Hermès, a prestigious fashion house exposed

The book La casa de los artesanos. 24 Faubourg St-Honoré (The House of Craftsmen, 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré), is now available in bookstores in Spain. For the first time, the distinguished luxury house Hermès has allowed writer and filmmaker Frédéric Laffont to explore its inner world and capture it in this book.

This fictionalized account offers an intimate look at the evolution of Hermès from its beginnings as a saddlery workshop to its current status as a fashion icon, highlighting its commitment to craftsmanship and innovation. La casa de los artesanos (The House of Craftsmen) takes us inside the grand Parisian mansion at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré to tell the untold story of a legendary brand and a revolutionary family spanning more than six generations.

Through letters, personal diaries and testimonies from the Hermès family itself and its “tribe”, the firm’s workers, Frédéric Laffont weaves a chronicle that is a true exaltation of a world in danger of extinction and the philosophy of artisanal luxury.

Ya está en librerías de España, La casa de los artesanos. 24 Faubourg St-Honoré. Por primera vez, la distinguida casa de lujo Hermès ha permitido al escritor y cineasta Frédéric Laffont explorar su mundo interno y plasmarlo en este libro. 

Vanity Fair magazine calls it “a unique book, full of fascinating anecdotes. Exquisite.”

When saddler Thierry Hermès set up his workshop in Paris, some 80,000 horses circulated the streets, and the most distinguished riders commissioned their saddles from this artisan. However, after the First World War, horses were gradually replaced by automobiles, and the founder's grandson, Émile, had no choice but to reinvent himself. He began by making suitcases, to which he added a revolutionary device: the zipper. Handbags would then arrive—handbags, shoulder bags, or with straps, tote bags, saddlebags, or pochette bags, the legendary "carré," and many other items, always with a desire to innovate, to preserve artisanal craftsmanship, and to never make too much noise. It was on the verge of bankruptcy, but today Hermès is still run by the same family and is the only major luxury company that has managed to maintain its cherished independence.

For the first time, Hermès has agreed to open the doors of number 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré to a writer and great traveler, Frédéric Laffont, who has written a vital, fictionalized biography as gripping as its protagonists.

Reviews

“A true gem. No puns. [...] This book is not a heroic tale of the transformation of a saddler's workshop into one of the most powerful luxury houses in the world, but a true travelogue to a place where the population has developed rituals and customs in the service of a common ideal.”

Stanislas Rigot, Page des Libraires

“In his book, he chronicles this sanctuary of beauty, where time passes differently. History with a capital H. To recount the spirit of an iconic brand, from its equestrian roots to its international influence, fueled by unparalleled craftsmanship, Frédéric Laffont goes back to the very foundations. An inveterate traveler, his curiosity and sense of observation are stirred throughout this fascinating quest for history and territory.”

Téa Antonietti, Harper's Bazaar

“Frédéric Laffont approaches the history of the House of Hermès like an ethnologist. [...] A book I loved.”

Aude Lechrist, France 24

“The Hermès family is incredible! By turning them into an exotic object of study, Frédéric Laffont has chosen to portray them as a “tribe,” with its rituals and myths. [...] What is truly fascinating is the poetry of the house's inhabitants. They all have the essence of characters in a novel.”

Valentín Pérez, Le Monde (Le Magazine)

“Frédéric Laffont is a great reporter. He doesn't write a biography of the brand, but rather a fascinating account of a mysterious dynasty. The author explored six generations unearthed from the house's archives over two years.”

The Author

Frédéric Laffont is a French reporter, filmmaker, and writer, recognized for his focus on social and cultural issues. He received the prestigious Albert-London Prize for his reporting on daily life in Beirut during the war. Laffont has directed several notable documentaries, including La Vie devant nous (2024), which explores the unknown story of 80,000 Moroccan miners in France, and Les Mains d'Hermès (2024), about the craftsmanship of the luxury house Hermès. In addition to his film work, he has explored sculpture, creating sound and kinetic installations. He is the author of Poussières de guerre (Afghanistan, 1990), Maudits soient les yeux fermés (Rwanda, 1995), Mille et un jours, mille et une nuits (Israel-Palestine, 2002), and the biography of chef Bernard Pacaud, owner of the three-Michelin-starred Parisian restaurant L'Ambroisie, Une vie par le menu (2021). Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his ability to capture the essence of the cultures and communities he documents. . La casa de los artesanos. 24 Faubourg St-Honoré (The house of the artisans. 24 Faubourg St-Honoré, Lumen, 2025) is his latest book.