In 2021 China Trunk Show Shanghai, there was a session hand painting Mattina shoes made of HCP crocodile leather.
When it comes to HCP, everyone thinks of Hermes Birkin handbag made of crocodile leather, so what is HCP?
If you look at which three words HCP is abbreviated, you will understand everything. Hermès Cuirs Précieux. Hermès leather department.
Therefore, the relationship between HCP and Hermes is mother and son.
This department, or company, was only established in 2007. HCP and crocodile skin are not correspondence, but crocodile leather is only part of HCP offerings.
HCP is actually the parent company of all tanneries owned by Hemers, namely d’Annonay and Du Puy in Haute-Loire, Mégisserie Jullien in Chabris, which makes goat skins, and Montereau-Fault-Yonne in Seine et Marne and Vivoin in Sarthe for exotic leathers (including crocodile). These are all French, as well as Italy’s Cuneo in Piemont and Louisiane in Milan, and the latter one focuses on crocodile. Finally, there is Reptile Tannery of Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA. The list is constantly expanding.
The reason, of course, is that Hermès’ leather products are his core commodity, and the supply of raw materials must be completely held in their own hands. There is also an official saying that these tanning techniques can be better preserved under the umbrella of a giant company.
Many shoe brands like to advertise that they use leather from Hermès, which is actually d’Annonay and Du Puy. Although it is a truth, it doesn’t make a huge difference. Why? Because there are too many grades of calf leather, even these two tanneries have low grade leather to sell.
Du Puy was only acquired by HCP in 2015, from a famous French shoemaker, J.M.Weston. d’Annonay joined earlier, in 2012.
Who started this trend of acquiring tanneries? The answer is LVMH.
In 2011, LVMH bought Singapore Heng Long tannery, which is the top supplier of crocodile leather, Hermès was scared to pee that LVMH is holding its neck. Kerring and Chanel joined the ranks of LVMH, robbing tanneries all over the world.
Hermès crocodile leather products are not all supplied by HCP tanneries, just like calf leather products. Heng Long is a major crocodile leather supplier to Hermes. The tanneries under HCP also supply to its competitors, but priority is always kept.