my left, and the womenswear behind me. I can also see the equestrian section, entrance door, and upper floors—it’s like a 360-degree view of the store. Being on that spot allows me to feel the spirit of the Faubourg.

—A Faubourg memory

At Christmastime, the teams that work up to the holidays organise carolling inside the store. Last year, at 10:20 am on 23 December, the teams dressed up to sing and dance for the customers. Of course, they reworked some of the lyrics to make them more “Faubourg”!

©️Dolorès MARAT

Thomas Collette

Collette is the general manager of Hermès Paris Faubourg Saint Honoré. This is his 5th year as general manager, and he has been with Hermès for over 20 years. Before that, he served as commercial director for John Lobb Bootmaker in Europe, the Middle East, and India. During his time with Hermès, Collette has been stationed in Singapore as regional director for South Asia—covering the Middle East and Southeast Asia markets—and has served over 3 years as a retail supervisor.

Photo: Olgaç Bozalp