I don't believe in Hermes
I was freezing from the AC when an associate whom I had a meeting with lent me a piece of scarf. It was off white-base with bright summer colors and adorned with motifs that caught my eyes - bicycles, hot air balloons and orange ribbons. It felt silky soft when I put it around my neck. It's so pretty that I couldn't keep my eyes off its reflection.
"Where is it from?", I asked her. "Hermes", she replied. I was dazzled.
For days after the meeting, I couldn't forget about the prettiest scarf I ever wrapped myself with.
Among the classic high end brands, I never thought much of Hermes nor did I bother to learn the correct pronunciation of the brand. I heard that you need to buy smaller items like dining sets or scarfs before the brand lets you own a bag. Whatever. I have not had the intention to own one. But I couldn't get the scarf off my mind....
My sister once attended a workshop by an Italian branding guru. He said "People don't need luxury goods. But they desire luxury goods. They want to be part of the history. They want to be part of the story." It sounded stupid. And I'm guilty as charged.
So when I found myself strolling on the shopping belt of Cannes, I know where I wanted to go. Eghmesz. That's how the French say it.
The good looking shop attendants and security guards greeted us, "Bonjour madame, welcome".
I looked around and felt a bit intimidated by the posh ambiance. I saw an Indonesian lady (her batik and kerudung gave it away) sitting mighty on the other end of the shop. A store assistant was attending to her and her daughter was translating for her. Like a highlander sensing another member of the clan, the lady turned around, looked at me and gave a nodding smile. In my head she was saying "Go ahead. You deserve it".
The shop assistant patiently parading all the scarfs to us, explaining the details, giving recommendations and talked about 10 designers who worked on different designs, and how they each signed on the scarf. I settled on the one that taken my breath away the most - an "Ex-Libris En Kimonos" (I never knew scarf has a title). It's bright with spring-in-the-orient theme.
I felt complete as I paid for it. A beautiful person deserves only the most beautiful things.
I will always remember the beaming smile on my mother's face when I presented the scarf to her.
I was freezing from the AC when an associate whom I had a meeting with lent me a piece of scarf. It was off white-base with bright summer colors and adorned with motifs that caught my eyes - bicycles, hot air balloons and orange ribbons. It felt silky soft when I put it around my neck. It's so pretty that I couldn't keep my eyes off its reflection.
"Where is it from?", I asked her. "Hermes", she replied. I was dazzled.
For days after the meeting, I couldn't forget about the prettiest scarf I ever wrapped myself with.
Among the classic high end brands, I never thought much of Hermes nor did I bother to learn the correct pronunciation of the brand. I heard that you need to buy smaller items like dining sets or scarfs before the brand lets you own a bag. Whatever. I have not had the intention to own one. But I couldn't get the scarf off my mind....
My sister once attended a workshop by an Italian branding guru. He said "People don't need luxury goods. But they desire luxury goods. They want to be part of the history. They want to be part of the story." It sounded stupid. And I'm guilty as charged.
So when I found myself strolling on the shopping belt of Cannes, I know where I wanted to go. Eghmesz. That's how the French say it.
The good looking shop attendants and security guards greeted us, "Bonjour madame, welcome".
I looked around and felt a bit intimidated by the posh ambiance. I saw an Indonesian lady (her batik and kerudung gave it away) sitting mighty on the other end of the shop. A store assistant was attending to her and her daughter was translating for her. Like a highlander sensing another member of the clan, the lady turned around, looked at me and gave a nodding smile. In my head she was saying "Go ahead. You deserve it".
The shop assistant patiently parading all the scarfs to us, explaining the details, giving recommendations and talked about 10 designers who worked on different designs, and how they each signed on the scarf. I settled on the one that taken my breath away the most - an "Ex-Libris En Kimonos" (I never knew scarf has a title). It's bright with spring-in-the-orient theme.
I felt complete as I paid for it. A beautiful person deserves only the most beautiful things.
I will always remember the beaming smile on my mother's face when I presented the scarf to her.
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| Ex-Libris En Kimonos |
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| Home Coming. Mom posed in front of a Hermes' statue at The Museum of Jakarta in her Ex-Libris En Kimonos |
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