Hermès inspired by Canadian wilderness
Luxury designer’s limited-edition scarf celebrates country’s 150th anniversary
French luxury brand Hermès may seem like an unlikely candidate for feting Canada on its 150th anniversary, but that’s exactly what it has done — in its own luxurious way, of course — with the release of a new limited-edition scarf.
“Canada’s 150th anniversary is an important celebration, and Hermès wanted to honour this milestone,” says Jennifer Carter, the president and chief executive officer of Hermès Canada.
“Collectively, we agreed on a 90-by-90 silk twill scarf reflecting Canada’s unique landscape and nature.”
Dubbed Into the Canadian Wild, the scarf features an ornate nature scene by artist Alice Shirley, printed on one of the brand’s iconic accessories and rimmed with a bold frame of red.
“Alice has collaborated with Hermès since 2012,” Carter explains of the artist choice. “She has a sensational ability to capture nature whilst injecting a sense of energy and personal spirit into all of her designs.”
Carter says the landscape scene — which includes polar bears, Canada geese, deer, beavers, bears and more — attempts to showcase the “natural richness and diversity, burgeoning with wildlife” found within the country’s vast landscape.
“It is an ode to the treasures of the Canadian wild,” she says. “(It’s) a vivid celebration of life and an explosion of colour.”
While the initial scarf release is limited to a select number of pieces, the company says there are plans to release “additional colorations of the design” in its autumn-winter 2017 collection, which arrives in stores in August. Hermès will also be celebrating Canada’s milestone marker with special window displays throughout the month of June.
“Using a multitude of layers of felt and cotton, the windows will reflect a range of Canadian scenography,” Carter explains. “They also serve as a metaphor for our diverse, multi-layered Canadian society.”
The Into the Wild scarf has a philanthropic angle in addition to its fashion appeal, with sales benefiting the charity, Evergreen Canada.
“Evergreen is a wonderful Canadian organization that inspires action to green cities, focused on restoring the connection between Canadian communities and nature,” Carter says.
“As Canadians, we are fortunate to have such rich natural resources and wildlife, and we are proud to support Evergreen’s worthy initiative.”
The Into the Canadian Wild scarf from Hermès retails for $485 and will launch exclusively at Hermès boutiques across Canada, as well as online on Hermes.com on June 15.