Former Hermès chief executive dies
04/05/2010
Jean-Louis Dumas is widely credited with rejuvenating Hermès after he took over the running of the firm from his father in 1978. He stepped down in 2006, handing over to current chief executive, Patrick Thomas, the first chief executive the company has had from outside the founding family.
Among the ideas Mr Dumas brought to breathe life back into Hermès was wider use of exotic leathers, in products that included python motorcycle jackets and ostrich skin trousers. However, one of the most famous products he introduced was the Birkin bag.
Legend has it that Mr Dumas met actress Jane Birkin on a flight from London to Paris in 1984 and noticed that she was carrying all her belongings around in a battered beach-bag made of straw. She told the Hermès boss that she found it impossible to track down a bag that was right for her. He invited her to visit the Hermès workshop in Paris and the Birkin bag was the result.
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