Hermès used orange boxes because WWII shortages left no other paper — it became iconic

Before World War II, Hermès packaged its products in cream-colored boxes with a brown calfskin border and gold trim — elegant, understated, and expensive. During the war, the German occupation of France caused severe shortages of materials, including the paper and dyes needed for the cream boxes. Hermès could not get the supplies it had used for decades.

The company searched for any available paper and found only one option: a plain orange cardboard. The color was not chosen for its aesthetic appeal — it was chosen because it was all that was left. Hermès began packaging its silk scarves, leather goods, and perfumes in the orange boxes as a wartime compromise.

After the war, Hermès could have returned to the cream boxes. Instead, the orange box had become associated with the brand. Customers recognized the distinctive color. The company kept it. Over the following decades, the orange box evolved from a wartime necessity into a status symbol — the color was formally adopted as the house's official packaging, and the boxes became so recognizable that they are often displayed as objects in themselves.

Today, the Hermès orange box is one of the most iconic packaging designs in the world. It is photographed, unboxed on social media, and kept as a keepsake. A color chosen because there was nothing else available became a symbol of the brand's exclusivity and craftsmanship.