{Party} Highlight: Hermès Scotts Square Launch and Graffiti party

When I think of Hermès, I think of carriages, galloping horses, ladylike bags, and lots of orange.  Graffiti is probably the last thing to come to mind! Well Hermès has shown that their style is ever evolving.  The luxury brand collaborated with French graffiti artist Kongo to not only create a few new scarf styles, but also to design an edgy look and feel for their Scotts Square in Singapore.  I still like the classic scarf designs, but it is nice to have options!

I was intrigued by this funky new collaboration and promise of macarons so I had to stop by the store opening on Friday, December 9.  I was definitely greeted by that oh so lovely orange and the macarons with the most decadent fudgey center (I may have had a few, don't tell my low carb/sugar diet).  Kongo created all the windows for the story in psychedelic colors and also contributed to Graff Hermès - a fun photo booth where anyone could take pictures in a Hermès cutout.   He also created custom graffiti tags for a few hours as well (I totally missed this part, but seriously how fun would that have been?)

I love that art isn't confined to or designated only as street art.  It is just art - an image that expresses the emotions of its creators and evokes a response in the rest of us.
The macarons may have made me philosophical...

Here are a few shots from the event:
Photo booth cutout - it looks exactly like the scarf!

Yum...

 Exclusive scarf created for Scotts Square

 Yep I need this belt!

 This color way is my favorite!

More pictures on Flickr here!

Hermès Festival des Métiers (Festival of Crafts) Singapore and how Hermès scarves are made - Sept. 3-7, 2011

Ever wondered what exactly goes into making a Hermès bag, cuff, or scarf?  Find out for yourself if you stop by the Hermès Festival des Métiers (Festival of Crafts) in your neighborhood; this tour has already passed through Europe and the US and is now making its way through Asia.  Artisans will demonstrate their skills in jewelry making, silk engraving, and leather workmanship right before your eyes.  I was really curious about this and went to the Festival this past weekend.

I got to see a handbag being created (wish I had good pictures, but everyone was crowded around a great, bright pink Bolide? bag), a wallet being sewn, an engraver etching some engravings for a scarf, and almost the entire process of making a Hermès scarf.


Fun Facts:
- There are 75,000 different colors for scarves!
- The entire process of making a scarf from design, to engraving for scarf screens, to printing and prepping the scarf takes two years
- 60% of Hermès employees are artisans trained in different crafts
- 20 scarf designs are released annually and each design may have 10 combinations
- A scarf screen is created for each separate color layer.  The one I witnessed took 15 screens while the red one at the end of this post took 45 different screens.
- Any mess up in the scarf results in the destruction of the scarf (even if you're at screen 45)
- A scarf printer can train for up to five years!



The process:
1. The scarf printer has the final design in mind and attaches a scarf firmly to a table for printing.

2. The printer uses individual screens for each layer and mixes vegetable gum and colors for that screen.

3. Screens are created for the same as well as different sections to allow for variations of colors in the same design.  Precise placement is needed at each step.

4. The scarf is complete with the printing process and is then taken to a steam bath to soften the texture of the scarf (stiff from vegetable gum) and allow the dyes to permeate the scarf.


This scarf took 45 different screens to print!  The face alone is 15 different screens!

I have a newfound appreciation for the craftsmanship and time that goes into the creation of each scarf.  These are true artisans and you can also now see the justification behind the price as well as the value in handing down a quality piece like an Hermès scarf!

I've uploaded a few more pictures to my Flickr here - enjoy!

Savvy Tips: How to clean a Hermès (or any) silk scarf safely at home

I unknowingly developed my mother's love for scarves in the last few years.  She is one of the most elegant people I know and she often has a colorful silk scarf tied around her neck.  When I really started coming into my own and wanted to think of ways to give back to her, I started to look for Hermès scarves for her and developed my own passion for them.  As I mentioned here, I love the design and workmanship of these scarves and have a few vintage and more recent release scarves.

I wore my almost vintage "Quai Aux Fleures" scarf my first week of work at a new job and instantly got strange dark stains on it.  NOT cool.  It was either coffee or soy sauce (there was a lot of messy food that day) and I knew it would be hard to wash.  I was hesitant to take it to my local dry cleaners after having had other bad experiences there and was stuck.

But I remembered coming across this thread on TPF and this guide on eBay.  If other people had washed their beloved Hermès scarves at home, so could I!  I thought it would be worth a shot and was really pleased with the results.  I could not see any stains after I was done and the colors remained intact atop the white background.  I would highly recommend this method of washing scarves and yes, you can save your scarves!

Here are my simple instructions and a list of necessary equipment.

Items needed:

- plastic bucket

- lukewarm water

- delicate detergent (though I've heard dishwashing detergent works too!)

- large white towel

1. Combine less than a capful of Woolite or other delicate detergent with about one gallon of lukewarm water in a large plastic tub or bucket.  Completely dissolve detergent.

Note: You may also need to add in a color catcher cloth if you have many bold colors on your scarf

2. Put your scarf in the water and keep on swirling the scarf in the water emulating a washing machine spin cycle.  Do this for about 5 minutes (you can put on a song or two in the background to pass the time!)

3. Repeatedly rinse the scarf of all detergent and residue.  You may also need to do this for 5 minutes to ensure that the scarf is free of any detergent.

4. Lay the scarf on the white towel.  Roll up the towel so that it captures excess moisture from the scarf.

5. Iron scarf on silk setting.  It doesn't need to be 100% dry, but if it isn't dry, lay it out flat to fully dry.

You don't need to iron the scarf to bring back the scarf folds (if you like it that way).  Simply fold the scarf to fit inside the shape of the box and the folds will return!


Scarf with the stains

Scarf after cleaning

There you go!  You too can clean your scarves at home!

{Luxe Lust}/Travel Thoughts: Hermès, La Maison Furnishings in the Left Bank, Paris

*Last day to enter the spring wardrobe kick-off giveaway from J.E.M. Apparel - you can tweet every day!*

Jean-Michel Frank, French interior designer extraordinaire, has collaborated with Hermès to create their new La Maison home furnishings line.  This line is showcased at the new store on the Left Bank in Paris.  In addition, the store (as well as US stores) will feature wallpapers and fabrics reminiscent of iconic Hermès scarves.  A small carpet, pillow, or furniture with signature scarf craftsmanship would be a luxurious centerpiece in a room (and doesn't have to be as big a splurge as a piece of furniture!)  
The Left Bank store is a converted municipal swimming pool and the wood lattice huts are a site to see.  Why not peruse the furnishings and rest at the Le Plongoir cafe after a day of walking through the Parisian streets?  If anything, you can experience the store and see if anything is worth taking back with you! 


Ahh what else is a luxurious and relaxing place to visit in Paris?

 

{Source}

Worthy reads roundup - Long sleeved, sequined glamour, iPad giveaway, and smelling like money

Hope you had a great week lovelies!

Here is what happened at Chic 'n Cheap Living this week:
- The Golden Globes was full of sequins, chiffon, and long sleeved dresses - what was your favorite?
- French chairs square off - do you like the his or hers version?
- Fun Finds - crocheted headphones with a bow?  Nope can't get much cuter than this.
- I'm seeing stripes everywhere and I like it!  My top picks under $100!
- Want me to give away an iPad or Nano?  Check out my referral links for nomorerack and ebates and I will give away the iPad or Nano if I get enough referrals!

Here are a few worthy reads from blogger buddies and beyond:
- Money perfume and cologne that smells like money.  Err good motivation for earning more?

- The Hermes window in Paris designed by Leïla Menchari is a fantastical, floral, macaron filled masterpiece

- Quintessence had a great post about the origin and use of corks in wines.  Good wines are switching to screwcaps now - have you had a good screwcap wine?

- Nitrolicious posted pictures of the Jeremy Scott for Adidas collection.  My fuzzy slippers from childhood are reborn and have 3 running stripes on the side now!

Shopping Finds/In my Closet: Crossing over to the Orange (Hermès) side

It's official.  I crossed over to the dark side.  Dark orange, very French, and very chic.

Yep, a few Hermès scarves now reside in my closet.

I told my husband I wanted to get my mom a Hermès scarf for Mother's Day.  She has some of the most beautiful scarves and it has always been a staple wardrobe piece for her.  But I wanted to get her the ultimate scarf: an Hermès scarf.   In the process of oohing and ahhing over scarves for her, I accumulated a few for myself.

Hermès scarves are known for their craftsmanship.  Raw silk is converted directly into silk yarn and spun into fabric twice as strong as other silk scarves (at its inception in 1937).  New designs are individually screen printed and up to 40 colors can be selected from a range of 200,000 colors.  The vibrant colors and vivid designs of these scarves can be pretty amazing.

I also love versatile pieces and when I saw that I could wear an Hermès scarf as a headscarf, top, or belt (instructions here), I was sold.  Savvy also recently posted DIY scarf as a hat instructions and the Glamourai also posted a scarf dress here.
I also view these as pieces of artwork and am looking into getting a few framed some day (ahh and Apartment Therapy thinks it's a good idea too!)

They retail for $375 and up (for the 90 cm/35" square size), but of course I never paid that.  I got a few through the Market place at Purse Forum (you have to apply to be a member) and a few on eBay.  I always looked for 100% seller feedback, hand-rolled hems, good condition, and the presence of the care tag (though "Quai Aux Fleures" doesn't come with a tag, I loved it too much to care).

This is the scarf I eventually ended up getting my mom: a mousseline (semi-sheer)

Here are my scarves "Quai aux les fleures" and "Au Coeur de la vie" (yes the same as the one I got my mom but in a different colorway!).  I affectionately refer to them as white lady-like scarf with carriage and tropical Jimmy Buffet. ♡

So do you have some lovely scarves of your own?  How would you wear/use them?