Hermes has all along been one of my coveted brands, very upscale and classic, but yet beyond my reach at this stage. So when I found out that they are having an exhibition in Singapore, I made a point to head down to visit. Another plus point - its free admission to the exhibition!
The exhibition is named 'HERMÈS LEATHER FOREVER', held at Marina Bay Sands Art Science Museum, from 25 Oct to 13 Dec'15. What makes this exhibition special is that some of the display artifacts were specially flown over from the Hermes Museum in Paris, the very first time that they are brought onto the shores of Singapore.
Took many photos with my phone, so this will be a picture heavy entry =)
Upon stepping in, the first room that greets you is a large one, filled with many different types and colours of leather used by Hermes in their production. There are various items that deserve your attention here:
A wide variety of leather on display for you to touch and feel.
Be amazed at the colours, texture, and categorizing of the leather here.
You can also read to find out how Hermes places utmost importance in their leather rearing, curation, protection, every step of the way, till the end of the production line. Every detail is paid attention to, to ensure that the leather is of high quality, deserving for their customers.
The centrepiece table in the room, is a big table with one huge leather canvas.
Touch the screen to select the bag that you would like to see being produced, and drawing lines will soon appear on the leather canvas, with each pieces making up parts of the bag when they are stitched together.
One of the main draw of the room - a French craftsmen doing live stitching of the leather in front of your eyes.
As he speaks French, he is accompanied by a pretty translator lady who is sophisticated and mature in the way she handles the crowd and their queries.
Everyone knows that Hermes is one of the luxury brands in the world, whose items are of a high price range. One of the reasons why is that the stitches for their bags are done manually, painstakingly by hand, by their craftsmen. Sewing machine is rarely used for the stitches. One single thread is used throughout one length / side of the bag, hence it is very very detailed. No such thing as 'oh! the thread is loose, let me just pull it out'. Nope. You can't pull it out, because it holds the entire length of the bag. Given today's technology and efficiency driven production process, it is awe inspiring to know that Hermes bags are stitched by hand, in detail, to ensure high quality and long lasting reliability. This is partly why their bags and items are SO durable.
Various bags / models on display
Moving on to the next room - paying tribute to their roots. Hermes started off in 1873 as a harness workshop in Paris, producing horse harnesses and bridles. Back in those days, horses were the mode of transport.
Drawing your attention to these 2 bags, which enables people to put their horse saddles inside and bring it along with them. Its amazing that the bag does not look that big, and yet, can fit a horse saddle in it. Not to mention, it looks very classy, and does not make the user look clumsy at all.
The bag used to put all the horse riding essentials.
There's a reason for its shape - for practicality purpose, though in modern times, this shape has been used for fashion and aesthetic purposes.
A close up on this bag, with a dotted 'H' in front. Many people mistakenly think that the alphabet 'H' stands for 'Hermes', but actually, this dots also serve a practical purpose. The bag is used to dry various horse essential items, and in order to ensure that the items can be air dried even while placed in a bag, these dots are created.
The next room has an orange theme, and displays many trunks and luggages under Hermes.
Can you see that this is used to store / transport shoes?
One of the unique feature of Hermes' trunks / luggages then was its attention to detail and ready availability of pockets. They have so many compartments / pockets available, you never have to worry about losing your things in the vast space. Shoes, belts, notebooks, perfume etc. Each compartment / pocket comes with an intent, and you can readily locate anything as they are neatly categorised. I love the functionality!
Next, a room displaying the classic items and how the design evolved with time, and why it was a milestone during its time.
The bag in the centre, is obviously the most prized possession.
A short write-up on the personality of Hermes bags
Moving along the exhibition, I was lucky to chance upon a student group who were brought around with a guide, who explains the key feature of each room peppered with the history of Hermes and some of the classic items.
One of the key exhibition pieces
An item that was highlighted by the guide (yes I eavesdropped, what's wrong with wanting to have a better appreciation of the items on display?) - a piece inspired by the dog collar. Hermes introduces a few belts and bracelets etc, whose design is inspired by the dog collar. Some spikes here and there, giving it a rough and not to be pushed feel, but exuding a smooth and classy air. A bit off that such a design powerhouse takes reference from a dog collar, but apparently, back in those times, a lady (can't remember her name) requested Hermes to design it using dog collar as reference.
Other than the dog collar, Hermes also does not forget what they do best - their history to the horse.
Many design pieces are inspired by items used in horseriding, such as the latches, clips, fasteners etc used on the saddle to secure it onto the horse.
This room also showcases the shoes by Hermes. We have a bag with bags just now, now we have another bag with shoes. These are all real Hermes produced shoes by the way. Beats me why the sizes seem so small...
The next room features a series of work related bags, such as document bags and artist bag (which looks like an enhanced version of a document bag that allows artists to place their artwork inside without crumpling them).
Which then brings us to another key display item in this exhibition - the winged saddle:
It pays tribute to Hermes roots once again, as a saddlemaker.
It was originally made for a Japanese rock band album cover.
Last but not least, the grand highlight and most close to heart exhibited items are in this room - 5 Kellydoll bags created specially in recognition of Singapore's 50 years of independence, with 1 bag per decade.
The design of this room is also the most exquisite out of all, it is a garden.
You may not be able to see from here, but the bags are inspired by the Kellydoll, and each of the 5 bags have a face that smiles and make you smile too.
Hi there! Want to join me on a swing?
Irresistibly cute and endearing.
Somehow, looking at these characters on a swing in a garden, I wonder if garden is chosen as the theme here because Singapore is a 'Garden City' and it will look like Hermes Kellydolls are having fun in the Garden City!
A must read, for all you Singaporeans out there.
Ending this picture studded post with a bag that caught my eye - the Toolbox Bag,
The excerpt - exactly what I love about a bag. The perfect balance and combination between aesthetically pleasing and fully functional for the user.
I am not an expert in commenting on the exhibition but I have always been impressed by (and hence loving) the brand for its quality and functionality, without compromising on the aesthetics. Not that I own any of their lovely pieces, but I have been targeting for one since 21 years old! A worthy target to work towards, and am aiming to own one by 30.
For more information on the exhibition, you may wish to refer to the below webpages that I found when reading up:
ENJOY! =)
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