Can I tell you...about Hermes silk scarves. During my trip in Hong Kong, Hermes held an exhibit entitled 'Once upon a silk' inside the Pacific Place Mall. At the end of the 'pop-up' gallery they held a demonstration of what goes into making an Hermes scarf.
They flew in 2 master craftsmen from Lyon, France where the scarves are printed and still made today.
The process was truly fascinating. They brought in the engraved screens, cans of dye and yards of silk twill to print on. It was heaven, especially to printaholic like me. Depending on the intricacy of the artwork, each scarf can take up to 24 individual screens to make and hours worth of labor. Each screen represents a color and these screens are massive. Each scarf is painstakingly hand printed to ensure the artisanal tradition and quality that Hermes is known for. The scarves are then sent to be 'hand rolled', a stitching technique that requires years of experience and a sure hand because it has to be invisible to the untrained eye. All luxury scarves are finished with this stitch. Since 1937, over 1,500 designs have been produced by the company. The lectures were done entirely in French (bien sur!)and were translated in English and Cantonese at different times of the day. This went on for a whole week and I was lucky to witness one, even if it was in Cantonese. My French classes came in handy so I got the essence of what they were saying.
You can just imagine how many scarves they sold during this period. I call that really 'kick ass marketing'. I was tempted to buy one for my Mom but I just bought her one last year in St.Barts and I have 'a scarf a year' quota.
I must say that seeing the demonstration made me believe in and appreciate the brand more than ever, not just because everyone else does, but because they make beautiful things that you want to keep and pass down through generations. Now that's the kind of reputation worth aspiring for.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
The Silk Road
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19 comments:
oh, how wonderful! i am in the middle of reading the Vanity Fair article about Hermes. i have several scarves that i purchased mostly because i, too, want to pass them on to my daughter.
there seems to be numerous features about Hermes these days. i saw something in the harpers bazaar w/ anne hatheway on the cover that chronicled the history of all their different bags, and the sept issue of vanity fair also has a great piece on the company.
and that must be a reallyyyyy nice 'mall' to have to have such a special Hermes exhibition like that. hope it wasn't anywhere near the greasy food court.
bravo pour ce reportage, vraiment superbe.
cheer for this report, really superb.
Love the lamps, so beautiful!
LOOOVE.
I absolutely adore Hermès. Ugh, I bet this was such a spectacle to witness!
beautiful craftmanship
the lamps are superb...really amazing, I love to see the design and creation process behind things like this (you should do a sneak peak at your bags like this too). It makes you realize really what you are paying for...it's not just about the name.
Gorgeous! The craftsmanship makes $350 for a scarf seem entirely reasonable.
My mom was just explaining to me the painstaking craftmanship behind Persian rugs & it reminded me of this post
Beautiful post Rafe. Thanks for sharing! :o)
wow it's beeyootiful!! it's a no wonder they cost a bomb!!
and to think there are ppl lyk miranda preistly( in the devil wears prada) who treats the scarfs lyk tissues to be strewn abt!!
Hi Rafe! I haven't been here in a while, but I'm back ! Love the Silk Scarf Lamps- I would just love a couple as a feature in one of the rooms!
This is a great post! I love knowing that all that care and attention to detail does go into those beautiful scarves.
Four years ago I started a little tradition for myself. If I get a bonus from work, I reward myself with a Hermes scarf. (And yes, I have four, hoping to make it five this year!)
I love the whole experience. Having now purchased them at home in Sydney and now in the US, I love that the Hermes people always make me feel like it's a very special purchase. They take time to show me the latest designs, to explain the inspiration for the themes and make sure I am really happy with my final choice. And they are truly investment pieces.
Your post makes me anxious for my next instalment!
I am so delighted to see these silk screen prints for scarfs. I did such similar thinhg when I was young.... it is really cool.
My recent project that I did was turning fashion batik designs into my icing cakes design which i had just featured in www.bigboysoven.blogspot.com
One of my upcoming project is to turn icing design into begs which I think can be very interesting.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing process. Truely quite the artform!
I've always loved Hermes scarves and promised myself that they (along with the enamel bracelets) are something I'll buy. This post helps me appreciate the, not only at the visual level, but in the full aesthetic sense. Knowing how something is made, and that it is made well, not only justifies the price-tag, but helps people fall in love with objects on an entirely new level.
Hermes scarves are classic pieces of art. I especially love the African animal/safari theme.
When I was in Beijing, I wanted to get a REAL silk scarf for a friend but I don't know if they were real or not.
What a great post, so informative. And the pics were lovely. Loved it all.
C.
How I envy you for the life you have!!! But I know that you're blessed because of all your hardwork, perseverance, and determination... thank you for being an inspiration to many...
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