French luxury house Hermès, known for its leather goods and silk scarves, has entered the premium cosmetics market with a fresh new beauty offering.
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Dubbed ‘Rouge Hermès,’ the beauty debut includes 24 shades of lipstick and will be available in two popular finishes – matte and satin. It will be sold exclusively in Hermès boutiques located across 35 countries and online globally, from 4th March.
Other beauty objects accompanying the new lipsticks include a lip care balm, ‘Poppy’ lip shine, a universal lip pencil, and a lip brush in lacquered wood. A collection of leather accessories – cases and a moon mirror – round out the beauty line.
Founded in France in 1837 as a saddle maker, beauty is the heritage brands’ 16th metier or product category to be launched by the family-owned company, which continues to find ways to increase sales growth.
The group reported a 10% rise in comparable annual sales to almost 6 billion euros in 2018.
“We approach this new métier in our own way, and with a great deal of pleasure. Hermès Beauty is part of who we are: a house where everything comes from creation, driven by artisans who seek to accompany the men and women of today with elegance, and with the integrity and authenticity that we represent,” said Axel Dumas, CEO of Hermès since 2013, and sixth-generation family member.
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As of June 2019, Hermès boasted a network of 310 stores in over 44 countries. At year-end, the group employed more than 14,700 people worldwide, including more than 9,000 in France. Hermès will publish its 2019 earnings in late February.