The mythical Hermès displays at 24 Faubourg
For more than 35 years, it has been four times a year, during a ceremony well known to the inhabitants of the Faubourg Saint Honoré district : the curtain raiser.
It is on this occasion that the Hermès House gathers around a glass of champagne customers, curious people, friends and not forgetting the employees of the brand.
These famous displays follow the rhythm of the seasons, notably around annual themes. An art and a curiosity supported above all by a play of materials : fountains with mother-of-pearl dolphins, a wave sculpted in Carrara marble, Kelly in organza or metal…
A creative and thoughtful masterpiece watched over by the entire fashion world. This article aims to take the reader on a journey through the dreams, the talent, and the rarity of one of the most famous French luxury leather goods houses.
Who’s behind their design: Leïla and her journey
Who was Leïla Menchari, the storyteller of dreams for the mythical 24 Faubourg displays ?
A graduate of the Beaux-Arts in Paris and Tunis, Leïla Menchari has travelled the world for nearly 40 years to develop odes to exceptional craftsmanship and amazing local know-how.
“Draw me your dreams” asked Annie Baunel when she visited him at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, and so the Hermès adventure began. In 1978, the CEO of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, entrusted her with the decoration of the displays of 24 Faubourg.
The mission did not end there, the direction of the silk colour committee was also attributed to her, giving her the choice of the colour ranges of the emblematic and unavoidable silk square. Very concerned by this textile, which has made the house famous, she dared to install a large wave sculpted in marble or an eight-metre fresco, due to war orphans in Sudan.
Focus on craftsmanship: colour, size and pattern trends
Leïla Menchari drew her imagination from her wildest dreams, grandiose and oriental. She always added her personal touch by adding gold, silver, copper and a lot of light, with the aim of giving an impression of warmth, reminding us of her country of origin, which was Tunisia.
Now sadly gone, with elegance as in her lifetime, she left a real imprint by designing a very personal universe, by staging colourful atmospheres in spaces of barely a few square metres, pocket theatres, attracting the elegant shopper, French or foreign…
She has created more than 150 displays, each more flamboyant than the last, for the boutique at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
Leïla Menchari
A know-how still being perpetuated
Antoine Plateau is now in charge of the historic headquarters windows of the house.
Thus, the creations of the House’s craftsmen and invited artists continue to unfold all the promises of Hermès in these few square metres. In other words, the proposal of a spectacular setting and décor ready to welcome, showcase and watch over the treasures of the House. At Hermès, everything is possible to offer the most accomplished scenography, everything is implemented to offer us beauty, luxury and especially dreams.
Faithful to its artisanal model as well as to its humanist values. The freedom of creation, the permanent research of the most beautiful materials, the transmission of its know-how of excellence, which thus make it possible to create useful, durable and elegant objects forging the singularity of the house.
The House of Hermès is proud to defend craftsmanship with the belief that “one craftsman, one bag”, so each bag, like the Birkin, is made by a single craftsman from start to finish in one of the House’s specialist workshops. A process that takes about 40 hours of work in total.
It is this respect for traditional craftsmanship that makes Hermès accessories a real investment.
Hermès and its desire to make people dream
The House knows how to sell dreams, in addition to its enchanting displays, the creation of exceptional pieces, and the desire to surprise its customers more and more, notably through the organisation of events such as “Hermès in the Making”, which is dedicated to the brand’s expertise in four areas : the preservation and transmission of know-how, respect for the quality of materials, the attachment to the long term, and territorial anchoring. The exhibition gives a voice to a dozen of the company’s craftsmen, from different trades.
The world of Hermès knows how to seduce its clientele and it does not hesitate to pull out all the stops, such as during inauguration evenings with a panel of guests scrupulously chosen for the occasion. It is notably through these evenings that the collections of precious accessories as well as prestigious bags are presented, everything is designed to amaze and fascinate its guests.
Hermès pieces that arouse the envy and covetousness of customers
The house is an expert in exclusivity.
The whole world demands their iconic model, the Birkin. High demand for a very limited supply, with around 12,000 Birkins produced each year, resulting in a significant price increase.
In addition to this limited production, the boutiques are known to be very demanding of their customers. This ‘limited edition’ aspect of Birkin bags, while frustrating, is a key element of their appeal.
If you want to buy a specific piece and customise your bag, you’ll have to be patient to get the call from Hermes to customise the bag of your dreams. Known as Special Order (SO) or Herseshoe Stamp (HSS) and more recently as Custom Order, the custom handbag service is a bag lover’s dream. Compared to limited edition handbags, which are produced in multiples.
The advantage of buying a special order ( Horseshoe Stamp) pre-owned bag
First, accessibility is one of the main advantages. You can get a unique Hermes model, in exotic leather for example without having to go through a sales consultant and therefore being put on a long waiting list.
Another advantage is that you have a choice, as you are not limited to the colour offered at the time of your purchase at Hermès.
As the seasons go by, a palette of colours and leathers are imposed, so you find yourself limited in the shop
.Buying on the pre-owned market, therefore, offers you the possibility of obtaining the bag of your dreams by customising your search.
Some artists also offer you the possibility to customize your bag and make it even more unique, as for example, above a nice Rainbow camouflage made on this Kelly Ghillies canvas. A unique and personalised model.
A real must-have
The bags of the House Hermès, are considered as real must-have and even become true symbol of social success.
The Birkin was the subject of an entire storyline in the series Sex and the City. With the rise of social networking, more and more celebrities have been seen with a Hermes bag on their arm.
With such power of personality and therefore visibility, it is no wonder that Hermès accessories have continued to rise stratospherically in price and notoriety over the years.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
BrandCo Paris has a concierge service that will be happy to find you the piece of your dreams.
Credits :
Magazine : Le monde d’Hermès
www.lemonde.fr
www.saclab.com
www.christies.com
