When the French fashion house Hermes met Aegina
Even the most ardent devotees of high fashion may be unaware of the deep-seated connection between the iconic fashion house Hermès and Greece, specifically the enchanting island of Aegina. The modernization of Hermès into a global fashion powerhouse can be largely attributed to its President, Jean-Louis Dumas, and his Greek architect wife, Rena Grigoriadis, who sadly passed away in 2010 and 2009 respectively.
Their love for Greece led them, along with their children, Sandrine and Pierre-Alexis, to choose the beloved Argosaronic island as the location for their summer retreat. In fact, Dumas's final wish was to find his eternal rest in Aegina.
The passing of Rena Grigoriadis-Dimas became the catalyst for unveiling the profound ties between the fashion house and the Dimas family with Greece and the broader Mediterranean region.
Today, the descendants of the Dimas couple, nurtured in a close-knit family environment, openly acknowledge that they've inherited from their parents a profound reverence for the land and its bounty, as well as an appreciation for the evocative scents of the Mediterranean. For those unaware, Hermès is characterized not only by its exquisite craftsmanship but also by its tight-knit family bonds and an unmistakable Mediterranean essence.
In 2012, two years after Jean-Louis Dumas's passing, Hermès chose the Ancient Olive Grove in the Pachia Rachi area of Aegina, adorned with centuries-old olive trees basking in the natural radiance of sunlight, as the backdrop for its Spring/Summer season campaign. The selection of this location was underpinned by two pivotal reasons: first, the enduring connection of the founding family with the island, and second, the sacred aura enveloping the site.
However, it was the olive groves and the enchanting panorama of Pachia Rachi that captivated Sandrine Dimas. She embarked on a cinematic journey, creating a feature film titled "Nostos," which garnered accolades at a Documentary Festival. Her film catapulted Aegina to global recognition. Sandrine herself, deeply moved, articulated that Greece, once merely a holiday destination and her mother's place of origin, assumed a new significance when Rena Grigoriadis shared her childhood memories. The catalyst for this revelation was a painting dating back to the 1920s, an artwork by Thalia Flora-Karavia, likely related to her mother. This prompted her to delve deeper into the life and oeuvre of the artist. Ultimately, her film serves as a testament not only to the artist's legacy but also to her own family's history, with the overarching objective of comprehending "the essence of being Greek today."
The essence of Greece, the Mediterranean, and Aegina courses through the DNA of the renowned fashion house. The distinctive scarves, crafted under the guidance of the Greek designer Iulia Abatie, inspired by Cretan frescoes, along with the opulent perfumes bearing Mediterranean nomenclature and Greek essences, serve as a testament to the Dimas family's unwavering commitment to honoring its Greek heritage by celebrating Greece on every conceivable occasion.
Tags: haute couture, Hermes, Aegina
