Tie the knot
The Hermes silk scarf has long been recognised as an icon of luxury. As it celebrates its 70th birthday this year, Urban finds out what makes these square cloths a symbol of pedigree.
Thu, Oct 04, 2007
The Straits Times
It's no mere square piece of cloth - the Hermes scarf is a talisman of luxury.
When the late Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco broke her arm in 1956, it was an Hermes scarf that cradled her cast.
Queen Elizabeth II, another royal fan, wore one in her portrait for a British postage stamp in 1972. More recently in 2002, Madonna wore one as a halter in the movie Swept Away.
When French luxury house Hermes first launched its 90cm by 90cm silk twill scarf - known as the Carre Hermes - in 1937, it was soon to become one of the brand's most recognisable icons.
This year marks the scarf's 70th birthday and to celebrate, Hermes has created a new collection, the Carres 70.
Slightly smaller in dimension - 70cm by 70cm - this version is deliberately treated so it feels like vintage silk, says Madeleine Ho, marketing director of Hermes Singapore.
The fabric feels more supple, akin to fluid silk, and has a more matte finish, as though it was already worn and patinated with time, she adds.
It offers a selection of six motifs, newly designed or taken from the Hermes archives and recoloured.
The Hermes scarf is more than just good fabric and pretty designs. Since 1937, over 1,500 designs have been produced and the production process has remain unchanged till this day.
Each takes 24 months to make, of which a year is spent solely on graphic development. Some 140 operations are put into the product before it is delivered to the store.
Two collections of scarves are released each year, centred on 18 drawings - 10 new and eight re-editions in new colours.
In Singapore, prices for an Hermes scarf range from $185 for a twilly (a small ribbon scarf), $430 for a 70cm by 70cm scarf and $540 for a 90cm by 90cm one.
The scarf has seen rising popularity since 1979, when Hermes launched its blue jeans and silk scarf advertising campaign, breaking tradition by showing a young girl, wearing her silk scarf with a denim jacket. Overnight, it made the scarf look trendy and more accessible.
Then when Hermes celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1987 and started doing commemorative scarves based on different themes each year, this added to the cloth accessory's cachet as a collectible.
What also lent the scarf more glamour was designer Jean Paul Gaultier's first collection for Hermes in 2004, when he became the new artistic director for its women's ready-to-wear division. The collection celebrated the square cloth and its historic prints made a return on blouses, dresses and skirts in new colours.
According to Ho, these factors have all helped pushed the fabric accessory into the spotlight, and in this year alone, the brand has seen double-digit growth in its scarf sales.
Other designer labels also offer their own versions of the scarf, albeit on a less extensive level.
Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo, which brings in about 15 to 20 scarf designs each season, sells its 90cm by 90cm silk scarves at a slightly lower price of $459. Motifs mainly feature animal, floral or its signature logo prints.
Spanish label Loewe also has a collection of 90cm by 90cm silk scarves that go for $360, while smaller 70cm by 70cm scarves sell for $290, says its spokesman. Its designs feature mostly the brand's logo, geometric or floral prints.
Mass label stores are jumping on the bandwagon too, offering prices that are easier on the wallet.
Topman sells jersey and woven cotton versions for $23 to $29; Topshop offers cotton and silk options for $39 to $43; while Dorothy Perkins retails cotton-polyester neck scarves for $29 each.
A spokesman for Wing Tai, which distributes the three labels here, notes that scarves are growing in popularity.
She says that scarves from the latest fall collection are being snapped up fast, with one out of five customers including them in their buys.
In fact, scarves are now the accessory du jour in the clubbing scene, with hipsters sporting them at Ready Set Glo, the nu rave nights at Velvet Underground in Jiak Kim Street.
And to celebrate its 1½-year anniversary, Home Club at The Riverwalk - the mecca of indie music on Friday nights - is giving free entry to club-goers before 11pm if they sport a neck scarf.
And you thought scarves were just for your neck.
>> Related story: