Earlier this month, Hermès gave the public a rare front row seat to some of the world’s most coveted artisanal skills. From April 9 to 12, 2026, the French luxury house took part in the fifth edition of “Entrez en matières” at the Fondation Fiminco in Romainville, near Paris, a flagship event tied to the European Artistic Crafts Days (JEMA), now in its 20th edition across 25 European countries.
The Kelly Bag Up Close
At the heart of Hermès‘s participation was the École Hermès des savoir-faire, the house’s dedicated training school for artisans, whose teams led live demonstrations over the four days. Visitors could watch and learn about the step by step making of a Kelly bag, one of the most iconic objects in fashion history. The demonstrations also covered saddle stitching, threading, and polishing, foundational techniques that define Hermès leatherwork and take years to master.
The event was open to the public, free of charge, running daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Fondation Fiminco at 43 rue de la Commune de Paris, Romainville.
Silver and Stone
Beyond leather, Hermès dedicated a separate space to jewellery-making, featuring live stone-setting sessions that offered a close look at the precision involved in fine jewellery craft. Silversmithing techniques from Puiforcat, the historic French silversmith house that joined the Hermès group in 1993, were also on display, with artisans demonstrating the traditional methods of flattening, chasing, and polishing. This year’s edition of “Entrez en matières” was also notable for welcoming jewellery making into the event programme for the first time.
A Broader Conversation on Craft
The event was organised in partnership with the Campus Mode Métiers d’Art & Design – Manufacture des Gobelins, Manufactures nationales (Sèvres & Mobilier national), and the Comité Colbert. Beyond Hermès, the fifth edition brought together more than 30 savoir-faire spanning wood, metal, leather, ceramics, textile, and more, alongside 20 prestigious training institutions. Also present were maisons including Louis Vuitton, Christofle, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chanel‘s le19M embroidery ateliers, making the Fondation Fiminco a rare gathering point for the full breadth of French luxury craftsmanship.
For Hermès, the participation in “Entrez en matières” is part of a long-standing commitment to craft education and transmission, values that the École Hermès des savoir-faire was built on. The message was as clear as the saddle stitching on a Kelly: these skills are not just heritage, they are a living practice worth passing on.
