luxury boosts French exports

All over the world, they are the symbols of French elegance. Handbags, jewelry from major brands: sold for several thousand euros, they represent the French know-how. Luxury is the number one sector for French exports, which promotes employment in the country. In a workshop in the Paris region, 22 Hermès artisans help to produce bags with unique techniques that everyone must learn. Everything is handmade, including the seams.

In the third quarter of 2021, the turnover of the luxury group Hermès jumped 31%. Sales increased 29% in Asia and 48% in the United States. 100% French bags, this is the main marketing argument for Guillaume De Seynes, general manager of the upstream Hermès division. “It is really the recognition of a quality”, he emphasizes. Faced with the increase in demands, the group is preparing to open three other workshops in France by 2024. 600 additional artisans should be hired. Other SMEs are benefiting from the growth of the sector, in particular by producing lace sold to the largest fashion houses in the world. It can be sold for up to 1,000 euros per meter and exported to around fifty countries.