Style: The SilkyPop by Hermes

We've all seen the resusable bags at Whole Foods or Trader Joes that one can buy for a mere dollar or two that enable one to take baby steps towards saving the planet. Hermes has taken this seemingly small endeavor one gargantuan step further, make that about a thousand steps further at just over $1K in price, by introducing its SilkyPop bag. The bag is crafted of silk with designs used on Hermes scarves and designed to fold up into a zip-around wallet-type clutch crafted out of buffalo skipper skin that one can carry in their handbag. For an animated demonstration of this fold, you can see the SilkyPop on the UK Hermes site

According to a recent article in the LA Times on the subject of stylish resusable bags, "a spokeswoman for Hermes, for example, said that their new Silky Pop, a hand-wrought silk tote that collapses into a wallet-size pouch of calfskin, was intended as a high-end alternative to the extra fold-up shopping bag that many European women already carry in their purses. ("Say you're out walking. You decide to pick up a few apples, you pull out your bag," she explained, then quickly added: "Though obviously, Hermes clients usually aren't shopping for their own groceries.")

The SilkyPop embodies all the whimsical aspects of Hermes that I've come to admire, but this is one new contraption that I won't be filling with apples. Coming soon to an Hermes store near you.

Photo: http://uk.hermes.com

Paris: The Shopping-Part II

Hermes

One of the stores I was most excited about visiting for the first time was the flagship store on 24, rue Faubourg-St. Honore. The museum upstairs has been re-opened to the public by appointment only. Unfortunately, I had not thought ahead, otherwise it would have been spectacular to view the vintage items up there. All the staff at Hermes were unfailingly polite and helpful. I had the good fortune of working with a knowledgeable SA who had been there for quite some time. One thing I noticed about the locals who carried their Hermes Kellys on the streets was that they wore them quite casually, with the straps dangling and the flap on the turnkey alone. They were always in black or brown and looked as if they had been well-loved and worn. Definitely a case of the owner wearing the bag and not the other way around.






We also visited the store at George V which had a delightful storefront and the largest collection of Hermes hats I'd ever seen in an Hermes store.

The Perfect Murder: The Perfect Wardrobe -Part III, The Handbag

And so we conclude this three-part high-level look at the wardrobe of The Perfect Murder, by extolling the virtues of the handbag Gwyneth Paltrow's elegantly attired character totes throughout the movie, the Hermes Kelly.

The Kelly was actually born in the 1930s, then known as the Petite Sac Haut a Courroies (the original and larger Haut a Courroies was originally created to transport saddles in 1892), before it was re-christened the Kelly bag in the mid 1950s in honor of actress Grace Kelly who was a big fan of the bag and at one point, carried one to shield her pregnancy from photographers.

The bag takes approximately 13 hours to construct with over 2,500 stitches. While Kelly bags can be ordered in various sizes and colors and with different hardware, Black box calfskin is revered amongst collectors as being the quintessential and classic leather for the Kelly, particularly with gold hardware. Box calf ages beautifully; some of the oldest bags I've seen have been in box calf and they look wonderful. And it is this exact combination that Paltrow carries throughout the film and not surprisingly, it goes with everything she wears. Indeed, it is the perfect handbag.


Photo: courtesy of TPF member Dressage Queen; used with permisson.

Hermes: The Limited Edition Turandot Scarf

In honor of their Charlotte store opening, Hermes has re-issued a limited number of scarves in my absolute favorite Hermes design ever: 2002’s Turandot designed by Natsuno Hidaka. Generally when Hermes re-issues a design, they never do it in colorways that have been previously issued. It is my good fortune that someone over in headquarters didn’t want to have to think too hard because they opted to re-issue the scarf in two previously issued colorways: Prune and Coral. The Prune, which we shall now re-name as Aubergine because, well, it just sounds better, was a colorway that I was missing, and in my humble opinion, is one of the most beautiful colorways. Some fabulous articles on the Hermes scarf and the limited Turandot edition can be found at the Charlotte Observer and the Charlotte Observer Style section

Mama’s Got Edge Darn it!: The Hermes Collier de Chien Cuff

It will soon come to light that I am an ardent admirer of Hermes of Paris. Bags, scarves, bracelets, houseware, blankets, ready-to-wear, you name it, I love it. I recently picked up their Collier de Chien cuff in Rouge Garance Chamonix. I love the hardware on the cuff; I’m pretty wimpy by nature in my attire and in my demeanor so wearing it is just my passive-aggressive way of saying, “Don’t mess with me!” Blame it on Wonder Woman I say.

As with many of the famed goods from the house of Hermes, debatable necessity is the mother of invention. Hermes lore states that the signature Collier de Chien design made its way towards accessories for humans when a customer requested that one of their dog collar leashes be extended into a belt. Soon, the signature hardware became attached to necklaces, bracelets, gloves, and now, even their bags—with the current arrival of the Medor Clutch as shown in the photo above. It’s just too bad the meaning hasn’t changed; Collier de Chien translates to "dog collar" in French. "Dog collar" cuff just doesn't have as nice a ring to it eh?

Collier de Chien cuff available at Hermes stores or at www.hermes.com
Photo: Harper’s Bazzar