Hermès Opened Its Ateliers to the Public for Four Days at the European Artistic Crafts Days

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…