Asians & their Hermes

[dreamdoll]

Prestige magazine, Richard Mille Preview

[IFFAH]

@ Hermes Liat Towers, Herman Chong Art Installation, "The End Depends On The Beginning, The Beginning Depends On The End...."

[IFFAH]

For Central's Boutique Boulevard celebrations, Hermes flew in an artisan from France to demonstrate to VIPs exactly how a Kelly and Birkin are made. Of course, Hermes being the brand behind the ultimate designer ‘It' bags, flocks of women dropped by last Friday to watch artisan Franck work his magic.

With almost 20 years experience at Hermes, we caught up with Franck just as he was about to show how the accessory strap for the buckle was made.

How long is the training process to become an artisan?
It takes in total about three years in total to qualify. You spend two years studying and then one year doing work experience at Hermes. Awhile ago, only men were allowed to train and to make the bags, but now there are more and more women.

What makes Hermes bags so special?
When you order a bag, your order doesn't just get sent to the ateliers where it is immediately made. Depending on what it is you order, you have to wait until we can find the exact leather and texture for you. Then an artisan will spend up to 30 hours making the bag. I make only 3 bags a week.



The difference from other bags is not that it is just handmade, but it is the way it is made. Everything is very exact. For example, the stitches are done so that if you break one stitch, the others won't be affected. Often times, you'd have to tear the entire stitch and start again.

Just one accessory alone takes a few hours to produce from cutting the strap, filing and smoothing down the edges, applying the trim stitching, curving and shaping both ends of the small strap, applying the dye, and finally sealing the dye with hot glue. One small mistake and you have to start all over again!

What is the most difficult part of the bag to make?
The handle is the most difficult and the first thing you are taught, because all the techniques used to make the handle are used for the rest of the bag.

What about with different textures and materials?
To be honest, the process for all materials are the same. Though you have to be more careful with a light coloured leather, especially the tan/camel shades because its very easy to leave a fingerprint on them.

Crocodile skins are also very stiff. When you make a crocodile Birkin, you have to make the main body inside out, as that is how the stitch is done, with the inside of the bag facing out. When you've spent about 20-22 hours stitching it like that, you then have to carefully turn it inside out so the croc skin is showing the right way up again. But, crocodile skin is very very stiff, so if you're not careful, you could rip the whole bag apart if you're too strong. And yes, I have done that before in my career!

[Queenie]

It is amazing!! I can never look like that a month after birth. I've met Zoe few times and she looks so good after birth! You will never have thought that she is a mum.

[kamola]

Kimbee

[Handybags]

Originally Posted by Queenie

It is amazing!! I can never look like that a month after birth. I've met Zoe few times and she looks so good after birth! You will never have thought that she is a mum.

I was hard pressed to look like that BEFORE birth

[londondolly]

A little off H-topic, but thought was interesting anyway..

http://www.plushasia.com/article/3668

[hermes_lemming]

Is it me or does Christopher Lee remind you of Johnny Depp?

[dreamdoll]

Interesting article! Thanks for sharing!!

Originally Posted by IFFAH

For Central's Boutique Boulevard celebrations, Hermes flew in an artisan from France to demonstrate to VIPs exactly how a Kelly and Birkin are made. Of course, Hermes being the brand behind the ultimate designer ‘It' bags, flocks of women dropped by last Friday to watch artisan Franck work his magic. With almost 20 years experience at Hermes, we caught up with Franck just as he was about to show how the accessory strap for the buckle was made. How long is the training process to become an artisan? It takes in total about three years in total to qualify. You spend two years studying and then one year doing work experience at Hermes. Awhile ago, only men were allowed to train and to make the bags, but now there are more and more women. What makes Hermes bags so special? When you order a bag, your order doesn't just get sent to the ateliers where it is immediately made. Depending on what it is you order, you have to wait until we can find the exact leather and texture for you. Then an artisan will spend up to 30 hours making the bag. I make only 3 bags a week. The difference from other bags is not that it is just handmade, but it is the way it is made. Everything is very exact. For example, the stitches are done so that if you break one stitch, the others won't be affected. Often times, you'd have to tear the entire stitch and start again. Just one accessory alone takes a few hours to produce from cutting the strap, filing and smoothing down the edges, applying the trim stitching, curving and shaping both ends of the small strap, applying the dye, and finally sealing the dye with hot glue. One small mistake and you have to start all over again! What is the most difficult part of the bag to make? The handle is the most difficult and the first thing you are taught, because all the techniques used to make the handle are used for the rest of the bag. What about with different textures and materials? To be honest, the process for all materials are the same. Though you have to be more careful with a light coloured leather, especially the tan/camel shades because its very easy to leave a fingerprint on them. Crocodile skins are also very stiff. When you make a crocodile Birkin, you have to make the main body inside out, as that is how the stitch is done, with the inside of the bag facing out. When you've spent about 20-22 hours stitching it like that, you then have to carefully turn it inside out so the croc skin is showing the right way up again. But, crocodile skin is very very stiff, so if you're not careful, you could rip the whole bag apart if you're too strong. And yes, I have done that before in my career!

[IFFAH]

Originally Posted by hermes_lemming

Is it me or does Christopher Lee remind you of Johnny Depp?

Lol.

Kimbee's lindy color. It appears like a mixture of dark brown-prune-hint of dark red; matte croc on my screen. Thank you, kamola.

[Meena]

Originally Posted by dreamdoll

Interesting article! Thanks for sharing!!

Totally agreed! Next week, H boutique in Bangkok will also hold a similar event and a craftman will fly from Paris. I also got an invitation for this event and according to my SA, I can bring one of my favorite H bag to the boutique for the craftman to put my initial on it! I'm so happy that my initial is the same of my baby girl, so I can pass this initialled H bag to her when she grows up...

[Meena]

And more exciting news for me today is that my 30 cm togo black birkin just arrives at the boutique today!! I can't believe the waiting is now over and I am going to bring this new baby home tomorrow. I can't stop smiling now!

[LarissaHK]

Originally Posted by IFFAH

For Central's Boutique Boulevard celebrations, Hermes flew in an artisan from France to demonstrate to VIPs exactly how a Kelly and Birkin are made. Of course, Hermes being the brand behind the ultimate designer ‘It' bags, flocks of women dropped by last Friday to watch artisan Franck work his magic. With almost 20 years experience at Hermes, we caught up with Franck just as he was about to show how the accessory strap for the buckle was made. How long is the training process to become an artisan? It takes in total about three years in total to qualify. You spend two years studying and then one year doing work experience at Hermes. Awhile ago, only men were allowed to train and to make the bags, but now there are more and more women. What makes Hermes bags so special? When you order a bag, your order doesn't just get sent to the ateliers where it is immediately made. Depending on what it is you order, you have to wait until we can find the exact leather and texture for you. Then an artisan will spend up to 30 hours making the bag. I make only 3 bags a week. The difference from other bags is not that it is just handmade, but it is the way it is made. Everything is very exact. For example, the stitches are done so that if you break one stitch, the others won't be affected. Often times, you'd have to tear the entire stitch and start again. Just one accessory alone takes a few hours to produce from cutting the strap, filing and smoothing down the edges, applying the trim stitching, curving and shaping both ends of the small strap, applying the dye, and finally sealing the dye with hot glue. One small mistake and you have to start all over again! What is the most difficult part of the bag to make? The handle is the most difficult and the first thing you are taught, because all the techniques used to make the handle are used for the rest of the bag. What about with different textures and materials? To be honest, the process for all materials are the same. Though you have to be more careful with a light coloured leather, especially the tan/camel shades because its very easy to leave a fingerprint on them. Crocodile skins are also very stiff. When you make a crocodile Birkin, you have to make the main body inside out, as that is how the stitch is done, with the inside of the bag facing out. When you've spent about 20-22 hours stitching it like that, you then have to carefully turn it inside out so the croc skin is showing the right way up again. But, crocodile skin is very very stiff, so if you're not careful, you could rip the whole bag apart if you're too strong. And yes, I have done that before in my career!

Very interesting article IFFAH thanks for sharing. I was lucky to met Franck personally in Hk shop and he is very polite and very professional in his job.

[IFFAH]

^^Glad to hear that, Larissa.

Congratulations, Meena. I'm sure everyone there and our H tpf'ers based in Bangkok can't wait for next week's event.

@ Celio "French Fashion For Men"





@ Experience the fabulous Phase 2



@ Zespri

[Sus]

Great article IFFAH. Thanks.