Be prepared to wait and wait some more if you want a Birkin bag. Hermès artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas explains why it takes time for clients to get their hands on the coveted bag.

The house of Hermès was built on saddles, not silk. In 1837, Thierry Hermès started selling bespoke harnesses in Paris. That led to luggage and, eventually, handbags. More than a century later ...