How I became a leather craftsman at Hermès

How I became a leather craftsman at Hermès

"The future bag is here: the pieces of leather laid flat and the jewels that make it up" Léonard, 23, will tackle this morning the manufacture of the famous "Kelly" model, for a version in crocodile skin, dyed in burgundy red. He has just received his "crate", a plastic container containing all the pieces of leather that he will have to assemble to create this legendary bag, for a few days of work. Leather craftsman at Hermès, a French luxury house, Léonard is now able to make it "while feeling comfortable", as well as four other models from the brand.

A mastery that took him a long time. In fact, Léonard has been working at Hermès for three years, here, in the Pantin workshops, in a workshop that has around twenty leatherworkers who mainly make bags. "I started as an apprentice as part of my pro leather trades baccalaureate, for two years", explains the young man in a white apron, on a permanent contract for a year and a half. After a beginning of high school to pass a general baccalaureate, Léonard branches off towards the building. "I wanted to do a manual job."

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Leather craftsman from father to son

Hired as an electrician, he did not wish to pursue this path, and turned to his parents' profession. "My parents are leatherworkers, the family has a small workshop, I have always been immersed in this atmosphere, says Léonard. My grandfather in Lebanon was also a leatherworker." It was while discussing with clients of his parents that he discovered the existence of schools specializing in the leather trades.

Decided to get a baccalaureate, he managed in 2012 to integrate La Fabrique - School of fashion and decoration trades (formerly Ateliers Grégoire) in Paris, then, in the second year, the workshops of Hermès. "The school has a partnership with several large companies, I chose to apply at Hermès, I had a good contact with the person who came to present the house." After at least two successful practical tests (“I had to make a card holder by hand, I was very stressed”), Léonard is one of the three lucky ones from his class to join Hermès as an apprentice. "I was delighted !"

How I became a leather craftsman at Hermès

Fifteen attempts for a handful of bag

From these two years of learning, Leonardo remembers many moments of demand, some of discouragement. "During this period, you have to succeed in making a Kelly bag handle on your own, he explains. This is the centerpiece of the bag, which requires mastering many different techniques. We are made to redo it until make it perfect." "Some succeed after five attempts, others after thirty," explains Caroline, Leonardo's trainer at Hermès. "For me, the maid was the fifteenth", confides Léonard with a smile.

Today, Léonard has his personal workbench in the workshop, on the 2nd floor of this bright building inaugurated in 1992, which also houses the workshops for making trunks, small leather goods, and training workshops. At the entrance to this large room with multiple windows, an imposing column of drawers, filled with spools of thread classified by color: gold, pink, confetti, rosewood, tomato red, natural sand, peacock blue, Veronese green, pink , nasturtium... Leonardo's large table, lit by a precision lamp, is tidy. "I like it when it's clean!" The craftsmen work opposite each other, seated on high stools.

Leonard uses his wooden sewing pliers on a daily basis. // © Cyril Entzmann / Divergence for the Student

Confidentiality required

His tools are never very far away: his paring knife, a sort of very sharp blade used to thin the leather, his hammer (for tapping the seams), his needles for hand sewing, its awl, which is used to pierce the leather, its sharpening board, its glue tank... not to mention its "net", which is used to heat the dye when polishing, nor its pliers sewing machine, imposing wooden tool, which allows the leather to be held in place when sewing by hand.

At the bottom of one of its drawers, we also find its mark. "At Hermès, each craftsman signs the bags he makes with this kind of punch", explains the young man, who admits sometimes taking pictures of his creations. Apart from that, everything related to manufacturing must remain confidential, intellectual property obliges. Leonardo is forbidden to take anything out of the studio, including his notebook. A constraint that does not spoil his pleasure: "It's gratifying to make an object from start to finish, to see it finished".

A profession open to men

He who, when he was younger, had fun making small bags, rings and other leather bracelets in the family workshop, is now proud to make these models of luxury "without dead time". A work of perfection, well paid, even if Hermès does not provide any information on the salaries of its craftsmen. "I encourage boys to get into this business, it's not an art reserved for women," he adds. In fact, the workshop is still mainly occupied by women, and in training, Leonardo was the only man.

As Christmas approaches, the workshop has been decorated by the craftsmen for the occasion: alongside the garlands, a theme has been chosen, that of the Middle Ages. "It's the tradition every year, explains Léonard. Each workshop defines a theme, and we all meet around a festive lunch where everyone is dressed up according to their theme..." For the occasion, some walls of the room were covered with gray paper and ivy, imitating the walls of a fortified castle and its battlements. In the realm of high standards, we also know how to have a little fun.