Hermes designer defends high prices, insists cost is ‘good’ if you ‘divide by years’ it will ‘last’
Hermès designer Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski has defended the brand’s insanely high prices, insisting that the cost is actually ‘very good’ if you ‘divide it by the years’ each product will ‘last.’
The French luxury design house – which was established in 1837 – sells accessories likes purses, scarves, jewelry, belts, footwear, and watches, as well as home furnishings, perfume, makeup, and clothing.
However, it is most known for its coveted Kelly and Birkin bags – which cost an upwards of $10,000 each and are almost impossible to get your hands on, with the purses only being offered to a select few and waiting lists lasting for months.
Some of the most elite designs are even priced at hundreds thousands of dollars, with one diamond-encrusted purse selling for more than $2 million.
However, creative director Nadège, 43, said that the products at Hermès are ‘for everyone,’ despite the obscenely high prices.
Hermès designer Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski (pictured) has defended the brand’s high prices, insisting that the cost is actually ‘very good’ if you ‘divide it by the years’ each product will ‘last’
The French luxury design house – which was established in 1837 – sells accessories likes purses, scarves, footwear, jewelry, and watches, as well as perfume, makeup, and clothing
However, it is most known for its coveted Kelly and Birkin bags (pictured) – which cost an upwards of $10,000 each and are almost impossible to get your hands on
Some of the most elite designs are even priced at hundreds thousands of dollars, with one diamond-encrusted purse selling for more than $2 million (pictured)
She insisted to Harpers Bazaar in a recent interview that the cost for the purses are ‘very good’ if you consider how long they will last, adding that she hopes they will be passed down from generation to generation.
However, creative director Nadège, 43, said that the products at Hermès are ‘for everyone,’ despite the obscenely high prices
‘It’s pop,’ she told the outlet of the brand. ‘It’s strange to say that Hermès is « democratic, » but I really believe it is.
‘Good taste is for everybody. You can say, « OK, I’m buying this piece, and it’s a piece that is going to last. » If you divide it by the years that it lasts, it’s actually a very good rate.
‘The idea of craftsmanship is not just excelling in a technique. It’s also the transmission of knowledge … and the transmission of an object from a mother to a child.’
Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Kate Moss, Heidi Klum, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, and the Kardashians have all been spotting holding the lavish bags over the years, with Kylie Jenner calling her Hermès Birkin handbag – which was made from crocodile skin – one of her most prized processions in 2018.
‘If my house was on fire, I would take this one, out of all of them, if I could only chose one,’ she said in a social media video, while adding that she sees her collection of handbags as ‘an investment.’
She insisted to Harpers Bazaar in a recent interview that the cost for the purses are ‘very good’ if you consider how long they will last. Lindsay Lohan is spotted with a Hermès bag in 2007
Nadège added that she hopes the purses will be passed down from generation to generation. Cardi B is pictured with a Hermès bag
Although the bag appeared to be a custom design made specifically for Kylie, it was strikingly similar to the Hermès Himalayan crocodile Birkin bag, which retailed for $480,000.
Hermès most expensive bag is the Sac Bijou Birkin – which came out in 2012 as part of the Haute Bijouterie Collection and is crafted from rose gold and has more than 2,000 diamonds on it.
Only three of the bags were made at the time, until it was re-released in 2019, and it is said to cost more than $2 million – which means that even if you kept the bag for 200 years, it would still cost you $10,000 a year.
The Hermès Faubourg Birkin is also one of the brand’s most sought-after bags, costing $240,000, while the Diamond Birkin sells for $260,000.
While the uninitiated might assume that the glamorous fashion brand would happily take anyone’s money, Hermès’ bags are nearly impossible to purchase.
They aren’t sold at Hermès’ stores or on its website – instead, customers have to put their names down on a waiting list and get close with a sales associate just for a chance to be offered the opportunity to buy one of the extravagant purses.
Kylie Jenner called her Hermès Birkin handbag – which was made from crocodile skin – one of her most prized processions in 2018. ‘If my house was on fire, I would take this one,’ she said
Although the bag appeared to be a custom design made specifically for Kylie, it was strikingly similar to the Hermès Himalayan crocodile Birkin bag (pictured), which retailed for $480,000
The Hermès Faubourg Birkin (left) is also one of the brand’s most sought-after bags, costing $240,000, while the Diamond Birkin (right) sells for $260,000
The bags are being guarded by the brand to maintain exclusivity, but Nadège pointed out that their other items are much more accessible.
‘You also have things that are maybe more accessible: the bracelets, the makeup, the scarf,’ she added to Harpers Bazaar.
Hermès bracelets range from $275 to $2,175 in price, while scarves can cost between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on the size.
As for the makeup, some Hermès lip sticks cost $69 while others are priced at $350, while its blush sells for $78. It also offers a $45 nail polish.
Earlier this month, a TikToker named Audrey Peters, 24, revealed just how hard it is to buy one of Hermès’ bags, explaining that shoppers must be ‘offered’ the chance – and to get that offer, they must not only shop at Hermès frequently, but develop a relationship with a specific sales associate and diversify their purchases.
While a celebrity may get to skirt the rules, regular people – even the rich ones – need to build favor at their local boutique before bagging a Birkin or a Kelly.
‘If you are looking to purchase an Hermès Kelly or Birkin directly from the store, there is a process in how you get ahold of it,’ she said.
The bags are being guarded by the brand to maintain exclusivity, but Nadège pointed out that their other items are much more accessible – like scarves and bracelets
‘Essentially what you do is pick one sales associate. You text her how she’s doing, you check in with her and see what new stock they have.
‘Go visit basically as often as you can that’s realistic for your bank account and for your schedule.
‘And whenever you go, it’s suggested that you buy a little something-something. Basically every item that you’re buying is getting you closer to getting an offer for a Kelly or a Birkin.
‘Because the more you buy, the more likely a sales associate is to give you an offer for one.
‘That being said, it is suggested that you spread your purchases. Buy one pair of shoes, then a blanket, then a teacup,’ she went on, explaining that shoppers should ‘diversify’ among different categories.
‘It’s widely known as the baiting process because you’re trying to get your sales associate to take the bait and let you get the Kelly. It is literally a mind game.’
Hermès bracelets range from $275 (left) to $2,175 (right) in price, while scarves can cost between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on the size
As for the makeup, some Hermès lip sticks cost $69 (left) while others are priced at $350, while its blush sells for $78 (right). It also offers a $45 nail polish
Earlier this month, a TikToker named Audrey Peters (pictured with Hermès shoes), 24, went viral after she revealed just how hard it is to buy one of Hermès’ bags
She said customers must not only shop at Hermès frequently, but develop a relationship with a specific sales associate and diversify their purchases if they want a Birkin or Kelly bag
What’s more, the better a customer someone proves to be, the higher chance they have of getting offered the chance to buy ‘rare’ bags in special materials and colorways.
‘The stronger your profile and relationship with your sales associate, the more likely you are to get offered very rare bags that are upwards of $50,000 resale,’ she added.
Charles Gorra, founder and CEO of luxury resale site Rebag, confirmed that it’s hard to get a Birkin and that Hermès creates that difficulty on purpose.
‘The process of buying an Hermès Birkin bag on the primary market is shrouded in mystery to keep the allure of exclusivity,’ he told Insider last year.
‘Hermès tightly controls inventory and keeps the retail price of a Birkin secret, while having periodic price increases. Simply walking into an Hermès store isn’t enough because they give regular clients priority.’
As for the future of the brand, Nadège explained to the magazine that she is determined to maintain ‘imagination, desire, and pleasure’ in all of Hermès’ products.
‘If you put too much [emphasis on] analysis and algorithm, it’s a product, not an object anymore. … With an object, there is also imagination, desire, and pleasure,’ she concluded.