French company showcases exceptional artisanship
French firm provides a glimpse at its artisans plying their craft, Aleesha Harris writes.
Hermès is extravagantly printed silk scarves draped around elegant necks or tied to the handles of exquisite handbags. It’s handcrafted riding saddles carved from buttery soft leather or exotic skins. It’s enamel bangles, chic timepieces and wait-list-inspiring handbags such as the Birkin and Kelly, which command prices from $10,000 to $150,000 per piece.
While the French maison’s roster of exquisite offerings is accessible only to an affluent clientele, most shoppers can acknowledge and appreciate the aspirational elements of the brand’s artisan creations.
The fashion company is set to offer a glimpse of its artisan “métiers” (a vocation or trade that a person excels at, for those not fluent in French) during its five-day Hermès at Work exhibition in Vancouver beginning Wednesday.
“The exhibition offers Hermès an opportunity to showcase what we do, and also allows us to have meaningful interaction with our visitors,” says Jennifer Carter, president and chief executive of Hermès Canada.
“It’s also important for us to express our incredibly unique ‘multilocal’ sensibility.
“Hermès embraces a local interpretation all over the world. For Canada, we are especially proud of our biodiversity.”
Carter says the selected location for the upcoming exhibition — at the Jack Poole Plaza near the iconic Olympic Cauldron — reflects the nearly 180-year-old company’s relationship with nature.
The vantage point provides a breathtaking view of Coal Harbour, Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains.
“Against a West Coast backdrop of mountain and ocean, the Coal Harbour setting also offers a nod to the Hermès 2016 annual theme, Nature at Full Gallop,” Carter explains.
The free exhibition will feature 10 of the company’s artisans specializing in silk work (printing, rolling and engraving), leather work (on saddles and handbags), gem setting, watchmaking, glove creation and porcelain hand-painting, all housed in what Carter calls a “nomad atelier.”
“After early days as a harnessmaker and saddler, Hermès very quickly began to produce bags and luggage, before becoming a storyteller on silk,” Carter says.
“Since then, the house has broadened its creativity to include a more diverse range of crafts.
“We hope visitors leave appreciating that behind every finely tuned gesture, there is the right tool, a history and a name. Behind the smallest detail, there is a human being, guided by a watchful eye and pride in work well done,” she says. “We hope that visitors leave their experience appreciating that Hermès represents creativity and craftsmanship — but most of all, the human aspect of Hermès.”
In addition to watching the craftspeople at work, visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the artisans. Translators will be on hand to facilitate discussions in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
“Each métier will offer a technical demonstration, but most important is the dialogue between artisans and visitors, which allows a better understanding of efforts in the quest for excellence and an unveiling of the passion that drives the craftspeople to master their craft,” Carter says.
So, why would shoppers who can’t (or won’t) purchase pricey Hermès creations care to attend Hermès at Work? Carter says it’s the display of history and the level of artistry that will attract traffic through the temporary space.
“The exhibition is not about displaying Hermès product; it’s a unique view into the creation,” says Carter. “Hermès is a house that evolves constantly while being deeply rooted in its values and savoir faire. It is a house of creativity.”
The promise of a look at the creation of an aspirational luxury product — from the first, usually unseen steps — has made the travelling exhibition, originally titled Festival des Métiers, popular with visitors all over the world. Since its launch in 2011, the exhibition has travelled to 34 cities in 18 countries and has hosted more than 400,000 visitors.
Vancouver will be the 35th city to host the showcase, but the first under its new title Hermès at Work. Following its stop on Canada’s West Coast, the exhibition will return to Paris. Hermès at Work is a free exhibition in Vancouver running Sept. 21-25 at
Hermès is a house that evolves constantly while being deeply rooted in its values and savoir faire. It is a house of creativity.
Jack Poole Plaza. The exhibit will be open to the public daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aharris@postmedia.com Twitter.com/Aleesha_H