“Hermès and LVMH are at the two extremes of the culture and industry of luxury. We [at Hermès] are artisans and creative. We try to produce the most beautiful products in this industry. The artisans put their heart and soul in the bag and when the client buys it, they buy a bit of the ethic of Hermès. For six generations, the same family has run Hermès. That has given this company something no other company has. Our combat with LVMH is not an economic fight, it’s a cultural fight. We try to do poetry and we get excellent economic results. We must protect that.”— Hermes CEO Patrick Thomas, on fighting the hostile takeover attempt by the luxury conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy). If you’re interested in learning more about the changes in the luxury industry (and how Hermes has resisted them), check out the author of this article’s fascinating book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.
“Compose your dress with humor. Slavish adherence to either fashion or company dress codes will earn you little respect. Punctuate your understated dress with some epigrammatic piece of self deprecating humor. You might try an extravagant piece of silk as a scarf, a waistcoat in buff linen or the jumper you have always craved in Hermes orange. So wear one. It’s better to mock yourself than have the world do it for you.”— Michael Alden, “What Young Men Can Do To Improve Their Dress”
It’s On eBay
Hermes Overcoat (58 Euro)
This is serious. Vicuña overcoat, made from the extra-fine hair of the extra-rare vicuña. The ultimate luxury garment, right? Wrong. It’s not the ultimate luxury garment until you give said overcoat a full mink lining.
I don’t know whether to barf or cry. I may cry barf.
This is the kind of thing that makes you want to like horses. Holy cow is this beautiful.
Hermès Talaris Saddle
For the equestrians in the house. This Hermès “Talaris” Saddle is an innovative move forward in this space. The team in charge of the Talaris spent three years developing a saddle that looks as normal as the rest. But the truth is on the inside. As you can see in our gallery, the Talaris is a highly structured saddle that improves on the fit and ride as never before. It weighs in at around 1.5 kilos lighter than traditional saddles by replacing metal and wood with carbon and titanium to make it lighter and more durable. As well, the Talaris can be adjusted to fit any rider and horse.
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