My Hermès Collection: Carres, Gavroche, Small Leather Goods, Books, Cosmetics
I’m not very sensitive to brands, especially luxury ones, because I feel they look fake on me as an Asian person, so I’m very surprised to now have a Hermès collection.
It’s a series of events that sparked my curiosity about this luxury brand, which has managed to maintain its image and reputation, and is the one that fights the most against counterfeits.
- In 2020, a blogger shared a simple technique for cleaning Hermès scarves and encouraged everyone to take out and wear their Hermès carré without fear. She bought a carré blindly, so rare that even the Hermès museum wanted to buy it back from her. I followed this adventure with great curiosity.
- During our road trip in France, we heard a documentary on the radio about the new Hermès Double Face carrés, which took them 5 years to perfect the technique. I bought my first double face carré at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
- During that same road trip, we spent a night in a guesthouse frequented by the Hermès team. At breakfast, the whole table was covered with Hermès tableware
Since then, I’ve been a huge Hermès fan.
I bought these two books about Hermès carrés (Amazon link) & Hermès bags (Amazon link), to learn more about the brand.
In the book “Carrés d’art IV” (Amazon link), we get the complete list of all Hermès carrés, along with their rarity and popularity.
In the book about Hermès bags, we learn much more about the parts of the bag, the leathers used, and the tags.
Both books are aimed at collectors but also at individuals wishing to learn more about the carrés or bags they plan to buy second-hand.
Hermès Carrés
As of now, I have:
- Two Hermès Double Face carrés (one carré = 90x90cm) bought in store => I don’t wear them
- A 70cm scarf (vintage silk) dip dye (overdyed) bought second-hand => I do wear
- A gavroche (45x45cm) bought in store => I wear it from time to time
Price of Hermès carrés
| Type of scarf | 2022 Price | 2020 Price |
| Square | 410€ | |
| Double Face Carré | 540€ | 490€ |
| 70cm | 305€ | |
| Gavroche | 190€ | 175€ |
Why do they cost so much?
Before, I thought they were super ugly. But since I saw them in store, I’ve completely changed my mind.
Even the photos taken by Hermès don’t do justice to the shine of the silk, the soft, silky feel, and above all the intensity of the colors. I’m truly impressed because I used to have a big collection of scarves and wraps before, and no silk scarf bought in Asia ever matched the quality of Hermès. The silk is thicker and wrinkles less. To make a Hermès scarf, from design to commercialization, it takes 3 years of work. The hems of each scarf are hand-rolled, and it takes one person 45 minutes (outsourced to Madagascar). Needless to say, you should never ever iron those hems, you ironing fanatics!
The scarves are made of silk twill, a supple fabric with a twill weave that gives it its structure. It doesn’t wrinkle like plain silk thanks to its diagonal weave, due to the offset of the weft thread at each row. This weave, whose diagonal pattern is not visible, is used to make all Hermès silk scarves.
I have a soft spot for the Double Face ones because I’m very into “new technology” and “innovation”.
Here’s what is written about the Double Face:
At the venerable age of 83, the Hermès scarf, a timeless accessory famous worldwide, will welcome a new generation of print: a scarf that features the same design but in different colors and inscriptions on each side. Four models – three for women, one for men – will be sold starting February 17, 2020.
“The double-face scarf is something we’ve dreamed of for a long time,” says Hermès in its presentation of the new product, which will be sold for 490 euros, compared to 375 euros for a ‘classic’ 90cm by 90cm scarf. This iconic piece of the saddler-leatherworker, alongside its Kelly and Birkin handbags, requires no less than 450 kilometers of thread, the equivalent of 300 silkworm cocoons.
From idea to product, a total of forty people work on a scarf. Bali Barret says she came up with the idea of a heads-or-tails scarf “ten years ago, but at the time everyone told me it was impossible” technically. “Since then, technology has made great strides, and we created a special machine. We had to invent a know-how that took us more than five years to develop. It’s a real little revolution,” says the woman who had her own ready-to-wear brand before joining Hermès in 2003.
The goal, during a standard print, is precisely “to optimize the passage of dyes to get the best color rendering on both the front and the back, while maintaining fine definition of the design,” says a specialist who prefers to remain anonymous.
Carré 90 Double Face Della Cavalleria Favolosa (SS20)
My first purchase was obviously a Double Face: it’s the first Double Face collection at Hermès. And my first purchase too. Quite symbolic!
Della Cavalleria isone of the most extraordinary treatises in the history of horsemanship. Written by Georg Engelhard von Löhneysen, it was published in Bavaria at the very beginning of the 17th century. This work, kept in the Émile Hermès collection, illustrated with baroque engravings, notably features some German sleighs depicting fabulous creatures and richly adorned horses. Playing with these carriages, the designer pushes extravagance even further, assemblingbodies of horses and chimerical monsters. And since the year is all about play, she distributes, not without humor,to one a racket, to another a yoyo or a diabolo, creating strange visual associations worthy of an exquisite corpse.
This scarf is magnificent, even though I wish I had gotten my hands on another model, “C’est la fête”, which sold out too quickly. My model was already the last one available in the store.
I don’t wear it because I find it too precious and it should probably be framed. There are no rarity/popularity notes for my Double Face edition yet, but the 2018 regular scarf edition is highly rated (Rare and Sought After). In 2021, they reissued the same model in Double Face, but in much duller colors.
Carré 90 Double Face Tigre Royal (SS22)
I came back this year to buy the Tigre Royal in Double Face. It’s absolutely magnificent. It’s an improved reissue.
Since the release of the first Double Face scarf in 2020, the technique has been perfected; now they’re not just doing monochrome shades on the reverse, but increasingly bold colors, and above all the design completely changes from one side to the other. That’s absolutely fantastic and showcases incredible craftsmanship and innovation at Hermès.
In 1977, Christiane Vauzelles imagined this feline in majesty, surrounded by victory palms. Sovereign, it sits enthroned at the center of this double-face scarf, in a new colorway on one side, carefully redrawn with a ballpoint pen on the other, with an unprecedented zoom effect. Sagacious and solitary, the Bengal tiger inhabits Indian or Burmese savannas, and can climb up to the highest Nepalese forests. Beware, its peaceful nobility can be deceptive!
I don’t wear it because this one is too beautiful to wear.
It was released for the Year of the Tiger (2022). The original exists in several versions, but in the Double Face version, the tiger has been zoomed in and takes up much more space. I’m very happy because this time, being not far from the Hermès store in Sèvres, I was able to go several times to watch for arrivals. That allowed me to have access to all the Double Face models in the store and I could take my time to choose the design and color that suit me best.
The rarity and interest of this model are unknown to date. But already, in the store, everyone is fighting over it.
You can only look at the clues from previous editions to guess how sought-after this exceptional model is <3
Now, you’re going to ask me how I travel with so many things. Don’t worry, for me these are collector’s items. So they’re resting in my chest. When we eventually settle down somewhere, I’ll frame them.
Aloha 70 Dip Dye (FW19)
Overdyed using the dip-dye technique: a resist dyeing method achieved by tying the fabric.
This was my first and probably last online second-hand purchase. It’s too risky! I came across photos of the fakes, and honestly, they’re getting better and better at copying the real ones. Only the touch and an expert eye can tell a fake from the real thing. Or the flair… I have the flair and a lot of luck, but I’m not going to push it.
Once again, I got extremely lucky: it’s a genuine scarf, and it even came with the receipt and the original box. It’s just missing the Hermès cardboard bag and the ribbon 🙂
I think I have a weakness for dip-dyes. I hate monochrome—it’s too monotonous and unworthy of a Hermès scarf. However, solid-colored scarves suit my complexion better. The dip-dye is the perfect solution: you get both colors and an overdye that takes over.
Unlike other carrés, the silk of 70cm scarves is finer and more fluid; the dip-dye adds a slightly patinated layer, making the scarf even silkier.
Laurence Bourthoumieux pays tribute to the beauty and gentleness of Oahu, the most populated of the Hawaiian Islands, where their capital, Honolulu, is located. In this vast Pacific archipelago, Aloha, like a magic word, means both hello, welcome, see you soon, love… Many nationalities live here in harmony, and the lei, a necklace of delicately fragrant frangipani flowers, offered as a sign of welcome, is always accompanied by this welcoming expression. Overlooked by the two volcanoes that surround the wide valley of Oahu, a whole plant world thrives. Hibiscus, guavas, traveler’s trees, coconut palms, and passion flowers encircle a hula dancer and a few island birds, a cardinal and a macaw. Sometimes reality is so close to a dream! Here, the design takes on a new face: immersed in a dye bath, it becomes veiled with a colored filter.
A quick search in the book “Carrés d’art” (Amazon link) reveals that this design was released in 2000, reprinted in 2010. The dip-dye in 70cm was released in 2019, but this book doesn’t mention it because it doesn’t detail reprints using special techniques.
I’m showing you the official photos that better capture the true color and its beauty <3
Gavroche Un jardin sur le toit (FW19)
I bought it at the same time as my first double-face.
It’s the design on the perfume box of the same name “Un jardin sur le toit”. The 2011 edition is impossible to find because it was mainly given to journalists for the perfume’s promotion. The 2019/2020 edition also sold out very quickly. I bought one of the last remaining copies.
Un Jardin sur le toit is, first and foremost, that green, tree-lined terrace at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré. It has existed since the mid-1920s, when Émile Hermès undertook to raise the building, increase the store and leather workshops’ space, and set up a curiosity cabinet for his collection. This hanging garden, called the “vessel” of the house, is part of its history. Fashion models were photographed there from the 1930s onward, potatoes were grown to feed the staff during World War II, Robert Dumas planted an apple tree there, and his son Jean-Louis decided to turn those apples into jelly. In 1987, for the house’s 150th anniversary, a fireworks rider was installed there! Mignonette, impatiens, crocuses, hawthorn, sage, roses, tulips, apples… over the years, they form a true “pleasure garden that does as it pleases and sings to us of loving life,” as perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena said when, in 2011, this lush, urban vegetation inspired him to create an eau de toilette. Philippe Dumas, who has known this garden since early childhood, created for the occasion, with a lively and charming touch, one of those drawings he has a knack for.
In the book Carrés d’art (Amazon link), it says “quite rare, quite sought-after,” but in reality, that’s not always accurate.
When I had the bad idea to put it up for sale on Vinted, it sold in a minute. I regretted it so much that I canceled the sale and decided to keep it. I wear it from time to time, but orange doesn’t suit me, so I think it deserves to be framed.
During my last purchase, I was given a small collection of the Cartes à Nouer : where you can learn, with the help of diagrams, to tie the Hermès scarf in 21 different ways.
Protège-Passeport
I found it on Vinted. I hesitated a lot about buying it, but I don’t know what came over me because it’s absolutely not a priority purchase. I decided to take it anyway because my bling-bling instinct spoke up.
When I touched it, I almost fell off my chair because I’ve never touched such beautiful and soft leather. It’s vintage, never used. It rested in its Hermès cardboard box for 27 years waiting for me. Even JB, not blingy at all and usually unhappy with my spending, couldn’t help asking where I’d found it and where that “out of this world” feel came from 😀
Hermès leather remains the best. Luxury brands work with almost the same suppliers, but Hermès gets first pick; the leathers they find less beautiful are left for other brands. So Hermès will always have the best of the best. This passport holder is also made of a special leather (pigskin), which is no longer used by Hermès. They still use a similar (more expensive) leather, the peccary, but you can only find it in stores (not online) in small quantities, and not in just any store.
To know if it’s genuine, since the model is no longer made, it’s very easy, just go to the Hermès store and ask their opinion. We discovered that it was a model that was no longer made, but also in a rare leather.
I searched for the hidden code in every small leather goods/leather goods item… and I found an X. Comparing with the codes in my book, I discovered that this item dated from 1994, almost the same age as my sister.
It was still a huge stroke of luck to come across such a high-quality item second-hand.
You could say I know nothing at all, but I have an eye. I’m naturally drawn to the most beautiful things. I’m going to use this passport cover, it deserves to be used after almost three decades in its box. I managed to find exactly the same one for JB.
Note: I recommend buying leather goods—small vintage leather goods—from them, and not recent products from Hermès because I find the quality has dropped significantly and many products are machine-sewn.
Cosmetics
If there was a makeup launch that was highly anticipated by makeup fans around the world in early 2020, it was definitely the Hermès lipsticks. I waited 2 years of reviews and compliments online before finally taking the plunge.
They have classic colors, two lines: matte and not-matte. The number of shades is very limited, but it’s Hermès. I now understand why everyone raves about them.
Because after devouring appetizer – main course – dessert, there’s still lipstick left, it’s pretty. If you want to reapply, you can, but it’s perfectly possible to leave in the morning with Hermès lipstick and come back in the evening without touching it up once. And while wearing a COVID mask on top of that!
The cap is magnetic, and it makes a super satisfying sound when you open/close the lipstick. And above all, it won’t open in your bag.
The shade I chose is 85, non-matte. Each season, they release 2-3 new limited edition shades.
You can apply several layers for a darker color.
The only thing that doesn’t impress me much (and doesn’t impress Rosalie either) is the amount of packaging. The lipstick is protected in a mini fabric sleeve, then the orange box, then the beige box. Too much! Too Russian doll 😀
And to finish, here’s my favorite Hermès perfume: Un jardin après la mousson. It perfectly replicates the smell after a torrential rain in Asia. When I’m homesick, I wrap myself in this fragrance and I’m transported to Vietnam, in the middle of an afternoon nap after the rain. At official retailers, there’s only the 100ml version, but at Hermès you can buy the 50ml version, more practical for travel and above all, cheaper. This must be my 4th bottle.
From now on, I’ll buy Hermès cosmetics directly from Hermès. I don’t get that many discounts at Sephora or elsewhere, and by shopping at Hermès, I get samples of other Hermès perfumes and I’m always treated wonderfully.
A question?
If you have a Hermès scarf sleeping in its box, just give me the name of the scarf (it’s written on it), I can look in my book for the rarity and popularity index of that scarf. You might have a treasure at home without knowing it.
I no longer have the book with me, so I suggest you buy the book and consult it yourself: Carrés d’art
