HERMES ACQUIRES STAKE IN PIERRE HARDY

To further cement its relationship with Maison Pierre Hardy, Hermès Group has taken a minority stake in the upscale French footwear and accessories company. The agreement highlights Hermès' desire to propel the Pierre Hardy label to the next level by further leveraging on a close and prolific relationship developed over the years. The founder and artistic director of his namesake house, Hardy also designs Hermès' footwear since 1990 and its jewelry collections since 2001. “I'm very pleased and very proud of our alliance with Hermes, a house which champions the exceptional. It's the natural extension of 25 years of creative collaboration,” says Pierre Hardy. For his part, Axel Dumas, chief executive officer of Hermès International, believes that this new partnership shows “how proud we are to support creative talent and incredible expertise as part of this unique tribe that strives for excellence.”