Monday, November 4, 2013

The Art of Hermes. Right in my own backyard.

Anyone who knows me, knows what a scarf addict I am. So when I heard that Cleveland Museum of Art was hosting a presentation on how Hermes make the Hermes scarves, I couldn't miss it. Plus, any excuse to head over to the museum, which if you have never visited–you should–it is absolutely WORLD CLASS. This event is a perfect example. I wasn't sure what to expect – would it be a slide show or video with a narrator? I was amazed to discover that, in fact, actual artisans form Hermes, master printers, as they referred to them, presented a hands-on demonstration of the silk screen process right there in the Atrium. It was a very interesting "show" with lots of inside scoop on the culture over at Hermes and how their standard of excellence drives every detail. Quite inspiring. I know Hermes is a luxury brand, but I had no idea that each scarf is literally made by hand, each color of ink silk screened with precision. A very informative, entertaining and inspiring presentation. 
You can read lots more about the details of the process at Cleveland.com

Henri lines up the screen, using his 26 years of experience to "eye it up"
A screen for every color, plus one solely to print the Hermes name and copyright.
Of course, they make their own inks in the "kitchen" in Lyon.
Good thing they weren't giving away any scarves, I would not have been able to choose!