Dutch glovemaker Jeanne Hermans on how her niche craft has built a following in Hollywood and beyond

DUTCH COUTURE glovemaker Jeanne Hermans has nearly a quarter of a million followers on social media, with several of her videos drawing millions of views. Her designs — which often feature embroidered elements like butterflies, flowers and pearls — have been worn by stars like Cher, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, and Miley Cyrus, costing anywhere from €300 to €975 ($350-$1,140). Yet she still makes everything by hand from her small studio in the Netherlands.

Speaking with Reuters in her studio in Zaandam, a quiet city about 20 kilometers north of Amsterdam, the 30-year-old reflects on building her business with a small team, what it’s like to see celebrities wear her designs and whether fast fashion poses a threat to small makers like her.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Q: How did you first get into designing gloves?

A: I studied at the Master Tailor Institute in Amsterdam, a school specialized in tailors’ craftsmanship, but because I had been sewing since I was nine, I was ahead of all my classmates and I was a little bored. One of my teachers had a book on leather glove making and I thought that was interesting so I started experimenting.

I also wanted my own company and for a poor student gloves were perfect because they require little fabric. I bought one roll, made some gloves in 2017, and since almost nobody else is making the type of gloves I make, I managed to build a full-time business out of it.

Q: Your gloves have been worn by big stars. What does it feel like to see them wear something you made?

A: It helps a lot to see someone famous wear my work. You feel seen. I also thought Cher wearing my gloves was really exciting. Many celebrities who wear my designs are younger, but when I told my mom about Cher, she was really impressed.

But to be honest, while it is so amazing that many celebrities have worn my gloves, it’s not as satisfying as creating a really difficult design.

Q: You have a small studio in Zaandam, a city most people outside of the Netherlands have never heard of. How do celebrity stylists find you?

A: It started when I launched my “Glove of the Week” series on Instagram in 2022. As a challenge, I made a pair of gloves every week because I had too many ideas and it made me freeze. I stayed consistent, and after about 10 months my Instagram really boomed. That’s where most stylists find me or they recommend me to other stylists.

Also, there’s almost no one making the kind of gloves I do. Some make traditional opera gloves, but no one is doing gloves with butterflies or heavy embroidery.

Q: What has been the highlight of your career so far?

A: My gloves being worn on the cover of Vogue India was definitely a highlight. Those silk red-flower gloves feel like a museum piece to me, something I hope to show when I’m 80 and say, “These were on the cover of Vogue.”

We recently celebrated another highlight as I reached one year of running C’est Jeanne full-time with my sister. Many people think it’s a big business run by a large team, but it’s just the two of us. Until a year ago, I still had a part-time job.

Q: What is the hardest part of your job?

A: I often work 24/7. I truly love my job, but it can be hard on my family because I’m always working. Even at dinner, if an e-mail comes in, I’ll look at it.

Another challenge is that people think it’s exciting when famous people wear my gloves, but it’s unpaid. People assume you get paid well for that, but you don’t get paid for anything. Often the gloves are worn and then sent back. It’s still fun and good for the company, of course.

Q: Do you think viral attention brings risks of bigger companies copying your designs?

A: It’s a risk, but I’ve only once seen a brand making a glove that’s very similar to one of mine. Still, I don’t think my gloves have ever been clearly copied, and I hope it stays that way. It might be because my work is harder to replicate. One time, someone did comment “Shein, do your thing” under a viral video, basically asking them to copy my work. We obviously don’t appreciate that and also don’t understand that.

Q: When you go viral with a post or when a celebrity wears your gloves, do you notice that in your inbox or in your sales?

A: I remember clearly the first time a celebrity wore my gloves. The first was Anne Hathaway in a magazine, and then Miley Cyrus. When I got the request, I didn’t know who it was for, and when I saw it was Miley, I assumed I’d get 10 orders the next week. It doesn’t work like that. It is the same with viral posts.

When a video goes viral, more people know my brand. But both don’t directly translate into sales. My gloves aren’t an easy sell like makeup, so the impact is more about reputation than inbox or sales spikes.

Q: How long does it take to make one pair of gloves?

A: If I’m focused, I can make a simple pair in about two hours. I’ve made so many that I can almost do it without thinking. More complex designs with embroidery or butterflies take much longer because everything is sewn by hand. And some designs can even take up to three days. My most complex piece took over 200 hours because it had many sequins and rhinestones, which were all handsewn.

Q: Are stylists surprised when they find out you are just a small atelier?

A: I want C’est Jeanne to grow, but at a healthy pace. I’ve worked in fashion for over a decade and know that growing too fast can make a company’s environment unpleasant. We have many interns, and it’s important to me that everyone is happy and having fun. That’s what I want too: to have fun and make beautiful gloves. — Reuters

The perspectives expressed in Culture Current are the subject’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Reuters News.