Eau de Basilic Pourpre, the new cologne from Hermès. Initially, Hermès was not a perfumery house at all. It was a saddler and harness maker specialized in leatherwork. Then, over the course of its history, Hermès decided to gradually expand its scope of activity. It was in 1979 that the house finally affirmed its status as a perfumer, by creating its first Eau de Cologne.