French luxury brand Hermès has unveiled its first headphones. Priced at $15,000, the product was made in-house by Atelier Orison, Hermès’ experimental bespoke department. Combining traditional luxury bag-making techniques with audio equipment, this release is a new attempt at combining sound and style.
These headphones are inspired by the metal hardware and hand-stitched calfskin of the iconic Hermès Kelly bag. Available in a range of colours from brown to dark blue, they are available exclusively at select Hermès boutiques worldwide.
Atelier Orison is a department of around 50 craftsmen who have created unprecedented products such as cricket bats, disco balls and portable cocktail bars. They have previously created custom earphone cases and collaborated with other audio brands, but this is the first time they have developed their own audio equipment.
Product planning and design are handled by Axel de Beaufort, who has led Atelier Orison since 2012. The department has produced unique products such as hammocks, surfboards, and jukeboxes, and these headphones are also evaluated as a work that emphasizes the brand’s cultural symbolism rather than practicality.
However, apart from the appearance and artistic perfection, it is not specifically known what acoustic technology these headphones are actually made of, which shows that the product emphasizes the symbolism of a luxury object rather than excellent sound.
With these headphones, Hermes has shown its intention to expand its presence in the high-tech product sector. In a trend where even expensive audio devices find their value in the symbolism and rarity of the brand rather than in their technology, this launch can be said to be a strategy centered on a design that is recognized at first sight and a refined craftsmanship.
Ultimately, these headphones are a symbolic result of Hermès’ brand philosophy of elevating ordinary audio equipment into a work of art, and suggest the possibility that the boundaries between the luxury and technology industries will become even more blurred in the future.
