A CHEVAL SUR MON CARRÉ, BALI BARRET, 2006.
Founded in 1837 by saddle maker Thierry Hermès, the French luxury house Hermès originally specialized in saddles and leather goods. History tells us that the first scarf inaugurating its scarf collection was produced in 1928 and was inspired by one worn by Napoleon’s soldiers. Called the “Jeu des Dames Blanches”, it showcased a print featuring French historical symbolism with an omnibus pulled by two horses, first used in Paris in March 1662. The main French manufacturer of omnibuses in the 19th Century was Dames Blanches. With this inaugural design, Hermès showcased its luxury positioning, association with horses, connection to Paris, and its place in history.
Its success led to the production of a workshop, and ultimately a factory for scarf production set up in Lyon in 1937—in conjunction with its 100th anniversary. In 1939, a date signaling the beginning of World War II, which resulted in shortages and a “make do and mend” way of thinking, initially this expansion may not have been a wise commercial endeavor. Today, however, the silk scarves are renowned the world over as some of the most glamorous fashion accessories.
ALPHABET III, ANNIE FAIVRE, 1990.
The Making of an Hermès Scarf
In total, the process of making an Hermès scarf can last up to two years. Following a meticulous design process, involving the design concept, to engraving, to printing, the scarf is hand finished—including forty minutes to hand roll. Each scarf tells a unique story and most bear the signature of the artist responsible for printing the scarf. Hermès square scarves are 36 inches square in diameter, require 250 cocoons, and contain 20mm of silk, while other manufacturers’ scarves contain between from 4mm to 16mm of silk.
Hermès Silk
The silk process is originally attributed to the Chinese and was brought over to Europe in the sixth century. First, it went to Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) and then spread to Greece, on to Italy, and then Spain. In France, Lyon was home to the production of silk, setting up looms in 1450. Tours, a city in the central region of Tourraine, then followed suit with production in 1470.
By the 1930s, France was the second largest silk producing country in Europe, after Italy. It is there that Hermès invented the original silk twill “carré”, an industry standard of excellence to this day.
Fabric prints, still hugely popular today on all garments, originally became an art form in the early 20th century. In 1911, couturier, Paul Poiret commissioned Raoul Duffy to design fabric prints while Elsa Schiaparelli engaged prominent artists like Salvador Dalì to do the same.
ALPHABET III, ANNIE FAIVRE. 1990.
An Iconic Accessory
Since its inception in 1937, Hermès has created over 25,000 scarf designs with the height of popularity being in the 1980s, during which one scarf was sold every twenty seconds on average, somewhere in the world.
Notable brand aficionados include Queen Elizabeth of England, who wore an Hermès scarf with a British stamp in 1956; Grace Kelly, who wore one on the cover of Life magazine; and Madonna famously wore one as a bustier. Indeed, an Hermès scarf can be worn in many ways: around the neck, across the shoulders, secured with a brooch or worn loose, around the waist as a makeshift belt, or on the head like a turban.
Every year, there are two collections issued, each with a dozen designs, of which four to six are re-issued classics with updated colors. Hermès scarves start at several hundreds of US dollars and can run into the thousands for collectibles.
