Collection SS2015: Le Jardin de Monsieur Li

This is the first time that I write about a cologne, but this is too significant of an event to ignore.  The latest cologne in the "Gardens" collection is also Hermes' last - and that's because the House perfumer, the revered Jean-Claude Ellena, will be retiring.

Indeed, you can think of this as his "swan song".  

Scheduled to launch in North America in March 2015, this is already available in France and has been received very very well - "le Jardin de M. Li" is a perfume of Chinese fragrances between reality and fantasy.

Here's a snippet from the review on the Perfume Shrine: 

"The final chapter in the Jardin fragrance series by the historical house of Hermes is inspired by a garden redolent of in house perfumer Jean Claude Ellena's favorite flower: jasmine. The flower he grew up with (Jean Claude was taken as a child alongside the family, working with the workers, for the dawn picking of the lush white blossoms which smelled halfway between flower and flesh, as he recalls in his Journal d'un Parfumeur/Diary of a Perfumer).

The inclusion of the unusual note of kumquat, a small citrus fruit with a rich scent favoured for the preparation of a special liqueur on the island of Corfu, recalls the fruity hesperidic note in Colette 1873 by Histoires de Parfums.

The name, Le Jardin de Monsieur Li, is of course recalling a garden fantasy, as previous editions in the series did: the plate of figs offered in a garden in North Africa as translated into Un Jardin en Mediterannee (2003), the green mango and sycomore trees in Assouan, Egypt, in Un Jardin sur le Nil (2005), the monsoon in Kerala, India in Un Jardin apres la Mousson (2008), and the actual garden atop the Hermes headquarters which provided vegetables for the Dumas family during WWII in Un Jardin sur le Toit (2011).

Collection SS2015: Cheval Mirage

Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful !!!  A series of H's change directions often to depict - and also hide - the majestic head of a horse.

The very picture of metamorphosis: this delicate, trembling cloud, this mist in motion, is in fact a horse’s head, glimpsed fleetingly, vanishing as we approach to take a closer look, reappearing as we step back.  Framed by halters, the animal seems released: the straps encircle the empty air, a reflection, a mirage of the creature itself. No doubt about it, this carré is a symbol of freedom. 

And as Dimitri Rybaltchenko suggests when talking about his design, his original idea was to realize a dream we’ve all shared, at one time or another: to catch a passing cloud in our lasso. 

Of interest is that the colour palette in which this design is being offered there's a very similar scarf as the one above, yet in softer colours.

Pay attention to the horse while reaching for the stars !!

Collection SS2015: Cavaliers de Caucase

Poised between East and West, and between the Caspian and Black Seas, a chain of mountains extends for over 1,200 kilometres: the Caucasus, source of many ancient myths, like that of Prometheus, the fire-stealer punished by Zeus, king of all the gods. Life is harsh in this landscape of tall peaks, deep valleys, forests and barren wilderness, with one of the most diverse populations on Earth. In the north, where Mount Elbrus rises to a height of 5,642 metres – the tallest peak in the Caucasus, Russia, and the whole of Europe – the republic of Karbardino-Balkaria is home to the Circassians, noted for their fine looks, fierce pride and courage. 


Women hold a place of honour in this matriarchal society. In the past, richly-attired men and women would ride out together on the region’s Kabarda horses, bred for their robust strength, agility and endurance: long tunics for the men, open-fronted dresses over richly-embroidered blouses for the women, each man bearing his silver powder-casket, each woman her finely-engraved dagger… Annie Faivre’s carré is a richly decorative tribute to their culture, strewn with embroidered fabrics, objects and jewellery.

This scarf reminds me of "la femmes aux semelles de vent" - a juxtaposition of folkloric elements that define the local culture and also speak of adventures in far-away lands.

Collection SS2015: In the Pocket

One of my most favourite designs ever created by Hermes, In the Pocket is an invitation to a mesmerizing and full life.  Little remnants forgotten in the corners of our pockets - or possibly inside the coats as they made their way inside the lining - tell stories of attending concerts and balls, adventures and attempts at building or fixing many objects in our lives.  Looking back, I smile at the great times, remembering perhaps an outfit worn on a special occasion, my fixing a fence or even enjoying a cup of hot cocoa from a wonderful cup.

The colours are unapologetic, unlike the original edition - and this pattern remains, after all the wonderful designs I've seen still one of my all-time favourite ones...

Collection SS2015: Flamingo Party

A stunningly beautiful scarf, Flamingo Party explores organic themes and suggests the dance ritual that birds so gracefully perform during their mating season (Zorba's Dance is an interpretation of two storks dancing).

Pink flamingos, those huge, strangely beautiful birds, throw themselves once a year into a lengthy nuptial parade that sees them pair off, two by two… until next year. Flaunting their long, extraordinarily supple, graceful necks, their aristocratic bearing, their carefully preened wings, males and females take stock, brushing past one another, scrutinizing their potential partners for hours on end.  Surrounded by palms, orange trees and tropical flowers, their wings unfurled, in a frenzied tête-à-tête, the two birds pictured here are a celebration of their native Florida. 

America’s south-easternmost State is home to the celebrated Everglades national park, the habitat for a host of species including alligators, cougars, lynx, manatees and flamingos.

Collection SS2015: Bateau Fleuri

This is another invitation to travel - in style, in an ornate ship of flowers.  

The design depicts the sea using a common Japanese pattern - an invite to travel to far away places - and an ode to a rich culture that continues to inspire people to explore.

The pattern is very saturated, and many colour combinations are very strong, but why not have fun and try something different ?

Collection SS2015: Un Jardin Anglais

Keeping in line with Hermes 2015 theme, "Un Jardin anglais" ("an English garden") is most appropriate both for a place to wonder around admiring the surroundings, and for the design to transport us into the magic of nature.

The colours are unapologetically strong, making this design a strong statement piece.

Collection SS2015: A l'Ombre des Boulevards

A wonderful tribute to Paris, "In the Shade of Boulevards" transports the admirer to one of the iconic elements of Parisian life: its Grands Boulevards (and with the winter blues dragging on, one cannot think of a better way to enjoy the memories - or aspirations - of discovering Paris on foot.

This is also very fitting for the Hermes theme for 2015: Flâneur Forever or Invitation à la flânerie - that is, invitation to stroll around aimlessly but enjoyable, observing life and his/her surroundings.

Streets have had, since ancient times, a dual function: economic and social; streets were both a practical solution to moving about and a conduit to pleasurable strolls.  As streets became defined by the people and businesses that occupy them, some became very appealing thanks to the spectacles they offered: elegant people, bohemian people, storefronts or buildings.

Travellers observe locals go about their business, enjoying both the time and place so well anchored in the Parisian life.

Take a stroll through this carré and lose track of time along the Grands Boulevards.

Hermes SS2015: Patchwork Horse

Happy Happy New Year !!

This scarf, in a geometric pattern, is a fresh start to 2015 - and an involuntary tribute to Picasso's cubist period (this year we're celebrating 134 years since his birth), whose instrument players (see "the Accordionist" and Harlequins - a much loved character in European tradition, unlike the North American Clown) have earned him international fame and .

The colours are soft and reveal a mysterious shape that transforms into a horse only on close inspection.  The scarf, in cashmere and silk (size 140x140cm) ties beautifully.

The version below is a more colourful rendition, with the colour palette more traditional but very playful nonetheless.

FW2014: Cavalcadour Fleuri

Surprise !

One of the most stunning designs I have seen in a while - definitely making the ultra-rare "unforgettables" list - is this cashmere/silk shawl.  A fresh take on the classic Cavalcadour (one of the most popular designs the House has produced over time), this pattern is surely imprinted in our minds - and our hearts -, giving the person sporting it the assurance of wearing a stunning piece of art and feeling like the proverbial $1MM.

I chose to feature this design during the week of Christmas for looking at it - thanks to its fresh colours and sharp contrast, and to its amazing pattern - is like opening up a wonderfully wrapped gift, only to be mesmerized and enchanted by its content.

Have a safe Holiday season, enjoying every moment of it !

Collection FW2014: Les Sportives

There, a glimpse of the essence of smart, 1930s chic: elongated, slim silhouettes, a discreet waistline, cropped hair, slacks, gilets and blazers, cut in fluid, comfortable fabrics. Wardrobe essentials for every active, modern woman, then as now. Our figures are the essence of relaxed chic. Each new fashionable haunt imposes its own, specially-adapted look, and each outfit is evocatively named for a resort, a way of getting there, or a sporting activity. 

This pocket square is really wonderful and a joy to wear.  Try it for fun - you won't regret it !

Collection FW2014: Un Jardin sur le Toit

One of the nicest designs in my mind, a veritable postcard of a world apart, "Un Jardin sur le toit" ("A garden on the roof") depicts the now-legendary Maison head office at 24, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré with its rooftop garden - a wonderful oasis in the middle of a busy city and a constant source of inspiration for plant lovers and Hermes' own in-house "nose", the equally legendary perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena (the one who created the fragrance with the same name and whose creation inspired the launch of this wonderful carré design, which had originally (2011) accompanied the perfume bottles for the launch).

The white-and-green border is superb, infusing light and energy into the carré and triggering admirations from on-lookers.

Collection SS2015: Glitch

Initially, the word “glitch” was used to describe an electronic malfunction that distorted the image on the screen. This phenomenon gave rise to a new aesthetic developed by the glitch art movement. For this scarf, designer Dimitri Rybaltchenko ushers the Hermes Ex-Libris into the digital age, subjecting it to this unexpected effect.

Collection FW2014: Happy Meeting

I've been avoiding writing on this "Happy Meeting", but then I came across this one, which I really liked, and imagining it worn, I decided it was time to feature it in its splendour.

A meeting is enough!  The unexpected and happy meeting of two patterns put together to be of one mind.

In total, seven assembled patterns are metamorphosing into new scarves: our 'Cheval' becomes 'Phoenix', 'Camails' are pulled into the 'Circuit 24 Faubourg' and the 'Roy' dresses up with 'Plumets'.

Your imagination lets one pattern or another shine through.

Collection FW2014: Ex-Libris à Carreaux

Interesting pattern?  You bet !

Magic Knot?  You bet !

Cotton fabrics in warm colours – named for Madras, the Indian city where they originated – blend here with tartans of every hue and shade, and a checkerboard of multicoloured squares. 

The motif, with its play of straight lines and right angles, contains a thousand variations on a constant theme. In multiples of eight, ten, twenty, the lines become thinner and thicker, running parallel or criss-crossing in infinite combinations and colourways, adding further depth and complexity. Some have been chosen here to interlock and combine in circles, straight lines and curves. The composition engenders a motif dear to the house of Hermès: the famous Ex-Libris, squared.

Collection FW2014: Quadri

This vintage carré is so simple and so wonderful, it's surprisingly uplifting.

Collection FW2014: Brides et Gris-Gris

Buckles, riding-crops, finely-decorated head-pieces, bridles, reins and snaffle bits… From the outset, the house of Hermès has celebrated the art of bridlery, contributing to elevate it to the noble status it deserves. Each piece, from the simplest to the most complex design, demands faultless expertise for the well-being of mount and rider alike. Drawing on this rich repertoire, Virgine Jamin offers a contemporary take on these timeless motifs, a spiralling portrait of rings and plaits… Leaving nothing to chance, the silhouettes of some of the house’s iconic objects have been added to the mix in the form of leather fobs or lucky charms – a little horse, a stirrup, a tall riding-hat, finished with the inimitable saddle stitch.

Collection SS2014: Mors et Gourmettes Remix

A very popular classic has been reissued in a contemporary motif - somehow reminding me of the Liberty textiles.  The colors are soft and wonderful (both in the 90cm and 140 cashmere and silk).

A sophisticated look for a lucky lady.

Collection SS2014: Le Jardin de Leila

This scarf is a tribute to Leïla Menchari, Hermes' Head Stylist since 1977, in charge of the window displays at Hermes' main boutique on rue du Faubourg St-Honoré.  Four times a year, she enchants visitors and passers-by with visual feasts, bringing together elements from distinct Eastern and Western cultures in hallucinating celebrations for the eye and soul.

Reminiscent of "Fantaisie Pittoresque" of 2008, and of "Les Jardins des métamorphoses" ("The Gardens of Metamorphoses"), this scarf - modestly entitled "Leïla's Garden" - depicts scenes from a magic place in Leïla's native city of Hammamet, in Tunisia - a private garden she came to discover when she was only 10 and which, through a series of events, became hers when the owners passed.  This garden - featuring native and exotic plants alike, Roman columns and artifacts imported from around the Mediterranean basin, and populated by beautiful birds - including peacocks, captured prominently in one of the scarf's corners - has served as a source of inspiration for countless artists and patrons of the arts.

"This garden is possessed of the powers of its deep soil, imprinted with Roman ruins, and nourished by the humus of all the seasons. I entered this world at the age of ten, via the beach that runs next to it. By chance? Or fate – I have never left. Vines take root in the vast trees, their strange, almost animal blossoms adding to the climate of mystery. Time becomes fluid, impalpable. This kingdom of plants is inhabited by the murmur of wind in the bamboo, by birdsong and the melodious croaking of frogs from the depths of the ponds. And so I walked straight to the heart of this surreal, natural scene, which later became the source of inspiration for my decorations for Hermès. Anyone entering this place is struck by the graceful beauty of its elements: they will embrace you, or escape you, reconstruct you in the image of your vision of the world, your sensibility, your relationship to the elements. Do we not say that a garden is the image of Paradise?" - Leïla Menchari