Jean-Louis Dumas | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jean-Louis Robert Frédéric Dumas (1938-02-02)2 February 1938 Paris, France |
| Died | 1 May 2010(2010-05-01) (aged 72) Paris, France |
| Education | Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris |
| Occupations | Businessman, designer |
| Known for | Hermès chairman and design chief |
| Board member of | Hermès |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Pierre-Alexis andSandrine Dumas |
| Relatives | Olivier Dumas [fr],Philippe Dumas [fr] (brothers) |
Jean-Louis Dumas was a Frenchbusinessman. A descendant of its founderThierry Hermès, he headedHermès from 1978 to 2006. He left his mark on the world offashion andluxury.
He began his career at Hermès in 1964, becomingmanaging director in 1971 under the supervision of his father,Robert Dumas, and thenchairman in 1978. He introduced major innovations, expanded the product range and developed Hermès' international presence. Under his leadership, Hermès diversified into areas such asready-to-wear,silk andwatchmaking, and acquired prestigious brands such asJohn Lobb andPuiforcat. The creation of theBirkin bag, following a chance meeting withJane Birkin, symbolizes the innovative spirit and success of the brand under his leadership. He retired for health reasons from the business in 2006.
Born in Paris in February 1938, Jean-Louis Dumas is the fourth of six children of Robert Dumas and Jacqueline Hermès, and the grandson ofÉmile-Maurice Hermès.[1] He is also the brother ofOlivier Dumas and the uncle ofAxel Dumas, managing director of Hermès since 2013.[2] He obtained a degree in law and economics in Paris in 1959 and a degree in political science fromSciences Po in 1960.[3] He travelled in Scandinavia andCzechoslovakia while the drummer of ajazz ensemble.[4] He did part of his military service in Algeria, during thewar for that country's independence and just before theÉvian Accords.[3] He also traveled inIran,Afghanistan, andNepal in aCitroën 2CV.[5]
He metRena Grégoriades in 1959, while she was a student at theÉcole nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art in Paris.[6] They got married in 1962.[7][8] Born in Athens in 1937, she was aninterior architect and furniture designer.[9] Rena Dumas opened her own agency, Rena Dumas Architecture Intérieure, in Paris in 1972.[10] She was responsible for the design of more than 300 Hermès boutiques, including the historic24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris.[11] They have two children:Sandrine, born in 1963 and an actress and director; andPierre-Alexis, born in 1966 and currentartistic director of Hermès.[6]
After spending a year in New York City as anassistant buyer atBloomingdale's, Dumas joinedHermès in 1964, at the age of 26, which his family had founded in 1837.[12][13] Under the supervision of his father, Robert, who was running the company at the time, he was appointedmanaging director in 1971, a position he would hold for seven years.[3]
Dumas became chairman in 1978.[1] He expanded Hermès' range of activities by developing the silk, leather andready-to-wear divisions, while integrating new trades with traditional methods.[3] He also established thehorology subsidiary, La Montre Hermès SA, inBienne, Switzerland and developed the brand's presence abroad, particularly in Europe, Asia and the United States.[3] Under his leadership, Hermès diversified intoenamel andporcelain, acquired the BritishJohn Lobb Bootmaker, theCompagnie des Cristalleries de Saint-Louis or thegoldsmithPuiforcat.[3]
Alsoartistic director of Hermès, Dumas took the gamble of appointing divisive figures to key positions, as it was the case in 1997 when he entrustedMartin Margiela with the direction of the women's ready-to-wear branch.[14] After his departure in 2003, Dumas appointedJean-Paul Gaultier as his successor, a controversial figure in fashion.[15] Gaultier's creativity, playing with the brand's emblematic leathers and silks, won over the public and led to a significant increase in sales of the craft.[3] In 1978, he also entrustedLeïla Menchari with decorating the windows of the Faubourg Saint Honoré shop and directing the silk colour committee.[16]
Following a chance meeting between Dumas andJane Birkin, theBirkin bag, which became one of the emblems of Hermès along with theKelly bag and thecarré de soie, was created in 1984.[17][15] The actress, sitting next to Dumas on the plane, expressed the need for a practical bag for a young mother that could hold scripts and diapers.[17] Birkin proposed the idea of a bag larger than the existing Kelly bag.[17] In return, Dumas agreed to make the bag, promising to give it the name ″Birkin″ if she approved the design, which she did.[17]
In 1993, Dumas led the successfulinitial public offering of Hermès, in which the family still holds a 66.7% stake.[4]
Jean-Louis Dumas directed and transformed Hermès until 2006, when he retired from the group for health reasons.[18] He left the reins of the company toPatrick Thomas, the first company director not to be a descendant ofThierry Hermès.[19] He ensured the company's financial independence and success as well as family cohesion.[3] Many descendants of Thierry Hermès still hold management positions within the group today, such asAxel Dumas, Jean-Louis' nephew and managing director, orPierre-Alexis, his son, who took over the position ofartistic director in 2005.[20]
Jean-Louis Dumas died in Paris on 1 May 2010, at the age of 72.[19] A passionate photographer, always having aLeicacamera close, he took photographs all his life.[3] In 2008, his daughterSandrine Dumas held an exhibition of them at theMaison européenne de la photographie, in Paris, entitledJean-Louis Dumas : Photographe.[21]
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