On May 1st this year, Jean-Louis Dumas, former president and CEO of Hermès passed away, aged 72. He was CEO from 1978 until his retirement in 2006, and he remained an honorary executive chairman until his death. Dumas was the fifth-generation descendent of the family to lead the company and he was succeeded by Patrick Thomas, the first non-family member to lead the company in the brand's history.

Dumas was credited with three major developments during his tenure. He was responsible for creating the Birkin bag after a chance meeting with the actress Jane Birkin in 1984. Dumas found himself sitting next to Birkin on a flight from Paris to London and Birkin complained that she could never find a decent hangbag, hence why she was carrying all her belongings in a tatty straw bag. Dumas took advantage of that opportunity then to invite Birkin to Hermès' workshop; and the iconic handbag was born.

The second drastic change he made to the fate of the brand was when he revamped the brand's clothing division. Hermès had always had a reputation for classic elegance but by the time Dumas took over from his father in 1978, it was in danger of falling into stagnation. Dumas rejuvenated the brand and aimed it at a younger target audience by releasing new editions of Hermès' classic pieces made with exotic materials. Hermès is famous for its amazing leather work, and Dumas put this to good use by creating python versions of Hermès' classic motorcycle jacket and remaking leather pants in ostrich skin. But arguably, his most significant contribution were the two designers he brought in.

In 1997, the Belgian designer Martin Margiela was hired to supervise women's ready-to-wear collections. The cerebral and spotlight-shunning Margiela was famous for his deconstructionist approach and enjoyed using surprising materials for his clothing, including bottle caps and plastic debris.  However, for Hermès, Margiela didn't stray too far from the classic tone of the brand and produced collections of timeless raincoats, cashmere trousers, wool jackets, all to great commercial success.

In 2003, when Margiela retired from Hermès as head designer, Dumas hired Jean-Paul Gaultier, Margiela's mentor, to replace him, causing quite a few eyebrows to be raised at the time. Gaultier was better known for designing Madonna's conical bras and employing midgets and animals in his runway shoes and many were unsure whether he would be suited to the elegant and understated Hermès. However, when he debuted his collection in the fall of 2004, it was to critical acclaim from the fashion world. After seven fruitful years with Hermès, Gaultier will be presenting his last collection this October. He will be replaced by Christopher Lemaire, former artistic director of Lacoste.

Finally, Dumas took Hermès in a new direction by changing the corporate structure of the brand. In the 1990's, he began buying back franchised owned stores, increasing the number of company owned stores and reclaiming distribution rights; in order to ensure better control sales of Hermès' products. Furthermore, he was one of the first luxury brands to target the China market, introducing company-owned stores on the mainland. The first Chinese store was opened in Beijing in 1996 and there are now 19 Hermès stores on the mainland, making the brand one of the most well-known and popular luxury brands in the world's biggest market.

Dumas' contributions to the brand his ancestor started enabled Hermès to become a competitive label in today's luxury market. All eyes are now watching to see where his successor, Patrick Thomas will take the brand next.