HISTORICAL KNOW-HOWLuxury and high-end

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is France’s leading region in terms of employment in the textile, leather and cutlery industries, and draws on a solid industrial base and historic know-how to meet the demands of the luxury goods market. In recent years, these assets have attracted major investments from major brands such as Hermès, Dior, Vuitton and Van Cleef & Arpels.

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Interview with Xavier Lépingle

Xavier Lépingle, Director of Holding Textile Hermès, explains.

How did Holding Textile Hermès come into being?
Xavier Lépingle: “The history of HTH is a long story of collaboration between the Lyon silk industry and Hermès, born of the meeting between Marcel Gandit, Aimé Savy and Auguste Arnaud, engraver, colorist and printer, and members of the Hermès family. The first square, Costumes Normands, was born of this meeting in 1948.

Gradually, HTH acquired the various players who manufacture its products, such as Ateliers AS and Atelier Gandit, to form what has become more of a chain than a holding company.
Today, HTH is the leading luxury textile group in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with around 900 direct jobs and more than 2,000 indirect jobs”.
“The Chanel brand has also secured its industry in the region by acquiring key companies. This vertical integration of major brand owners is characteristic of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, compared to the other major silk-producing areas (Como and Biella in Italy), where manufacturers work with luxury brands without any capital ties. They are therefore more dependent on the ups and downs of their principals.

The core sectors

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a land of talent and excellence, is a pillar of the luxury and high-end industries. From silk production in Lyon to leather goods and jewelry workshops, the region combines traditional know-how with innovation to meet the demands of the world’s leading fashion houses.