HERMESOLOGY

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Designer: Christine Henry

Year: Fall 2008

From hermes.com:
A deep understanding of Indian culture, art and mythology inspired the designer to create the scarf Aux Portes Du Palais. Each detail, character, animal, plant and architectural element is deliberate and richly symbolic. The large doors signify the threshold between two worlds: the known and the unknown. Fruit-laden trees bursting with flowers represent the Buddha in Indian folk art and symbolize fertility.

The lotus flowers, the flower of the Buddha, represent spiritual blossoming. Emblematic animals, revered and present in all Indian traditions, are also present: the elephant – ridden by Indra, the god of storms and rain – brings peace and prosperity; the horse is the symbol of wisdom and formal beauty; the cow, a nourishing mother figure, is the very image of non-violence; the tiger represents the energy of nature… The four dancers next to the trees narrate the legends of the gods and stories from everyday life using graceful gestures.

In the corners of the scarf we see examples of the protective drawings women paint on their homes. The frieze surrounding the scarf, in the style of Indian miniatures rich in colorful decorations, is a tribute to the delicacy of Indian art, expressed in fabrics and temple decorations alike.

Ref. 002456, Colorway 2

Designer: Cathy Latham

Year: Fall 2008

From hermes.com:
At first glance, the scarf Tout En Quilt gives the impression that several small paintings have been cut up into small squares and shuffled at random to make a large geometric puzzle. All these squares, assembled in a patchwork, are reproductions of Indian miniatures from the 17th and 18th centuries representing flora decorations, landscapes, the four elements, the sun and the moon.

Examine each little piece separately, admire the rich ornamentation, discover a thousand delicate details or look at the entire piece as a whole… A large, abstract vibration. In contrast, a single, very structured H stands out against the medley. In the middle of the scarf, at the very center of the H, lies a scene characteristic of Indian miniatures: two riders on their horses.

Ref. 002439, Colorway 3

Designer: Virginie Jamin

Year: Fall 2008

From hermes.com:
For the scarf Dancing Pearls, the designer dreamed up a story of a woman who leaves India on a boat without suitcases or memories. All she takes with her is a light, sparkling necklace of Indian pearls. Swayed by the tumultuous waves, she starts spinning in circles in a sort of hypnotic dance. Her necklace twirls in time and seems to be actively participating in this unique choreography.

The movement of the pearls draws her into an intoxicating whirlwind. The necklace that offered her the most beautiful dance of her life before being engulfed by the sea. All that remains of this magical moment is a single pearl, which she wears every day; it brings her a peaceful sense of happiness. The design shows one end of this colorful pearl necklace coming undone and sending the pearls rolling, giving the scarf a surprising sensation of movement.

Ref. 002437, Colorway 6

Ref. 002430, Colorway 4

Designer: Aline Honoré

Year: Fall 2008
Also available in 45cm Gavroche and 140cm Cash/Silk Shawl

From hermes.com
The scarf Coupons Indiens zooms in on a fabric strand at an Indian market place. The large-scale image lends the fabrics a tactile feel suggesting fluidity and suppleness. With so many designs and colors, it’s difficult to choose!

Fabrics are one of the many riches of India. Made of cotton or silk, they come in a variety of styles including simple, ornate, printed, woven, embroidered, sequined…

Coupons Indiens pays tribute to both creativity in textiles and infinitely imaginative patterns: floral, abstract, geometric and folk. It is also a hymn to color with its numerous tints, produced using natural pigments. Color is everywhere in India, vibrating with strength, brightness and a rich palette. It illuminates women’s diaphanous, elegantly draped saris and crowns men with dazzling turbans, while its symbolism adds a certain rhythm to life: red for joy, yellow for its promise of happiness, the sheer serenity of pure white…

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From Fall 2008 Bergdorf Goodman catalog (scan by thescarfologist):

There seems to be a misunderstanding to some people about what this site is for. As I simply state on the right sidebar, I am posting my notes from years of studying and collecting Hermes.

If friends and strangers come by and find information here that is useful, that’s great. I am glad that I was of help.

If you’re a stranger and come here looking for info on a specific carre and dont find it here, TOUGH COOKIES.

There are currently over 90 different entries currently on this site. Right now, I am working on about 40 more entries at the same time. If everything goes according to plan, there will be over 200+ entries here before I am through. For each entry I write, I have to go through 60+ Hermes catalogues, a folder of hand-written notes from my travels, my own Hermes collection, ten disks full of pictures, Google, and then compare my research against some databases in case I forget anything. Needless to say, this is a time-consuming, and mostly thankless, activity which takes up a lot of my free time.

So please do not go all over my site asking me “do you have any info on this scarf so that I can sell it on eBay?” I AM NOT AN ANSWERING SERVICE. If you want info on a scarf that you cant find here, there are forums where you can go for the answer. Go to either The Purse Forum or HSCI. Click on the link.

If you want me to write a page on a specific design in the far, far future, leave a request here. I will take it under advisement. There is no guarantees, however. Frankly, there are some designs that I have no interest in and never noticed anything about so there might be nothing for me to say. Hence, no entry.

Peace.