Pierre-Alexis Dumas Biography

Pierre-Alexis Dumas (4 June 1966) is the artistic director of Herms. Under his direction, the firm has seen its biggest growth in decades, with sales of 4 billion euros in 2014.

Early life and education

Dumas is the son of Jean-Louis Dumas, the former CEO of the Herms Group. His mother was Rena (ne Gregoriads) Dumas (1937-2009), the Greek-born architect who founded Rena Dumas Architecture Intrieure in 1972 in Paris. Through his father's lineage, he is also the great-great-great grandson of Herms founder Thierry Herms.

In 1991, Dumas received a Bachelor of Arts degree in the visual arts from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, US, due to his parents' belief that an education in America would be an advantage for his future participation in the family business. His father had spent a short time in the buyer-training program of Bloomingdales department store in New York City.

Career

Beginning in September 1991, Dumas spent eight months in the factory managed by a branch of the Ratti family in Como, Italy, where silk has been spun since the 19th century. While there, he was introduced to aspects of engraving for printed textile, dyeing, and pattern design, particularly for women's fashion. (He also met Antonio Ratti there; the Antonio Ratti Textile Center and Reference Library is housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

In 1992, Dumas joined the Herms Group at the family firm's headquarters in Paris, and then was involved with the development of new products by silversmiths Puiforcat (founded in 1830) and crystal manufacturer St. Louis (founded in 1586)., both Herms acquisitions. The same year he took over the Herms's public relations department. In 2008, Dumas created Fondation d'Entreprise Herms, which supports art entrepreneurs around the world. He has been the artistic director of Herms since 2011.

Quotes

When you start to use that word, you're pretty desperate. I have seen so-called luxury products that have failed miserably after three weeks. We [at Herms] are a quality manufacturer. My concern in life is, what does quality mean and how do you achieve it? - On the meaning of "luxury"

We must know the past but live in the present and look to the future"?. Some items last 100 years, while others do not survive two years.

It's not really about the stitch. It's about being aware of the sense of touch, being able to stitch with your eyes closed, being able to represent yourself and the object you're making in space, being able to listen to what your hands tell you. - Reminiscing about learning the saddle stitch by age 10

A pencil. If you throw your pencil away, it means you've used it. It means you've used your brain, your imagination, you've been writing and drawing. - About his favorite disposable object

Personal life

In 1996, Dumas married Sophie Bouilhet, a member of the Christofle silver-manufacturing family. They have three children. He is one of the directors of the Protestant Solidarity of France and Armenia association, and treasurer of the Endowment Fund for the Preservation of the Artistic Printing House de Montparnasse, which since 1881 manages the preservation of lithographer Charles Alphonse du Fresnoy's work.