Hermes to open 24th leather goods workshop in France

The L’Isle-d’Espagnac workshop will join the South-West hub, which currently includes the Maroquinerie de Montbron (opened in 2015) as well the Maroquinerie de Nontron leather goods workshops, and the Ganterie Maroquinerie de Saint-Junien glove and leather goods workshop, which have been operating in the region for over 25 years. With this new site, Hermès is reaffirming its regional integration and its confidence in the development of its artisanal know-how in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Hermès will be recruiting from the Ecole Hermes des savoir-faire, an apprenticeship training centre accredited by the French Ministry of Education, that opened in September 2022 in Marthon in the South-West region, just a few kilometres from Nontron and Montbron. The house’s artisan-trainers are responsible for passing on Hermes’ know-how and culture. Certified by the Ministry of Education, these assessors train apprentices for the French CAP vocational qualification in leatherworking and saddlery, or for CQP vocational certificates in leather cutting and stitching.

Two cohorts of 40 apprentices join the Ecole Hermes des Savoir-Faire in Marthon each year. The next intake will start their training in September 2024, for which applications are currently open, the company said in a press release.

This new facility is located 4 kilometres from Angoulême town centre, on the site of the former Bel-Air airfield, which is now a ZAC (urban development zone). The building plans for the new workshop have been drawn up by Bordeaux-based architects Guiraud-Manenc, making use of vernacular materials for its wooden frame, straw-based insulation and Charente stone cladding, all sourced from local businesses. In order to limit its energy consumption, the site will incorporate 1,800 square metres of rooftop solar panels. The building is designed to be a positive-energy construction, in line with the Hermès Group’s environmental ambitions, and complies with the Harmonie framework, the house’s guidelines for sustainable real estate.

Hermes establishes long-term relationships with its local partners. To prepare for this new facility, the house has been supported by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Development and Innovation Agency and the Greater Angouleme Urban Community. For the site’s development, Hermes is also working with the Poitiers Education Authority, the adult education services Greta Poitou-Charentes in Angouleme and Greta-CFA Aquitaine, and the France Travail employment service.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)