London’s Saatchi Gallery hosted the travelling exhibition Hermès Festival Des Métiers in May this year. The Belle and I had enjoyed last year’s Leather Forever at the Royal Academy – the focus then had been exclusively on bags and leather goods. Festival Des Métiers had a broader remit, and covered scarves, ceramics, jewellery, bags and fashion.
Here are a few photos of the Hermès artisans in action.
The Belle and I were most impressed by how beautifully well turned out the artisans were. In Angleterre, we are often heard to say (whilst grabbing at a garment that is nondescript and very cheap) “It’ll do for work” – a phrase which, having seen the artisans, I now believe has no direct translation into French. Make-up, accessories, clothing: all very chic!
On a more serious note, to observe the artisans was a privilege. Nothing is more entrancing to watch than highly skilled people at work.
I think we just held back from oohing as this gentleman (pictured to the right) took scissors to leather; I’m pretty sure we failed to contain our admiration as we watched this lady (pictured to the left) snip individual threads on silk scarves to create a velvety effect. One false move, and the whole thing would be flawed … Seriously, my heart was in my mouth – I think I’d have felt less nervous watching someone play Russian Roulette.
As was the case at Leather Forever, the rooms held a ton of covetable stuff to look at and long for – my inner Kleptomaniac longed to burst free. I restrained myself, but I was interested to find that I was less drawn to the finished products than I was to the off-cuts and peripherals. 
Take these threads for instance: I wanted these far more than I wanted the diamond-encrusted cuff being put together at the next table.
The Belle had her eye on the ties – not for the ties themselves, but for the pieces of printed silk from which the ties were cut. A little bit of trimming and a hand-rolled hem and they’d have made perfectly lovely scarves in their own right.
Neither of us would have said no to the extremely beautiful jumper (picture to the right).
We also liked the very ’50s-looking machine used to create the jumper. The lady working at this (seen here to the left) was unbelievably dextrous and fast, and as each piece was finished, it was hung on a rail for the nosy to examine at their leisure. Despite turning inside out and looking very carefully, we were still unable to decipher all the secrets of manufacture, even though it had been put together before our very eyes.
Other highlights of the Hermès Festival Des Métiers, London 2013? Oh, so many …
The floor (pictured to the right) deserves a mention I think. If I had linoleum as lovely as this I would spend hours gazing at it, and I would wash it clean with my hair, as The Magdalane did with Jesus’ feet.
And surely this (to the left) is the most luxurious vaulting horse in the world? If my school had had the good taste to drape our gymnasium equipment in Hermès hides, I would have taken far more interest in P.E. lessons.
But my favourite thing of all is the little sign that perched on different artisans’ workstations at intervals throughout the day.
“Out for lunch! I will be back soon”.
Words to live by.
And it is this little sign that for me, truly exemplifies this post’s inclusion under the tag French Superiority. Not for Hermès a limp sandwich from M&S, stuffed in your face as you hunch over your workstation, spine slumped and belly muscles atrophying. Non, non, non!
I loved Festival des Métiers and Leather Forever, and had time allowed, would have attended each more than once. I hope Hermès are planning a hat-trick of exhibitions, not least because Leather Forever was the very first post on Eye of the Beholder. Just as my grandfather, born on 31st December, believed that every Hogmany celebration was in honour of his birthday, so I like to think that Hermès are celebrating my blog with their May exhibitions … I do hope they do a third. Of course, the most fascinating thing they could exhibit would be their order books: that would be something to see!
These exhibitions are wonderful marketing by Hermès. Hermès and their artisans make beautiful, beautiful things, but objects of beauty can be devalued when they’re over-exposed. I can’t be the only person who has become numbed to the appeal of a Hermès handbag through seeing them dangling from the wrists of Kim Kardashian et al. Festival des Métiers succeeds in making you forget the dubious clientele, and concentrate on the craftsmanship. I didn’t leave the Saatchi Gallery thinking how nice it would be to buy a piece of Hermès, I left thinking how lovely it would be to have the patience and expertise I’d seen go into the making of those pieces. If you’d like to buy me that jumper, please, go ahead! But I’d much rather learn how to make a little silk and jersey top all by myself.
