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Paris knows how to offer – but this was not the fashion week.
Inside the amazing walls of Salle Pleyel, known as the hosting of César Film Awards in France, a luxury giant hosted the shareholders meeting with cinematic taste. Run xelophones. Artsy movies played on the screen. Executive officials roast their financial dominance with sponsorship.
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The performance was not only for the show. The company recorded annual revenues of 15.2 billion euros (about $ 17.3 billion), with net profits to 4.6 billion euros (about 5.2 billion dollars) – who exceeded luxurious titles such as LVMH and KERING.
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The CEO took the theater with confidence, brushing economic uncertainty, waving the American tariffs, and a rise in fake goods.
But not everyone in the audience is reassured.
From the high culture of imitation to sustainability fears and shareholders’ tensions, cracks began at the polished interface to appear – which let investors wonder whether the iron brand reputation may finally face real pressure.
The brand? Hermes International ((sense)) -Perkin bag maker is very exclusive.
Photo and colon source; Edward BERTLOT & Sol; Getty Images
Why can’t Hermes ignore the counterfeit Perkin wave
Axel Dumas CEO has tried to reduce the imitation parts, such as a viral “Wirkin” bag (a well -known judge kick that simulates the famous Hermes silhouette image of a simple part of the price).
He said, “Our customers can feel the difference,” noting that Hermes has a strong team to combat increasing. “Sometimes you are copied.”
This informal tone did not sit well.
While Dumas may not be anxious, other shoppers have become more famous. The younger consumers in particular are not always interested in heritage if the modern fake looks good at the Instagram post.
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According to a 2023 survey to combat counterfeiting consumers by the A-CAPP Center at the University of Michigan, 52 % of consumers worldwide said they have intentionally bought fake products, with economic benefits mentioned as leading motives.
Unlike the past years, this trend is not hiding in the shade. Tiktok users outperform Lookalkes and publicly mocking luxury signs. One of Tiktok appears by StyLedbykristir (with more than 8.6 million views) off Walmart Birkin – also known as “Wirkin”. And the price? Less than $ 100.
It is difficult to ignore this type of vision, especially when you regularly sell Hermès bags for more than $ 10,000 – or more – on the resale markets. As the demand for “appearance” continues, the Hermes trench can be narrowed from the uniqueness.
Hermes, Birkin, and the cost of survival is exclusive
The definitions were another source of tension during the meeting. Dumas acknowledged that new commercial measures can increase production costs, but said that the company is planning to pass these costs to customers, who are believed to be flexible enough to accommodate them.
He said, “I am not very worried about the definitions.” “We can deal with this as we did in the past years.”
But loyalty has limits, even in luxury. If prices rise while Knockofs is improving and more pronounced, it is not difficult to imagine that some shoppers are spreading. With the expansion of competitors such as Louis Vuitton production in the United States to hedge against global fluctuations, Hermes’s insistence on staying exclusively in French at a cost.
“There is a story in” Made in France, “Dumas told the shareholders.
It is not wrong – handicrafts are part of the brand identity. But with the shareholders ’pushing for more innovation and environmental accountability, the company’s informal approach to these fears raised some eyebrows.
Hermes still puts the gold standard. But between the customs tariffs, copies and changing global market, even gold is not immune to pressure.
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