Yesterday afternoon I had the lovely opportunity to make it down to Sloane Square with my fellow Fashion Promotion peeps to go and see the Hermes exhibition on at the Saatchi gallery. We were there on the first day of it opening, and the exhibition finishes on Sunday, so if you can get down there quickly! I have to say I was really taken aback by the exhibition, it was free so I wasn't expecting a lot from it, maybe just a few bags in cases and scarfs on display, but boy was I wrong!
It was like walking into the Atelier itself! The Festival des Métiers was the name of the exhibition (translation: Festival of Crafts) and it surely fitted the name perfectly. Scattered around Hermes artisans themselves, each talking about and doing their area of trade as you walked around the exhibition. You get to see the iconic items being produced in front of your very eyes, from the cutting of the leather bags, screenprinting silk scarfs, painting the Hermes China, even something as intricate as watchmaking. The artisans talk through their work, usually with a translator at hand as they're of course, French! You can ask them questions too, so it's such a personal connection to the brand. I only found out then that only one person makes an entire Hermes bag, from the construction to the components! One man said it takes him around 24 hours to make a bag.
I was so impressed with the exhibition as a whole, I wish I had the opportunity to see more of the work being done and converse with the people who worked there - it was very popular so not everything was easy to see! I would definitely recommend you to go and see it, and why not have a trip down the Kings Road while you're there!
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