Collection SS2011: Clic Clac dip dye

In the spirit of savouring the harmony of contrasting beauties the artisans' creative genius produces (this is equally valid when generalized to most aspects of our lives), I will shift my attention in this post to another kind of Hermes silk scarves.  Today's post zooms in on the "Clic Clac" design, originally launched in 1980 and reissued in 1997 and 2004 (as well as in cashmere in 2008) prior to this season's dip dye variation.  Afterall, an aesthete is a person without a precise identity in today's world, so I must be defined by my choices in the objects I feature.

The design proper has not captivated me as many others have before, in part because the juxtaposition of equestrian devices and of a puzzle-like pattern doesn't speak to me, yet the dip dye finish renders it truly remarkable - hence my choice of featuring it.  What caught my attention, however, are the symmetry of the pattern (I'll come back to this in a bit) and the whips, as the predominant motif of the scarf design.  I instantly thought of the whip as a strong symbol of the taming exercise - a reflection of the man's desire to make nature work for him, or rather his attempt to domesticate the world.  The topic of taming the savage has been explored countless times, particularly in the context of the objectives behind the taming.  But what exactly constitutes the savage?  Perhaps a concept of a melange of nature and culture (as the embodiment the animal and human being).  More poignantly, it is also a an undefined territory as a reflection of a state of mind or even a moral attitude.  Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden into the savage space - the place where humanity is supposed to seek - and achieve - redemption.  We perceive that space as a danger, but also as a state of the soul that facilitates our undestanding of the world.  Is this the reason why we feel a certain fascination towards the wildness - due to its dual effect of danger and attractiveness?

When we want to explore the savage, nowehere is the search more fruitful than the investigation of the other side of the mirror (this is where the symmetry in the pattern resonated with me).  This is one of the main reasons why the theatre and the cinema are equally appealing to me, as venues where the mosaique of the human character is fruitfully explored.

This design did not impress me when the scarf was displayed, for it combines whips with certain geometric patterns that provide a puzzle-like picture overall without a strong connetion to the ambiant world.  Yet the scarf ties so beautifully, and the dip dye treatment gives it such a soft, velvet-like appearance, I instantly recognized it as a personal favourite. 

This scarf can be either youthful or mature, depending on the colours you'd choose.  But either way, the velvet-like finish allows for an experience that's a cut above the other silk scarves...