CDC aka Dog Collar

[iseebearbears]

Over the weekend, I've found out that Chien means dog in French. Which lead me to the realization that Hermes has been marketing dog collars to us in the form of Collier De Chien fine jewelry and other items. I currently have the CDC rose gold bracelet and the matching ring on my finger and I don't know how to feel about it. Did H just indirectly call us all "female canines"? Well played Hermes, well played.

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

Over the weekend, I've found out that Chien means dog in French. Which lead me to the realization that Hermes has been marketing dog collars to us in the form of Collier De Chien fine jewelry and other items. I currently have the CDC rose gold bracelet and the matching ring on my finger and I don't know how to feel about it. Did H just indirectly call us all "female canines"? Well played Hermes, well played.

I don't know if this is fact or not but I remember being told some time ago that the CDC was originally designed by Hermes for a woman in the 1920's (or maybe 30's) who wanted jewellery to match her dogs collar...
I can't remeber who this fabulous woman was perhaps someone like Josephine Baker?

 

[iseebearbears]

I don't know if this is fact or not but I remember being told some time ago that the CDC was originally designed by Hermes for a woman in the 1920's (or maybe 30's) who wanted jewellery to match her dogs collar...
I can't remeber who this fabulous woman was perhaps someone like Josephine Baker?

Oh, that's kinda cool to want to match your pets. I thought the H designer did it as a joke to see how many suckers fall for it. (If so, I'm apparently one of em.)

 

[papertiger]

I don't know if this is fact or not but I remember being told some time ago that the CDC was originally designed by Hermes for a woman in the 1920's (or maybe 30's) who wanted jewellery to match her dogs collar...
I can't remeber who this fabulous woman was perhaps someone like Josephine Baker?

Hermes already had a collection of dog collars (Emile Hermes was a big collector of beautiful, well crafted objects such as dog collars and walking sticks).

1940s if I remember rightly. It's in keeping with a a lot of fashionable, surrealist, statement jewellery of the time and earlier.

 

[papertiger]

I don't see what the big deal is. Nearly everything comes from utility and hard wear.

Horse-bit jewellery come from bits made for horses. Trench coats come from men that were fighting wars and lived in long holes in the ground. People go around wearing nails round their necks, wrists and fingers, even more popular are shackle-bracelets. Buckle rings are from buckles, knot rings are from knots etc.

 

[carrie8]

Over the weekend, I've found out that Chien means dog in French. Which lead me to the realization that Hermes has been marketing dog collars to us in the form of Collier De Chien fine jewelry and other items. I currently have the CDC rose gold bracelet and the matching ring on my finger and I don't know how to feel about it. Did H just indirectly call us all "female canines"? Well played Hermes, well played.

O yes, the first time i read the name on the site, i knew what it meant. Didn't feel comfortabel to buy the ring.

 

[jellyv]

I didn't know that this fact wasn't well known to H customers. Their museum has historical prototypes on display, for example. The translation alone is a... tipoff.

 

[iseebearbears]

It's not as much of what it was inspired by/ derived from, but the fact that the name is literally translated as such.

 

[iseebearbears]

I didn't know that this fact wasn't well known to H customers. Their museum has historical prototypes on display, for example. The translation alone is a... tipoff.

It took me long enough to realize it. In my defense, I've never been to the H museum and I don't know any French at all. I bought this collection because I loved how the middle ring resembles an old fashioned door knocker. Now that I know the truth, I cannot unsee the dog collar. 🙈

 

[QuelleFromage]

Hermes already had a collection of dog collars (Emile Hermes was a big collector of beautiful, well crafted objects such as dog collars and walking sticks).

1940s if I remember rightly. It's in keeping with a a lot of fashionable, surrealist, statement jewellery of the time and earlier.

Yep! As always PT nails it (no pun intended). 1949. A client wanted to create jewelry similar to her dog's collar.

Genuinely thought this design's origin was common knowledge, but IMO it was pretty avant-garde on H's part considering that the McLaren/Westwood crew and punk in general didn't adopt dog collars until the 70's.

The design has studs and a ring, so it has an inherent edge whether you know the story or not (this is why I love it personally). The origin of the design is also on the H website (in English)

ETA: Kinda up to us as customers what we want to wear: Love bracelets, body chains, handcuff jewelry, corsets - most strong design has a subtext and we are either comfortable with it or not. Even makeup has biological subtext. But Hermès is not pulling some deception by naming a design in... French.

 

[MonsoonBirkin]

It took me long enough to realize it. In my defense, I've never been to the H museum and I don't know any French at all. I bought this collection because I loved how the middle ring resembles an old fashioned door knocker. Now that I know the truth, I cannot unsee the dog collar. 🙈

If it helps you unsee the standard dog collar, you can google what a BDSM necklace looks like and form that as your new association with the CDC. Granted, I don't know if that will make you feel better... unless that's what floats your boat, no judgment here.

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

Funnily enough the CDC was my first 'big' Hermes purchase..prior to buying it I'd only purchased lipstick (Rouge H..remember that?) and fragrance and a scarf.
It was about 27 years ago and I was working on a very commercial styling job in Manchester (UK) for 3 weeks and hating every day on this very dull but lucrative project...One lunch break I left the studio for some retail therapy and fresh air and went to the tiny Hermes boutique and there I purchased my CDC (black with phw) it really appealed to my slightly gothic rock 'n' roll asthetic at that time-It cost around £380.
I vividly remember going back to the studio showing what I'd brought and everyone being horrified that I'd paid 'that much' for something they claimed I could buy in the nearby market (Affleks Palace....Its still there a grungy vintagey emporium)for around £10!!
I still wear that 1st CDC and sent it to spa a couple of years ago because the box leather had really softened and started to come unstiched on one side.
Cost per wear? its the best £380 I ever spent I think because I still love it and it made the next 2 weeks of that tedious job much more bearable knowing it had contributed to something I loved very much indeed (and still do!)
The spa cost was £220 btw

 

[papertiger]

Funnily enough the CDC was my first 'big' Hermes purchase..prior to buying it I'd only purchased lipstick (Rouge H..remember that?) and fragrance and a scarf.
It was about 27 years ago and I was working on a very commercial styling job in Manchester (UK) for 3 weeks and hating every day on this very dull but lucrative project...One lunch break I left the studio for some retail therapy and fresh air and went to the tiny Hermes boutique and there I purchased my CDC (black with phw) it really appealed to my slightly gothic rock 'n' roll asthetic at that time-It cost around £380.
I vividly remember going back to the studio showing what I'd brought and everyone being horrified that I'd paid 'that much' for something they claimed I could buy in the nearby market (Affleks Palace....Its still there a grungy vintagey emporium)for around £10!!
I still wear that 1st CDC and sent it to spa a couple of years ago because the box leather had really softened and started to come unstiched on one side.
Cost per wear? its the best £380 I ever spent I think because I still love it and it made the next 2 weeks of that tedious job much more bearable knowing it had contributed to something I loved very much indeed (and still do!)
The spa cost was £220 btw

Black CDC ghw was my first piece too, but a gift. I'm not sure I took it off except in bed. I wore it so much the gold wore off in places. I bought another a few years ago in the same colour, can't live without one.

 

[EdgyBagsPlz]

Its edginess is what drew me to H in the first place! My first piece was a CDC in black box and palladium hardware... the most punk (and/or goth /bdsm) combo out there. I love CDC anything... I think that's the thing is that there's this storied fashion house, all about horses and sometimes stuffily simple high luxury silhouettes... but occasionally there's this eyebrow-raising "oh, did you mean it THAT way, Hermes? I see you..." silly or edgy quality to their stuff. I wish they'd lean into that more tbh!

 

[AnnaE]

Over the weekend, I've found out that Chien means dog in French. Which lead me to the realization that Hermes has been marketing dog collars to us in the form of Collier De Chien fine jewelry and other items. I currently have the CDC rose gold bracelet and the matching ring on my finger and I don't know how to feel about it. Did H just indirectly call us all "female canines"? Well played Hermes, well played.

Hermes is pretty open about the history:


The Clou de Forge collection is modeled after farrier’s nails that are used to attach a horseshoe to a horse’s hoof. These are exactly the same nails that go in my horse’s hoof.

Chain d’Ancre literally means anchor chain. And it looks like it.

There are also a lot of equestrian pieces such as stirrup-shaped objects. Mors as in the Mors scarf ring means a horse bit — and it is shaped like one. I think it’s all fun.