Cashmeres
People who don't know Hermes are surprised that it produces silk that isn't twill, that is smaller or larger than 90cm, that isn't a square shape. So, many people are surprised when I wear an Hermes cashmere product that it's, well, Hermes.
Hermes cashmeres are blended with silk. Traditionally, the blend is 65% cashmere, 35% silk though in recent years I've seen the cashmere at 70%. Not all cashmeres are created equally, and those who have been collecting for many years have bemoaned a perceived decline in the quality of the cashmeres. The material feels thinner and lighter, and pills and pulls more than it once did. Whether or not you believe this, the beauty and detail of an Hermes cashmere is still breathtaking.
(If you see AMIM - that stands for "Ask Me, I Might" and I might be willing to part with something in my collection. Drop me a note if you're interested, and check out that which I've already decided to re-home.)
Hermes cashmeres are blended with silk. Traditionally, the blend is 65% cashmere, 35% silk though in recent years I've seen the cashmere at 70%. Not all cashmeres are created equally, and those who have been collecting for many years have bemoaned a perceived decline in the quality of the cashmeres. The material feels thinner and lighter, and pills and pulls more than it once did. Whether or not you believe this, the beauty and detail of an Hermes cashmere is still breathtaking.
(If you see AMIM - that stands for "Ask Me, I Might" and I might be willing to part with something in my collection. Drop me a note if you're interested, and check out that which I've already decided to re-home.)
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Tyger Tyger, Alice ShirleyAlice Shirley began partnering with Hermes in 2012, and her first designs appeared on scarves and shawls in 2015. Tyger Tyger was issued in 2015 in both 90cm silk carre and 140cm cashmere shawl, and the fabulous greens of this 140cm spoke to me. As you can see by my collection, I am an ardent fan of her scarves which portray wildlife with charm and affection.
Tyger Tyger combines two inspirations. The first of course is the classic William Blake poem; if you zoom in on the left side in the orange fern, you can see the poem's opening line. The other inspiration is a collection of botanical illustrations commissioned by the East India Company, including the flora of the Periyar tiger reserve in Kerala; Shirley found these illustrations in the course of her collaboration with London’s Natural History Museum. |
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Awooooo!, Alice ShirleyIn 2016, Hermes began issuing a series of Alice Shirley designs in mens' cashmere scarves. These 100cm scarves feature extreme close-ups of animals, including a bear ("Grrrrrr!"), a wolf ("Awoooo!"), and a T.Rex ("Aaaaargh!"). These were later transformed into watch faces.
I'm kicking myself for missing out on the bear, but I sought out the burgundy arctic wolf with the pink contrasting hem in the boutique just before a bucket list trip to Canada to see wild polar bears (we saw no wolves, but we did see arctic foxes!). As I got deeper into my Alice Shirley fascination, I began seeking out alllll the colorways. There are two blue colorways (a special edition 65cm in addition to a regular edition 100cm) but I started seeking the orange. I put the orange quest on the back burner when I learned of the green colorway (it's a fabulously acid chartreuse with a yellow contrasting hem). While pining for the green, I added the orange to console myself. And wouldn't you know, the green appeared two days later. These things happen. (And if anyone has the bear and wants to re-home it, let me know!) |
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Aaaaargh!, Alice ShirleyIn the same series of ferocious 100cm mens' cashmeres as Awooooo! comes Aaaaargh! I think most children go through a dinosaur phase and our friend here is often a favored dino along with the brontosaurus, stegosaurus and pterodactyl. Rex has been given the villainous treatment in movies (Jurassic Park!) but has also had a more light-hearted treatment (Night at the Museum). Whether you see this Alice Shirley design as fierce or playful is up to you!
This is a design I missed in the boutique (how could I miss a dinosaur scarf????) but found the brick red and the dark blue overseas. Again, as I got deeper into my Alice Shirley binge I started hunting the other colorways. I was beginning to think the search would be interminable but in early 2022 Hermes excavated some old designs and posted them online. And so the other blue and the bright red joined my herd of apex predators. I've read that Hermes has a library of 75,000+ colors. So when I hear someone say 'I can't wear <whatever color>' I know it's just a matter of finding the right shade. You can see in this group how different blues and reds can be. There is an orange/green colorway which would complete the set, but the tones do not appear to be that which would flatter me. I'm ok with having a missing link. |
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Les 12 Leopards, Jin KwonYes, I'm a dog person but that doesn't stop me from adoring all creatures as you can see from the above tigers, wolves, and dinosaurs. But in general I'm not one of those that squeals 'oh, lookit da puddytat' when a cat appears on a scarf. What got me here was the one leopard wearing glasses. And, having some familial ties to Korea (plus having just binge-watched 'Squid Game') I was delighted to learn the artist is Korean. Then I got lost in the whimsical details, the myriad of colors, and the way this ties so beautifully.
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Cosmographia Universalis, Jan BajtlikMr. Bajtlik's second Hermes scarf was issued in 2019, followed shortly by the 140cm cashmere/silk version. I'd not been wearing my scarves much for a few years, but seeing Jan Bajtlik's designs brought me roaring back into Hermes-land. The detail, whimsy and color of this shawl hit every single scarf button of my soul - the artist's dog Kluska sitting on the statue of the king is an added bonus.
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Sweet Dreams, Jan BajtlikThe same year that Hermes brought the silk twill of Cosmographia to life, Hermes brought Sweet Dreams to the men's collection. And I'm cheating a bit because this is not a cashmere blend - it's a wool and silk blend. Despite the silk though it's a bit itchy when worn against the skin.
The artist references medieval bestiaries as inspiration. What it reminds me of more is Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. |
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600 Chevaux, Jan BajtlikFrom the 2020 mens' collection comes another Jan Bajtlik design. 600 Chevaux is an homage to innovation and movement, juxtaposing imaginary car and motorcycle engines. I had no clue this was a Bajtlik design; I was drawn to the bright colors and curves, and that little pop of color. It was only after bringing it home that I discovered a) it's not 100 cm, it's 140 cm; and b) it's designed by one of my favorite artists. This was the only one in the boutique, a carryover from the prior season whose stock was not quite depleted by smaller than usual Covid crowds at the holidays. Lucky me!
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Galaxy, Elias Kafouros On a trip to my local Hermes boutique to pick up the Exposition Universelle scarf, I wandered over to the men's section and fell in love with this space odyssey. So many details in this scarf remind me of my father!
With so many delights in the men's section, it is no longer a part of the boutique I float past. I do love greys and blues, and while the same colors appear in many of my favorite men's scarves, each design - whether by tone or shape - has its unique nuances. |
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Au Fil du Carre, Annie FaivreWhat I love about Annie Faivre designs is the color equivalent of a 'wall of sound'. This 54" shawl includes samples of 18 of Faivre's Hermes scarf designs. At some point I'll comb through this to try and identify all of them, but for now I just love that this stunner is definitely pink but a riot of other colors as well.
Interestingly, as much as I love Annie Faivre designs for their detail, my admiration is somewhat under-represented in my scarf drawer. |
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La Vie du Gran Nord, Aline HonoreThis was the first GMCS shawl I added to my collection! The silk twill was issued in 2004, and I think I acquired this from a fellow collector overseas. At the time, the design wasn't what hit me - it was the color. An oatmeal interior is surrounded by a rich chocolate brown border. Lighter shades of brown and orange add to the richness of the palette.
My adoration for this design deepened after a trip to Churchill in 2018 where I toured a polar bear habitat for several days. In "The Life of the Great North" a polar bear is a prominent detail, as is a sled dog. Caribou, whales, walrus and more decorate the inner border along with people of the First Nations. I've tried on this design in a few colorways of the silk twill and nothing makes my heart flutter quite like this GM. |
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Persona, Loic DubigeonFor nearly a quarter of a century, Loic Dubigeon created scarf designs for Hermes: he produced Geologie in 1980 and Jeux d'Ombres in 2004. Persona was originally issued in 1997, the year of Africa, with a re-issue in 2003. TBH, I don't care for this design flat, bur ding dang! It ties like a dream. Two other factors will keep this in my scarf drawer: Hermes no longer produces 90cm cashmeres (I think the last ones came out in 2012), and IIRC this was purchased at one of the two Toronto sales I attended.
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Clic Clac au Pois, Julia AbadieA classic Hermes equestrian design, Clic Clac was originally issued in the 1970s. It's named after the sound of harness trappings knocking against each other in time with a horse’s clip-clopping pace (now I'm thinking of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with coconuts subbing for the clip-clop of a horse's hooves). The design includes two blinkers - attachments to a bridle to block the horse's peripheral vision and stay focused on the path ahead) - and a handful of riding crops.
In 2015 I had the delight of traveling to Paris for the semi-annual Hermes sale. My traveling companions were close friends and we met with other scarf collectors from the US and abroad. While in the mothership at 24 Faubourg, the colors of this shawl and the humor of the polka dot addition made me swoon. Later at the sale, what should I spy? Yes - that which I'd just paid full-price! One of my friends had been eyeing the shawl at the boutique so we agreed to add the sale version to our purchases and split the difference. So now I have this lovely shawl, and wonderful memories of travel with friends - and I get to be twinsies with my bestie! |
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Colliers de Chien ("Dog Collars"), Virginie JaminI am absolutely a dog lover, but this 2013 design didn't get me in the feelz until visiting the Emile Hermes private collection and museum, located off the original Hermes boutique in Paris. I was delighted to find this at the same sale as the Clic Clac au Pois above, and later added the silk twill to my collection on a business trip to Denver.
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La Charmante aux Animaux, Annie FaivreThis is perhaps one of the best birthday presents I've gotten! Back in the day (2010) when Neiman Marcus sold Hermes beyond fragrances, my mother secretly contacted my favorite sales associate and asked her to find something she thought I'd like. Not only was this a delightful birthday surprise, but the SA found an amazing colorway in a design that speaks to my heart. "The Animal Charmer" hits me in the animal loving feelz. The inspiration though is less about a generic affinity for animals and more about Scheherazade and the 146th story of the 1,001 Nights.
For those unfamiliar, Scherezade was betrothed to a king who was famous for beheading his brides after the wedding night. To prolong her life, she spun tales over 1,000 nights always ending on a cliffhanger so the king would have to keep her alive to hear the end of the stories. After 1,000 nights he'd fallen in love with her and kindly did not behead her. The 146th story spins a tale of The Birds and Beasts and The Carpenter (which is actually a horribly dark tale of man's mistreatment of animals and I'm kind of sorry I researched this!). |
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Citrouilles et Coloquintes, Valerie Dawlat-DumoulinOriginally issued as a silk twill in 1998, these pumpkins and squashes were re-issued in a PM cashmere format in 2005. This came into my scarf drawer from Neiman Marcus; alas NM stopped selling Hermes scarves in 2012 which was an absolute heartbreaker for me - while I'm lucky enough to live less than 30 minutes' drive from a boutique, having three nearby Neiman Marcus scarf counters made exploring and collecting exponentially exciting.
Anyhow, the green shirt I was desperately needing a scarf for has long since expired but the scarf remains a beloved piece in my collection. |
