Other Silk Pretties

Hermes knows its customers. Hermes knows we are always looking for something new to explore. And so there is a constant stream of new designs, new colorways, reimaginings... and new scarf formats. We know of the classic carre - the 90cm silk twill. And for awhile there was the 90cm mousseline. We also have the 90cm cashmere - some with rolled hems, some with fringed hems. Getting back to the carre, the silk twill got a bit softer with vintage silk, and the dip dye surteint.

So yeah, Hermes plays with the material as well as the size - 90cm, 45cm pochette, 140cm GM shawl, and the 100cm mens scarves, not to mention the pointu triangles and the diamond losanges, and the plisse/double plisse (pleated) scarves. You get the picture!

It's hard to keep up with all the options. Some extraordinarily passionate collectors keep binders to stay on top of themes, designers, colorways and formats. The permutations are that voluminous.

Here are some of Hermes silk pretties that aren't carres or pochettes, but still make my heart go pitter-pat:

Tapis Persans, Pierre Marie

Pierre Marie - how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Like Annie Faivre, Pierre Marie includes so much detail in his Hermes scarf designs. (Although, oddly, some of the designs that feature a lot of 'white space' use the most screens in the printing process; Leigh Cooke's designs are notorious for their volume of silk screens.) 

And, like Annie Faivre, there's a sense of whimsy to most of Pierre Marie's artwork. This Persian Carpet from 2014 has a bit less whimsy/people/stories than other patterns, but it makes me swoon nonetheless. Normally I shy away from oranges and yellows but these tones with the pink are absolutely heavenly.

This scarf is a 140cm 'summer silk' or 'plume' shawl. I love the stiffness of a new carre, but the softness of the larger size makes it more wearable in the summer. 

I often wear this with a Lift buffalo horn/lacquer pendant whose pink is a perfect match to the scarf. Swoon!

L'Epopee Detail, Jan Bajtlik

I just love Jan Bajtlik's work! As shown in my carres, I've got Animapolis in two colorways (Godzilla! Kluska! Penguins!) and an Exposition Universelle; I've also got two Cosmographia cashmeres. So when L'Epopee Detail was issued in 2021 in the 70cm twill I had to restrain myself from getting every colorway. So I *only* have two. 

A 'detail' scarf for Hermes is one corner of a larger design blown up into its own format. This detail is from the 140cm L'Epopee d'Hermes which traces seven generations of iconic scarves in a game-like format. Of course the Godzilla from Animapolis features prominently, and Kluska has a dedicated corner. We also see the heart-shaped box that launched the 'Love' series in 2017, the Pixel Kelly bag, the Couvertures et Tenues scarf, a Chaine d'Ancre bracelet, the Rocabar horse blanket and so much more.

Bajtlik published a legend to this design on his Instagram account but it really only scratches the surface.

Colliers et Chiens/Colliers de Chien, Virginie Jamin

Yes, I have this design in a 90cm carre, 90cm wash carre (as Colliers et Chiens), 140cm cashmere shawl, as well as this twilly and maxi twilly. Introduced in 2003, twillies are 32"x2" double-sided silk strips that can be worn around the neck, as a headband or bracelet, or wrapped around the handle of purse to keep the natural oils of your hand from adding wear and tear. This is my first twilly which I've only worn around my neck; it's not a size I gravitate to but dogs/pink/special edition...I was a goner.

The maxi twilly debuted 10 years after the first twilly. At 87" x 8" it's 1.5x longer than a shawl; it's a lot of silk for a short person like me but I couldn't resist the design. I've not yet dipped my toes into Maxi Twilly Slims or Mufflers but if CdC appears in these formats that will change!

Coaching, Julia Abadie

This 140cm joined me in 2012. When Hermes began experimenting with 140cm twills, they turned to a softer silk that was first designated as 'vintage' silk for 90cms (an apparent attempt to capture the softness which typically comes only with age and repeated wear of a carre), then 'summer twill' (trying again to capture the lighter feel of the silk). I typically avoid big blocks of one color, but the jacquard weave of this 1976 classic adds dimension. And when I tried it on my friend declared 'Hugh Jackman would love this on you' so there's that.

Bouclerie d'Attelage Glitter, Francoise de la Perriere

Polyester. Yes, Hermes dipped its toes into man-made fabric. This 70cm scarf was given the "Glitter" treatment in 2009. Mixing the silk with polyester (a 70/30 blend), a classic equestrian theme glitters with the modern sheen of silver lame. The lame makes this scarf a wee bit scratchy but the pinks were too divine to pass up.

Ex Libris Glam, Hugo Grygkar

The predecessor to the Glitter is the "Glam". This 70cm scarf from 2008 takes the classic Ex Libris motif and spins it into a silk and polyester lame blend that adds glamour to tradition.

I prefer wearing this less like a scarf and more like a necklace, with knots and a variety of scarf rings acting as beads and pendants. 

Cheval Mirage, Dimitri Rybaltchenko

The 70cm square differs from the twill carre not just on size but also because the silk has a softer feel. Once upon a time when first experimenting with this silk, Hermes called it 'vintage' silk. In hot weather this is a delightful alternative to a carre because it's less silk and a bit more breathable.

Rybal is one of the most versatile scarf artists: his designs range from traditional (Les Toits de Paris) to abstract (Onde de Chic) to graphic (Grand Roue) and just about anything in between. He's done a lot of horse-centric scarves, and like Cheval de Caractere this 2015 equine gets a cool graphic treatment. This horse is comprised of Hs, and the lasso attempts to capture the mirage which fades the closer you get.

Grrrrr!, Alice Shirley

I love bears. I'm an avid fan of Fat Bear Week up in Alaska (and I hope to get up there at some point in the near future), but somehow I missed out on the 100cm cashmere men's version of this, so I was delighted when it showed up as a 100cm vintage silk special edition supporting Yellowstone parks.

This colorway hasn't received universal accolades - as evidenced by its continued availability on the Hermes website - but I didn't want to risk missing out again. This lingered with its tags for months before I wore it - I was scared of the chartreuse-y yellow border and muted colors. Not sure if it's the contrasting hem or the polka dots, but OMG this scarf is magic!

Bingata Twilly, ​Natsuno Hidaka

For the longest time, I didn't 'get' twillies. Just a simple 2" strip of a carre...for what, other than to twist on purse handles to absorb hand oils? But then I tested one wrapped around my neck and realized it's like having a silk necklace. Add a mini scarf ring and you've got a pendant! 

This 2021 design refers to a 14th century Japanese dyeing process like a combination of tattooing and tye dye. A stencil would be applied to fabric, then coated with rice paste to secure the pattern. Then, the areas to be painted would be soaked in a soy-based mix for color. 

Natsuno Hidaka has been designing scarves for Hermes since the late 1990s, including the grail Turandot. Not all her designs are Asian-inspired: she's also created Lumieres de Paris and Rose de Compass.