Hermes: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth by Charbin, Luc

Author: Charbin, Luc

Fashion & textiles: design

Published on 23 June 2022 by Abrams in the United States.

Hardback | 96 pages, 4c illustrations throughout
217 x 152 x 16 | 338g

This irresistible, authorized, illustrated gift book from the luxury brand Herms is an homage, in stories and drawings, to the artisans and craftsmen who have been the foundation of the iconic brand since its beginnings as a saddle-maker for the carriage trade in 19th-century Paris. The stories are short, pithy, often quite witty, and they include first-person accounts from the leather artisans, silk manufacturers, and goldsmiths, gardeners, window dressers, designers, and electricians who have plied their craft at Hermes.We learn about quirky characters in the atelier who refuse to share their tools, of an elevator ride with a visiting President Nixon that went badly wrong, of a life-sized white rhinoceros made for a window display that disappears in Switzerland, reappears in Colorado, and returns, eventually, to Paris. A concise and witty company history, the book shares genuine love for the craft of producing luxury goods of the highest quality. Even if you cant afford to buy your partner a Herms bag or wallet, you can afford to give them this enchanting book.