Bibliothèque

The last leg of my trip was spent in Romania, the place of my birth whose name alone triggers a unique vibration for me.  For personal reasons (which I'll reserve for later posts), the trip has been full of very intense emotional experiences, and as much as I find them taxing not least because I love living and experiencing the world feelingly, I always find myself looking back with nostalgia for the place, in my heart, that is "my Romania".

I credit my own upbringing in Romania for the passion that I have been cultivating for books, in general, and for reading.  And this post is most appropriate to pay tribute to the objects in our lives that invite us to discover places and people of far-away lands without leaving the comfort of our own home.  I am definitely one of the folks who not only take refuge in the comfort of a book, but also use every opportunity to savour books published in Romanian (as an intimate part of the culture, the language is for all of us the most readily available mechanism that allows us to feel connected to our culture - and that couldn't be more true in my case).

"Bibliotèque" ("Library") depicts the treasures that we all strive to acquire in our attempt to quench the curiosity that takes hold of us from the earliest age.   

A stunning design where the pattern of select books, suggestive of covers of glorious stories, are harmoniously matched with colours that stir the viewer.  My passions for books and impeccable silk fabrics are perfectly matched in this design.

So I bid you farewell until next week, for I must hurry to shop for some new titles, which I'm only too eager to add to my own personal "biblioteque".

Trophées de Venise

As I embark on a trip that will enable me to explore, admire and fall in love with Venice, I thought it perfectly fitting to live the excitement of experiencing the glory of "La Serenissima" ("the most serene", the name conferred onto the Republic of Venice) through the very design that Hermes chose in paying tribute to the city built in the middle of the sea.  

"Trophées de Venise" ("Trophies of Venice") is an ode to the cultural richness offered uniquely by Venice, as the focal point of this design - the four horses depicted from an angle slightly to the right of the ensemble - makes obvious.  The illustration is a direct reference to the Triumphal Quadriga, the bronze horses adorning the façade of St. Mark's basilica since the thirteen century (previously, they had crowned - appropriately - the Hippodrome of Constantinople until the city fell, during the Fourth Crusade of 1204, to the Christian armies; the Venetian troops were quick to "rescue" them by bringing them back to Venice; there was a further hiatus in their presence in St. Mark's square, thanks to Napoleon's wish to place them on the "Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel"; the originals have since been returned to Venice, where the exact replicas continue to look over St. Mark's square while the originals can be admired inside).

The corners above the horse ensemble depict further highly recognizable elements of Venice - St. Mark's basilica, with its eclectic architectural motifs, and two of the ubiquitous bridges across the lagoon canals, underneath which you recognize the gondola heads (whose iron, used to gain stability by counter-balancing the gondolier's weight, is a mini-map of Venice: the six strips called "pettini" (comb) represent the six "sestieri" (quarters); an additional long strip represents Giudecca Island; the double "S" bending represents the Grand Canal; on top is a stylized dogal horn and, under that, a lunette representing the Rialto bridge).

All around the apparent circles are illustrations of the domes found in the churches of Venice.  Finally, the two peacocks placed in the middle of the lower half of the design are a direct reference to the byzantine art, ever so present in the Venice's architectural gems.  Within the spiritual teachings of Christianity, they symbolize resurrection, renewal and immortality.

Needless to say that I'm thrilled to have the chance and opportunity to re-live the experiences I've been deriving from my readings on Venice, in real life.

Collection FW2007: Carnets de bal

Ahead of my upcoming trip to Europe, I have been imagining the places to check out and the activities to fill my time with, and during this exercise in day-dreaming, I recalled another voyage of discovery to a place far-far away that succeeded to enchant me beyond my wildest expectations from the first moment I set foot in the airport.  If you thought of my time abroad in 2007, you guessed correctly that I was referring to Japan, a land whose people (and beauty) marked me for life and continues to inspire me to this day.

During my time there, Hermes had launched "Carnets de bal" ("Dance Cards"), a design representative of the beautiful Art Nouveau movement.  Dance cards, at their peak in the 18th century, served to remind society ladies the order of the dances they were to perform, along with the names of their partners (interestingly, mend eventually adopted them as well).  As this design illustrates, dance cards evolved to elaborate "objets d'art", highly decorative objects often ornate with precious materials (silver, gold, ivory or pearls) and jewels.

The contour of the "frame" onto which the dance cards are displayed reminds me of the Parisian "Metro" entrances of yesteryears, designed by Hector Guimard, that added even further to the metropolis' charm.

This design manages to appeal to younger and more matures audiences alike, as it maintains its unique femininity both when displayed and when knotted.  And one of my personal favourites, particularly since I associate this beautiful design with a place that I found most beloved !

Collection FW2007: Bolduc au Carré

A model from the FW2007, "Bolduc au Carré" ("Ribbon Squared") is simply charming.  The scarf design pays tribute to one of the subtle yet iconic elements of the Maison, the thin ribbon used to wrap the gift boxes.


The design illustrates a pattern of different coloured-ribbons, harmoniously weaved into a "cloth".  It's an impactful design, perhaps a little mature in the colours that I featured, but definitely young in some more vibrant colours, as issued by the House since 2007, in both traditional silk scarves and cashmere/silk shawls.  A truly timeless design ! 

Collection FW2007: Projets Carrés

One of the more thought-provoking designs of the recent past is "Projets Carrés" ("Projects Square(d)"), launched as part of the FW 2008 Collection (my inspiration came from some ads I noticed posted around downtown Toronto, while riding my bike (I almost fell off my bike in fact seeing those pictures).

The composition is deceptively simple, featuring elements of the horse harness, most presented if not in pairs, at least symmetrically - stirrups, bits, straps - while select elements are on their own, such as a comb and (possibly a hip) strap).  Yet the apparent "disorder" in which they are presented triggers a feeling of abundance.  This richness is further enhanced by the alternation of the materials these objects are made of - leather and metal - two elements (one organic, one inorganic) that create a certain tension between them (the leather pieces make me think of objects of fetish, which, in combination with the whips, are meant to trigger the viewer's curiosity, sense of intrigue and overall admiration for the design).

What I particularly admire about this scarf are two aspects: one has to do with the very vibrant colour combinations (depicted is the anis green/olive green/brown/gray/copper orange; another design I recently remarked featured a white background against which the same elements are rendered in bright - almost "Valentino" - red).  The second aspect has to do with the depiction of the border on the scarf: by way of "inserting" faint white "spots" within the solid border, the eye detects a textured fabric framing the objects captured inside.  So powerful is the impression, in fact, that I, along with everyone I knew, felt tempted to touch it to believe my eyes (to the touch, that portion of the silk feels the same as the rest of the scarf).  The impression of textured canvas serves as a great base onto which the depicted objects appear as if they are three dimensional (sensation triggered in part by the manner in which the strap, in the lower part of the composition, comes outside the border ever so delicately).

I get many questions about who could wear a certain model - or rather, what does the model best evoke.  I'm happy to suggest that this pattern is very young, and even edgy.  Indeed, a great design, one that appears equally beautiful when the scarf is knotted as when it is displayed.  So wear it with confidence and you'll appear magnificent !  I, for one, have loved this scarf ever since it came out for the design is equally stirring and intriguing.

Collection FW2006: Touch Me

This is a very interesting scarf, not only for the effect it has on those who seek its meaning, but also for the way it is built - the manner in which the effect was realized.

"Touch Me" is appropriately inviting the admirer not only to take note of what the design conveys, but also - or even more so - to reach out and feel the scarf.  The design depicts a pattern that is - indeed - fur (or at least fur-looking).  The effect is so powerful, in fact, that you'd be tempted to see what touching the scarf would feel like.

Upon closer inspection, however, you notice that what you took to look like fur is nothing but meticulous hand drawings, similar to the ones we "tried" our hands at, when we discovered the wonderous pencils (or crayons). 

I'm not sure what this scarf would look like around someone's neck - but I can only fancy it would look both elegant and intriguing, and awfully warm!

Collection FW2010: La Vie du Grand Nord

La vie du grand nord ("Life at the Great North") is a tribute to the spectacular life, its struggle and its beauty against immaculate surroundings, at the Pole. 

The scarf has been imagined as independent scenes surrounded by "naive" drawings of iconic mamals of the area - reindeer (also known as the caribou in North America), whales, walruses and seals - that bring the story to a harmonious close (this design reminds me of the Pani la Shar Pawnee design, similarly constructed).  The inner square depicts, as the focal point, a creation whose four white arms, like four tree trunks, spread in the four "corners" of the universe - perhaps a hyperbole for the source of life - each ending with a rich tree root.

Aline Honore designed this scarf and Hermes launched in 2004/2005; the image depicted below is part of the reissued series (belonging to the Winter 2010 collection), in different colour combinations (the one below is absolutely stunning, the kind of design that takes your breath away).

When knotted, the scarf does not appear as gloriously as when displayed, for the leaf motif, depicted in every corner, is a very abstract element that prominently displays when the scarf is knotted, thereby taking away from the glimpses of true North life that the scarf features in the middle - and which, in fact, not only make for the beauty of it, but also acts as the element of the design that gave the scarf its name; yet, I ancitipate that this will become a very admired and beloved scarf, particularly for those fashion-sensible ladies (and sophisticated gents?) who recognize that true success depends only on taking chances - in fashion as in life.

Collection FW2010: Ex-Libris en Camouflage

"Ex-libris" is a Latin phrase that means "from the books" (often used to indicate ownership of the book).  This scarf pays tribute to the very symbol of the Maison, the carriage, the splendid horse and the groom.  Legend has it that Emile Hermes chose this design as his personal "signature stamp" on every book he owned, when he decided to bind each one in the same leather cover.


The design proved so successful and influential, it proved the inspiration behind the House's emblem because it best captures - and encompasses - the essence (and raison d'etre) of Hermes.  


The camouflage, artfully obtained by countless silhouettes of galloping horses, adds a contemporary feel to this otherwise timeless symbol.  Once I recognized the overall pattern, I laid my eyes on the focal point of this scarf, the "H", above which the unmistakable "duc" (the elegant calash), the groom in livery attending to the horse, and the noble horse itself, stationary, dreaming of mad careerings...


I find this particular pattern sublime, for its vibrant, unconventional colours infuse tremendous energy into the scarf, rendering it not only contemporary, but uniquely timeless.  As only select patterns succeed, it displays as beautifully as it appears knotted.  This scarf is a definite "hit".

The shot below, featuring this pattern, was chosen to represent this season's collection.  Wonderfully conceived and skillfully depicting the scarf, this add equally intrigues and mesmerizes the admirer.


Back in May 2010, Martha Stewart decided to invite Hermes' North American President, Bob Chavez to her show (accompanied by scarf specialist Susie diCecco, the House's aesthete in charge of artistic displays of scarves).  Martha, in her characteristic style boasting about how many scarves she bought as well as received over the years, was wearing this scarf in brown, appearing to have received it as a gift right before the show.  Needless to say, it was impactful yet discreet (and utterly elegant) - the perfect accessory.

Collection FW2010: Cheval de Légende

This design inevitably carries us back to our childhood and the wonderful world and heros' adventures we first heard from our parents, then read ourselves as our curiosity and thirst for discoveries made us come across the books ourselves.

"Cheval de légende" ("Legendary Horse") pays tribute to Pegasus, the horse brought to life by the Greek mythology.  The legend recounts how the Greek hero Perseus cut the Gorgon Medusa's head off, and from the spilling blood Pegasus, a beautiful white winged horse, sprang to life.  Ancient etymology links the name to water and springs: the so-called Hippocrene spring on Mount Helicon marked the spot where Pegasus struck a rock with his hoof.  Its waters were a source of poetic inspiration.

On Mount Olympus, the gods' home, Pegasus was entrusted with the sacred task of carrying Zeus's thunderbolts, until he was tamed by Bellerophon (with the help of Athena, the protectress of heroes, who presented him with a golden bridle).  Bellerophon, the hero charged with slaying the hybrid monster Chimaera by the Lykian king Iobates, slipped the bridle around Pegasus's neck while the horse was drinking, and climbed onto his back.  Thanks to Athena's intervention, Bellerophon was able to slay the Chimaera.  After Bellerophon's death, Pegasus rejoined the gods, and eventually became a constellation.

The reference to the constellation (named Pegasus) is wittily depicted in the design by way of the tiny dots, each sparkling with a magic light, that together depict the front part of a horse about to take off.  As with many other designs, the horse brings so much energy to the scarf and instills in it the admiration that such a noble animal commands.  The overall depiction is sadly lost when the scarf is tied - another testament to how this scarf manages to convey different feelings and moods, depending on how it's displayed.  The apparent "rope", also made up of little stars, adds the element of border (as with a painting) to the design, and renders the scarf more interesting when knotted.  Overall, a very contemporary design best admired for its non-traditional colours (the fuchsia and the green particularly stand out for their unusual hues).

It is also reminding me of the "pearls" design featured as part of the spring/summer collection - which I featured last week.

Meanwhile, so confident was Hermes in the success of this design, that it decided to expriment with it as the dial of the Arceau model.

Collection SS2010: Kelly en Perles

The fascination with this scarf stems from two classics of our times: Princess Grace Kelly, whose rafinement and indeed grace has inspired countless artists to dedicate their creations to her and even name such creations after her, and the timeless pearls, themselves a symbol of immaculate purity, of valuable possessions and most importantly of treasured objects whose beauty is meant only to enhance the beauty of the wearer. 

"Kelly en perles" (Kelly in pearls") is an exploration into the fantastic, a reinterpretation of classic aesthetic into contemporary tastes and standards.  The actual composition, suggestive of colourful glass beads in the style of artists from Cameroon, confers upon the scarf a very tangible sensation - thanks to Hermes' fine-tuned and impeccable techniques of rendering 3-D objects into 2-D spaces.  The focal point of this scarf is the timeless Kelly bag, itself formed by countless beads in a most realistic depiction.

The actual scarf is not necessarily at the top of my preference in terms of design (neither displayed fully, nor knotted), but it is most memorable for the pattern, reminiscent of the beaded coin purses so popular in the country side during my childhood in Eastern Europe, little treasures that continue to make me smile, even after so many years of having been burried in the back of my memory's "drawers".  So in this sense, I perceive this scarf as triggering utterly "happy" memories for me.

Collection FW2010: The Rhythm of China

Back in early January, I featured a design, called "Hermès en voyage", inspired by artist Ding Yi's work.  This fall/winter design "Rhythms of China" is a very close interpretation of the artist's creations (one in particular springs to mind, namely 2003's "Appearance of crosses - 12" for instance).  On closer inspection, the individual "pixels" are in fact delicate snow flake-like stars, forming a tight web of equal harmony and vibrant energy.  When knotted, the dynamism of the pattern becomes not only visible, but also much more impactful.  A very contemporary scarf suited for young stylish and mature sophisticated ladies alike.  

An interesting detail about this scarf: it was launched in China by the Maison several years ago, and featured in an exhibit organized in September 2007 in Shanghai at the Shanghai Art Museum to mark 70 years from the launch of the first scarf, and 10 years of the Maison catering to the Chinese clientèle through local boutiques.

Regardless of when this design was released, this scarf is thoroughly impressive !

Collection FW2010: La Charmante aux Animaux

This scarf draws its inspiration from the One Thousand and One Nights (known in English as the "Arabian Nights" from its first English language edition in 1706, which rendered the title as "The Arabian Nights' Entertainment").  In the centre of the scarf, seated next to the Persian King (Sultan), is none other than his beautiful new bride, Sheherazade, who mesmerizes him with story upon story (which she begins every night, but does not finish until the next night). 

"La charmante aux animaux" ("the Animal Charmer") picks on one such story, telling of the animals who roam freely on this earth.  As always with Annie Faivre, whose nickname is "little monkey", she chose to include the representation of a monkey in the detail of this scarf.

What I find interesting is that the design is very baroque in its richness, and the organic pattern that provides the background for the design; because of this, the scarf has a rather traditional feel to it (as opposed to lighter and asymmetrical motifs that would define it as more modern) and so I anticipate this scarf to be more appealing to a more matude crowd, despite the timeless theme.

Collection SS2008: Astrologie

This design has been among the most popular designs that Hermès has produced.  With this post I am taking a detour from our current collection so as to feature something spectacular and mesmerizing that's worth of at least one post.

Since its launch in 1963, "Astrologie" ("Astrology") has been reissued at least 17 times over the years.  Its success has been so tremendous, that many recognizable stars have opted to sport a scarf depicting the Astrology design on the cover of magazines and making newspaper headlines (see below Jackie Kennedy, before she became "Mrs. Onassis", as well as Oprah on the cover of her magazine).

Conceptually simple, the design is spectacularly embellished to regal standards of beauty and harmony.   

Collection SS2010: Chevaux Qataris

An artist long admired for his intimate knowledge and unique ability to depict horses, bulls and (hunting) dogs (and a personal favourite of mine as well), Hubert de Watrigant has enchanted me again with yet another design. “Les Chavaux Qataris” (“the Qatar Horses”) is a tribute to the majestic breed of the Arabian Horse, whose distinctive head shape and high tail carriage commend so much respect and love from horse lovers and connoisseurs alike.
What you come to recognize is the particular dynamism of this design, due to the depiction of the horses as running freely across the folds of the scarf.

The renditions in the corners make me think of Native Indian artifacts - which may or may not be the case, although I did recognize, in the patterns along the edges, typical Argentinian belt patterns.

Perhaps designed as such on purpose, the horses at the bottom of the design are facing inward, whereas those in the upper corners are facing out - so as perhaps to inspire the admirers to look for more horses than the two heads seen in the corners, when the scarf is tied.  I would have preferred to see all corner horses face outward, because the allure of their heads is so fantastic.  What I do appreciate is that horses are depicted as bear different colours, depending on the background hue - white and brown, in the case of the baby blue background below (which have been paired on the same side of the scarf surface - so that when the scarf is worn knotted, the front corners depict different coloured horses).  Wonderfully done !

One final aspect that contributes to the spectacular and elegant scarf: while the design has been launched first as part of the Fall/Winter collection 2008, this reissue is on the famous cashmere and silk mix.  Indeed, spectacular !

Collection FW2006: Séquences

I recently saw a report on Eadweard J. Muybridge, a pioneer photographer whose story is as fascinating as the invention that his name is most associated with - a technique he developed to capture animal locomotion, out of a popularly-debated question of the day back in 1872: whether all four of a horse's hooves left the ground at the same time during a gallop. 

In 1877, Muybridge settled the question with a single photographic negative showing Stanford's racehorse Occident airborne in the midst of a gallop.  This negative was lost, but it survives through woodcuts made at the time.  By 1878, Muybridge had successfully photographed a horse in fast motion.

This series of photos taken in Palo Alto, California, is called "Sallie Gardner at a Gallop" or "The Horse in Motion" and shows that the hooves do all leave the ground — although not with the legs fully extended forward and back, as contemporary illustrators tended to imagine, but rather at the moment when all the hooves are tucked under the horse as it switches from "pulling" with the front legs to "pushing" with the back legs.

This scarf design is not particularly beautiful, but memorable for the tribute it pays to a discovery of our modern age.  When knotted, the scarf appears quite traditional in both colours and pattern.  The white background, however, renders it a classic though.

Ex Libris Limited Edition for Liberty of London

This design is a visible departure from the usual creations of Hermes in that the "canvas" is no longer "clear"; instead, it features a rather heavily - albeit pastel and hence more mutedly so - floral pattern.  The Maison used one of its previous patterns (hugely successful, the "Ex Libris") to print it on the signature busy floral pattern of Liberty of London.

Launched under the banner of "Hermes pops up at Liberty", this scarf design, along with a similas one in fuchsia and pale green, proved highly popular and hence sought-after.

Collection FW2010: Cent Plis de Miao

I haven't felt so much enthusiasm admiring the Maison's designs for a while. Yet, like a fabulous find in a treasure chest - literally or figuratively - and I'm thinking here of a pair of shoes on a shelf in a tiny shop down one of those quiet streets in an upscale "quartier" (i.e. city district) – this scarf has filled my heart with excitement and joy and stimulated my imagination. So a tribute to it is very much in order.

Perhaps the design with the most promise of the Fall/Winter 2010 Collection – and one I particularly appreciate – "Cent Plis de Miao" ("A Hundred Pleats of Miao") pays tribute to the Miao culture and its nearly four million-strong people bound by it, living in China (the Miao people also live in Vietnam and Laos, where they’re called “Hmong”).

The dress depicted in this design is highly symbolic of the Miao culture and an essential element of it, whose name means “raw rice” – the dress is often mentioned in songs and folk tales, thereby becoming an integral and defining element of the culture. The fabrics are pleated, a technique believed to be inspired from (and reflective of) the mushroom gills. The finer the pleats, the higher the value of the dress.

Of particular interest is the creative craft of rendering the colours on the dress: the blue hues are obtained from a natural indigo pigment where the fabric, previously marked with wax to protect the areas (of the design) desired to appear white, is allowed to soak in the indigo dye. Once the desired hue is obtained, the fabric is remove, allowed to dry, then heated – both to remove the wax and finally to reveal the white patterns. The rest of the colours are embroidered by hand (a fantastic collection, consisting of similar dresses with no less than a thousand pleats is on display at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris).

The darling of the aficionados and one of the most prolific designers in the service of Hermès, Aline Honoré has delighted us yet again with a design inspired from far-away lands, equally fascinating and mysterious. She chose to depict the dress in all its splendour, spread across a surface suggestive of another type of fabric design that the Miao women choose to wear tied around their legs, whose patterns of squares and lines are also representative of their culture. Reminiscent of the Brazil design of the previous season’s collection in the dress display, the similarities between the two designs stop here. The background is simple so as to allow the dress to shine. A truly beautiful – artistic, creative, sensible display worth the glory the Hermes silk twill brings to it.

Le Carnaval de Venice

Today's post is the 100th on my blog, a landmark accomplishment worth being celebrated with a spectacular design that epitomizes the Celebration.  To mark this accomplishment, I couldn't think of a better design than the original "Le Carnaval de Venice" ("The Carnival of Venice") by Hubert de Watrigant. 

This design has withstood the test of time.  After so many years and countless fashion trends, this design continues to fascinate me thanks to its vibrant harmony and mysterious dynamics, the Venetian masks depicted in every corner as well as the participants, dressed in character costumes.  These elements, uniquely identifiable with Venice, are wittily depicted across the scarf elegantly and harmoniously.  Interestingly, this mosaic of pictorials

As your eye focuses on the pictorial placed in the center of the scarf - depicting an equally impactful and prominent St. Mark's bell tower overlooking Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square), you notice the passers-by, themselves dressed in period costumes, admiring the symbol of the "Serenissima" Venice.

Perhaps more than anything, this is one of my all-time favourite designs, and what's a beautiful gift if I cannot share it with friends ?

Happy 100 posts, and may you savour many more posts whose subjects - the beautiful Hermès scarves - will continue to fascinate, mesmerize, and ultimately inspire you.

Collection FW2010: Très Kelly

This design caught my attention not so much for the actual theme as for the freshness of the design despite its reminiscence to "Bolduc", a scarf issued in 1983 and reissued many times since, in different sizes and on different materials, to great success.


"Très Kelly" ("Very Kelly") is a tribute to the iconic element of the Kelly bag, and of many other successful Hermes bags: the leather straps (they are paired, one from each side) that secures the bag shut.  Kelly is, of course, the name attributed to one bag model that the late Princess Grace Kelly carried.  She was pregnant at the time and when confronted by a group of paparazzi, decided to keep the pregnancy away from their peering eyes so she covered it with her bag.  This is the legend that saw the bag's baptized "Kelly" and gave birth to a cult around the world.  


Unlike the "Bolduc" (which featured the object that gave its name to the scarf design - the thin ribbon used to tie gift boxes), "Très Kelly" features one element, absent from previous designs, that heightens the interest in this design: the metal clasp of the two leather straps - an element that breaks the monotony of the design by adding variety along the lines of the straps themselves visually, both by way of a different pattern (albeit discreet) and of a different colour (in that sense alone, the apparent randomness of the individual clasps reminds me of the flight of countless insects - be it ants or bees).


When knotted, the scarf illustrates the pattern in much the same way as the Bolduc scarf does, except the element of fetish here - the leather strap and the metallic clasp - confer this scarf a stronger, more confident personality, traits that the person who wears it (uniquely suited for both men and women) is likely to share.

Collection FW2010: Quand Soudain

I am very excitedly welcoming the new Fall/Winter 2010 collection of Hermès scarves, just as the peony flowers have recently blossomed in Toronto.  

The focus of today's post is "Quand Soudain" ("when suddenly"), a set of four instantanés ("snapshots") from Paris, depicting the Montmartre hill (with its highly recognizable symbol, the Sacré Coeur cathedral, the House's iconic flagship store and head office at 24, rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré, a close-up of a horse's head, a depiction suggestive of the equally iconic horse atop the House's building, and finally a horse in apparent flight. 

What I find fascinating is the style of the story line, as told through images - reminiscent of the cartoons so beloved by children.  I grew up with several -old- issues of the Pif Vaillant and Arthur (le fantome) magazines (back in the days, Romania was under Communist regime, so those issues must have belonged to other generations from another era), French comic strips (bandes dessinees) with lovely characters such as dog called Pif, and a fantome (Arthur) and their adventures both at home at on foreign lands, during their travels.  The captions on this series of images, starting from the upper left hand corner and descending diagonally across, read - just like a comic strip text - "at the same time, in Paris, all was calme", followed by "when, suddenly" and "to be continued".

Although the approach of dividing up the overall scarf space into strips of different pictures is not new, this scarf is particularly charming because it contains so many references to Paris and to Hermès, which - themselves - trigger a certain fascination and instill in the admirers a desire to pack their bags and head to the Capital of Lights to enjoy its refinement.  One reason I recognize such an effect of this particular design lies in its depiction of photo-like images, rather than partial pictures of previously released designs (of course, the air of nostalgia triggered by looking at those images, drawings replicating the real world, just like a children's comic strip, only adds to the scarf's beauty).

Disappointingly, the scarf does not pay necessary tribute to its design when knotted.  The majesty is the design is simply lost, appearing simply as unidentifiable colour "stains", perhaps appropriately and skillfully achieved as a "vintage" scarf.

Collection SS2010: H comme Histoires

The concept behind this scarf has been the ubiquituous designs found on older, leather-bound story books, so rare yet so dear to children and parents alike.  Glacing over such sophisticated lettering carries my thought to the excitement that every child experiences upon seeing the parent, grandparent or otherwise the special person holding a story book, ready to enchant the little ones with the searches, voyages, free spirit, bravery and gentleness of heroes of times past.

My fascination with this design stems from the illusion of (time) traveling that this pattern induces - as my eyes glance over the entire scarf, from the lower half of the design (which is the focal point on the scarf) across its upper part, I perceive the design as one of those images associated with the sensation of gliding over territory from an airplane, or more appropriately a time capsule, at ever increasing speeds.  The horizontal lines, reminiscent of the lines across a musical partition, send the viewer on a journey to the right of the book cover, expecting the reader to uncover the pages and dive into the fascinating worlds hidden beneath.

The scarf ties surprisingly gracefully, with its pattern showing only discreet elements of its design.  Really wonderful !

Collection SS2010: Lilanga

Featuring a fantasy design, this scarf took its name from the Tanzanian artist George Lilanga whose claim to fame were the paintings realized in the same style, featuring local village folk attending to various activities in their daily lives, portrayed in humourously with large ears, elastic and contorsioned legs and otherwise simplified facial expressions.  These stylized figures and abstract splashes of colour alternate, to instill a movement uniquely captured by this design.  Lilanga is thought to have painted his characters to reflection the image that he retained from his own years in primary and secondary school, years marked by a vivid happiness. 

The story of this scarf is equally fascinating.  Hermes Art Director Pierre-Alexis Dumas felt inspired to transpose Lilanga's paintings on silk following the former's encounter with Jean Pigozzi, the famous contemporary African art collector whose collection includes artwork by Lilanga and who has taken an interest not only in the discovery and conservation of African art, but also in the making process. 

Of interest about this particular design is how balanced the entire scene appears, despite the busy patterns, given by both shapes and colours.  Ideal for those who could rely on a cartoon-like pattern to enhance their beauty and - more importantly - complement their personality.

Collection SS2010: Les Dix Cavaliers

An old legend tells the story of this horseman, riding endlessly across the vast world, never dismounting. Feeding only on the infinite spectacle of the thousand and one countries crossed, he meets nine other solitary horsemen in succession, arriving from every corner of the universe. Then, as if by magic, the ten riders get together and join up to form one single horseman, the carrier of all the legends. Brimming with all their knowledge, this rider continues to traverse the world, until the end of time. To illustrate this encounter, the design of the carre Les Dix Cavaliers has been divided into ten bands, each dedicated to one of the horsemen.

The pattern is reminiscent of the “Le monde est vaste” pattern of last year’s collection, in both concept and realization – with the original canvas “sliced up” and the stripes put back together in an apparent random fashion. Unlike the previous pattern, however, where the softer colours rendered the colour combinations harmonious, the horizontal stripes make this design appear fairly busy, thereby inducing a certain tension in the overall scarf. It definitely requires a strong personality to sport it, as the colours on their own – and the contrasting colour combinations are fairly strong.

Collection SS2010: Quintessence

I have originally dismissed this design as incoherent (or should I say “dissonant”?), and while I continue to stand by my impression, I found the theme intriguing enough to merit a critique.

The title of this scarf is “Quintessence”, a direct reference to the mystic concept of the fifth element that defines our universe (throughout the human history, various cultures identified the four elements that together made up the physical space in which we live as “air”, “earth”, “water” and “fire”. Given their critical and intimate roles in our lives, they were referred to as “essences”; hence, “quintessence” – from the Latin “quinta”, meaning “five”, and “essentia” – “essence”).

In the classic science fiction movie with the same name, the fifth element that bound us together was love; in the world depicted by Zoé Pauwels, it refers to a movement of fantasy and mystery, describing the Genesis through music played by angels (similar to a previous design, by the same artist, called "la danse du cosmos").

With many large-sized elements, the focal point of this score is the ornate treble clef (also known as the “Sol” clef, the name of “G” in the solfege, whose shape is probably derived from a cursive “S”), to the left, juxtaposed with the equally ornate bass cleff on the right (the word “solfege” ultimately derives from these two syllables, “sol” and “fa”). They set the tone for the overall theme and invite the spectator to tune in to the other elements of this creation.

As my gaze sought the rest of the carré, I found myself overseeing the white object depicted in the lower half of the centre, and up towards what appeared as celestial skies. On closer inspection, however, I recognized an hourglass whose passing of the sand from one receptacle and into the other, measuring the passing of time, is perhaps reflective of the rhythm of music and life. The celestial skies may also carry the admirer – as in a fantastic world – to our galaxy, as a reflection of the universe that music creates – its place, at the top, perhaps not random in suggesting that music is indeed uplifting.

In the lower corners of the scarf, music springs out of the necks of two violins, as if to indicate that the substance of the cases themselves evaporated into the ether (the fifth element) and what’s left is the music. The upper corners echo the lower ones with harps – the instruments of the gods – from which music continues to flow in an enchanting way. Each of these instruments – real or imaginary, as if in a fantasy – rest on stars that shine over all creations (remember, the light is the most powerful and recognizable symbol of the Divine). Perhaps the most impactful are the two celestial stars along the main “North – South” axis of the scarf, appearing to shine brighter than any other.

Potentially missed during the first “interpretations”, each of the two angels in the upper half of the scarf are resting on the Sun and the Moon, perhaps symbolic of the beginning and of the end. Finally, take note of the existence of the astrolabes, signifying the human poise to reach beyond the visible limits of our world, to discover and explain the universe.

The design is not necessarily harmonious, but is arguably maintaining an internal equilibrium, suggestive of a moment suspended in space when the motion of the stars may be observed and appreciated.

The final word is that Pauwels' style is distinct enough as this design reminded me of "La Musique des sphères", most recently released in 2007.