Today, Hermès orange is instantly recognized as a symbol of ultra luxury worldwide. Interestingly enough,
Hermès didn’t always use this iconic color for his brand. Emile Maurice Hermès (1871-1951), Thierry Hermès’ grandson, initially chose beige to represent his family label. The boxes were imitation pigskin with a gold edge. A few years later the boxes became mustard with a brown edge, still in imitation pigskin.
Hermès Orange Boxes are Introduced
During World War II and the Nazi occupation of Paris many things were rationed and hard to find, like certain dyes and other materials needed to make the imitation pigskin boxes. Paper was available and so was orange dye, and that’s how the iconic Hermès orange box was born.
The Hermès orange hue is Hermès’ signature orange, simply known as Orange, Orange H or Classic Orange. This hue is not to be confused with Potiron, which is darker with brown undertones. In the Pantone matching system, Hermès orange is No.1448.
Fun fact: Today there are about 188 different sizes of Hermès orange boxes; from little ones holding Twillys to larger ones holding Birkin 40s and beyond.
Read: The Best Hermès Birkin Size
The Psychology of Orange
Orange is the color of adventure and communication. The color orange is enthusiastic and has rejuvenating characteristics. Because of its close association with red, orange is associated with meanings of joy, warmth, heat, sunshine.
It is said that if orange is your favorite color you’re a force to be reckoned with, social and easy to talk to. Orange is an uplifting and confident color, so this could be the reason our heart skips a beat when we see those iconic Hermès orange boxes! That and the fact we can’t wait to see what’s inside!