Decorating & Design

October 3, 2013

Hermès Festival Des Métiers Exhibit

Are you guilty of drooling over the exquisite scarves and tableware in the windows at Hermès but balking at the price tag? Drop by the heritage brand’s Festival Des Métiers exhibit, on now until Sunday at the Design Exchange, and you’ll see why their goods fetch a hefty price.

The traveling exhibit features intimate demonstrations by Hermès craftspeople —  flown in from the company’s French workshops for the occasion — of their painstakingly intricate design process. From their origin as master harness and saddle makers in 1837 Paris, to their present-day cult status among the fashion set, it’s amazing to see these iconic designs by the legacy brand come to life before your eyes. Here are a few things that held me captive at the press preview this week — giddy up!

All Hermès porcelain tableware is handpainted using a multi-step system, starting with a paper sketch. Every different colour added is cured at a different temperature, making each piece a very arduous process!

One of their trademark silk scarves is a 3 month-long, 500 hour process involving up to 46 separate silk screening films. 300 cocoons of silk go into each scarf — wow.

Voilà!

Buttery leather Birkin goodness. I was tempted to make a run for it with one of these babies.

The saddlemaker, where it all began.

Festival Des Métiers runs from Oct 2-6 at The Design Exchange. Drop by this weekend to learn more Hermès secrets of your own.

Photo credits:
1-7. Chloe Berge
Top photo. Hermès