The Manufacture de l’Allan is expected to employ a total of 260 leather workers, and it further expands Hermès’ craftsmanship hub in the Franche-Comté region, which first started with the Manufacture de Seloncourt (Doubs) in 1996 and the opening of the Manufacture d’Héricourt (Haute-Saône) in 2016. “By 2023, 780 leather craftsmen will apply their exceptional know-how on these three sites, working with the finest materials to craft bags and items in leather created for the collections of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré house in Paris,” says Hermès.
On a space comprised of 5,800 sq m, the Manufacture de l’Allan was designed to be environmentally respectful in collaboration with local partners. The manufacturer says that the preservation of apple, pear and cherry trees, the installation of photovoltaic panels on the workshop roofs, rainwater collection points, and thermal solar panels that supply the entire site with hot water are examples of its “commitment to its role as a responsible stakeholder in developing its facilities.”
Not far from these leather production sites is the Lycée des Huisselets in the town of Montbéliard, for which Hermès is a partner and where students receive a diploma in the art of saddlery and leatherwork on completion of their fifteen-month course. Read more here. According to Hermès, this training enables them to master the exceptional know-how necessary to craft a bag from start to finish, in accordance with the “one person, one bag” rule upheld by the luxury French label.
