From Marwari horse to Paris runways: 7 ways India and Hermès forged a designer connection

For over two decades, Hermès has maintained a deep and personal relationship with India, rooted not in market strategy, but in genuine admiration for its craft, culture, and creativity.

From exclusive silk sarees to Indian-named leather bags, this is the story of how a Parisian house found a second home east of Suez.

Jean-Louis Dumas, the visionary who built the modern Hermès brand, was a frequent visitor to India and formed close personal friendships there over many years.

He championed Indian craftsmanship long before "artisan sourcing" became a luxury industry buzzword and his personal obsession seeded the house's India ties for generations.

In 2000, Hermès collaborated with arts patron Sunita Kumar to create exclusive silk sarees, a rare cultural crossover that predated India's luxury boom by decades.

In 2008, Jean-Paul Gaultier drew direct inspiration from the saree for the house's "Indian Fantasies" womenswear collection. The drape, the silk, the drama; India's textile heritage translated into Parisian fashion.

The Hermès Marwari bag takes its name from the Marwari horse, a rare, regal Indian breed known for its distinctively inward-curving ears. The bag's rounded, saddle-like shape and curved top flap echo its silhouette.

A nod to Hermès' origins as an equestrian leather house, and a tribute to India's own equestrian heritage. In 2008, artist Annie Faivre also celebrated the breed with the silk scarf "La Danse du Cheval Marwari."

Hermès sources goatskin (Chèvre) from India for its high-end handbags and small leather goods. Three Indian leathers stand out:

Chèvre Mysore: Lightweight, scratch-resistant, shape-retaining. A workhorse of the house for decades.
Chèvre Chamkila: "Shiny" in Hindi. A distinctive vertical grain, more lustrous than Mysore, slightly softer but still structured.
Chamkilight: A metallic, high-gloss evolution in Doré (gold) or Argenté (silver). Coveted for the Mini Kelly and Constance.

Ramesh Nair (b. 1965), a Paris-based Indian designer, worked at Hermès from 2000–2010 under Martin Margiela and Jean-Paul Gaultier. He designed the Birkin Shadow (2009) and the "Paris-Bombay" bag, now part of the permanent collection.

Hermès entered India in 2008 with a flagship store in Mumbai's historic Fort area and a second boutique at The Chanakya mall in New Delhi. The collaboration continues — in 2025, Indian miniature painter Sukanya Ayde created the festive window display "The Prince, The Parrot & The Horse."

For Hermès, India has never just been a growth opportunity. It has been a source of leather, of artistry, of soul.

From the goatskin in its most coveted bags to the Indian designer who shaped its silhouettes, India is woven into the very fabric of what Hermès makes and who it is.

The story is still being written.