The first-ever Hermès headphones are here, and they’re doing wonders for the eyes, if not necessarily for the ears. The eye-wateringly expensive $15,000 leather headphones are crafted by the experimental Hermès Ateliers Horizons. But they’re hardly an experiment. This elegant creation took two years of design and development, and the finesse of the final product speaks for itself. Akin to the flawless Birkins and Kellys, the craftsmanship is perfect to a T, flaunting hand-stitched cowhide leather and metallic finishes inspired by the iconic Kelly bag.
“We are trying to be a bit crazy every day,” says Axel de Beaufort, creative director of Ateliers Horizons since 2012. The headset is a minimalist yet mesmerizing piece, designed for both Bluetooth and wired use. Color options include “naturel,” black, chocolate, “rouge H,” and Prussian blue. Hermès Sound has been developed entirely in-house, everything from the engineering to the leatherwork is the result of the Ateliers Horizons team.
“The idea is not to be able to replicate that 10,000 times as a big headset supplier would do. The idea is to have the few that we will do made perfectly, and that has been a very long learning process,” de Beaufort adds.
The Hermès headset will be available exclusively at select Hermès boutiques, retailing for $15,000. Compared to the brand’s $10,000 fishing rod or its $43,000 mahjong set, this is arguably their most wearable eccentricity yet.