Hermès® Orange
History, Fashion, Interior Design + Branding, & Pantone®
The color we’re talking about today is more than a brand color—Hermès Orange is a strategic psychological tool that’s played a key role in cementing Hermès as the pinnacle of luxury and prestige.
As always, before we get into it, let’s see how we’re feeling about our color of the week!
A Brief History
This rich, fiery shade of orange wasn’t originally part of the luxury house’s branding—it was actually an accident.
During World War II, Hermès faced packaging shortages and had to use the only available boxes, which just so happened to be bright orange.
Instead of treating it as a temporary solution, the brand fully embraced the color, and today, the orange box continues to be a symbol of status, exclusivity, and timeless luxury.
Fashion Design
This bold and confident color is instantly recognizable—from statement-making runway looks to timeless accessories.
Runway Appearances
The looks below highlight Hermès' mastery of color balance—whether through bold contrast, as seen in the first look, or tonal layering, as seen in the second.
Here’s another bold, all-orange look by the brand:
Leather Goods
Beyond the runway, Hermès is renowned for its leather craftsmanship. Take a look at the famous Kelly and Birkin Bags below, both in their signature bright orange:
Store Design
Hermès ensures its signature shade is always part of the shopping experience—whether as a bold exterior statement or a refined, atmospheric detail within.
Exterior Design
In the first image below, you can see the storefront exterior is completely wrapped in Hermès Orange, resembling an oversized Hermès box, as to build anticipation before the store’s grand opening.
Otherwise, Hermès boutiques typically incorporate the color in more subtle, refined ways. For example, through coordinated pops of orange via the window display.
Interior Design
Inside, the signature orange appears in carefully curated accents—lining shelves, highlighting product displays, and blending seamlessly with warm wood tones.
Sometimes, the pop of orange is less prominent in the interior design itself and instead comes through the clothing, materials, and textures—such as leather, suede, and silk.
Luxury boutiques have to masterfully communicate both exclusivity and warmth through their signature color use, and Hermès gets it done.
Branding
Originally a choice of necessity, Hermès’ signature orange packaging has since evolved into a timeless emblem of the brand—intentionally woven into much of its product and graphic design today.
Pantone® & More
Since Hermès Orange is a trademarked color in the U.S. and the brand is highly proactive in protecting its intellectual property (as they should be), the exact shade cannot be used in commercial design.
But, if you’re interested in working with a similar orange color, I found a close PMS (Pantone Matching System) equivalent: Pantone 1505 C.
HEX: #FF6A00
RGB: (255, 106, 0)
CMYK: (0, 58, 100, 0)
As always, thank you so much for reading—hopefully you learned something new today about this bright orange, or are now inspired to experiment with it!
Thanks so much for all of the background and context and all of the images you dug up. It's great to see it in its various incarnations.
Love that colour!