It’s curious – this mystical, ancient connection that a square of silk seems to have, with magic. No magic act is complete without the flourish of a carré en soie, a shimmering silken square. Perhaps it’s the languid ability of silk to transform from a billowy cascade to an almost-invisible sheath. Or could it be its mesmerising form, colour and texture, which never fail to cast a spell on the beholder. One bewitched Frenchman, decided to take this magical carré to a whole new level. He spun it into an irresistible visual and tactile experience. And voilà, the first Hermès scarf was born in 1937! When you ask for directions in Paris to the Museé de la Magie (Museum of Magic), don’t be surprised if you find yourself at 24 Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the magical House of Hermès instead. La mème chose, non?

Hermès was known to experiment with its muse, the carré en soie, the silken square. Each experiment was a breath-taking success. Inspiration came from art, literature, history, cuisine, nature, scripts, other cultures...just about anywhere. A signature image was taken and frozen in time, rendered on a rich silken canvas – and turned into a piece of culture to be draped on the human body. Before you could say ‘abracadabra’, the carré had transformed into the quintessential style statement for the well-heeled. Its timeless mystery has enchanted royalty, celebrities, business tycoons, or simply those with a nose for elegance. Seventy-three years later, one cannot help but wonder, was there really life before the Hermès carré? For scores of women whose daily ensemble is built around the Hermès scarf, and not the other way around, the answer would be a resounding ‘Pas possible!’

No surprises then, that every 20 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone buys a Hermès carré. The boite orànge, with the Hermès signature quietly scribbled above the unpretentious duc-carriage-and-horse logo, exchanges hands. The simple box, totally sàns-bling, has become as much a collectible as its magical contents. Just the sight of it is enough to take the discerning to heaven and back. And the ritual of opening the box in itself, reverently folding back the tissue to reach for your personal patch of magic, is nothing short of an act of Zen for the Hermès devotee.

It takes a team of skillful magicians to metamorphose silk into squares of illusions. A special kind of weaver spins the silk or twill in the trademark Hermès serged weave with fine diagonal ribs, which becomes the canvas on which the Hermès artists brush on their imagination. Hermès designs mirror an abundance of colours, a profusion of graphics and the richness of the creative minds that give them birth. Every designer is super-sensitive to his medium: silk. Its rustle, its richness, its brilliance and its ripples are subtleties of a language known only to the initiated. Only such artists can produce the small poetic theatres that we know as Hermès carrés. Of the 100 designs that are created every season, only ten make the final cut. These are hand-painted on a life-size 90x90cm card and handed over to the engravers in the exclusive workshop in Lyon. The engravers interpret every nuance of the design, and translate them into a combination of colours, sometimes more than 30 per design. A process that can take from 800 to 2,000 hours, depending on the complexity of a design. Next, the colourist interprets the design into 10 or more harmonies. Craftsmen brew the pigments to create the customised palette of colours for every design. And finally, the screen printer uses these specially created colours to bring the design to life on silk. The seamstress gives the finishing touch -the signature ‘roulotte’ (hand-stitched hem). Voilà, the Hermès masterpiece is ready!

The Hermès carré is undoubtedly the most versatile, compact and multifaceted fashion accessory ever created. Depending on the mood, the occasion and the time of day, the carré can be worn in any one of its hundred avatars. It can be a classy necktie, a vivid bandana, a silken bustier, a seductive wrap-skirt, a casual belt, a rustling bracelet, a 60s headband... Knot it under the chin or at the back of the neck, wrap it around your waist, tie it on the handle of your bag… the possibilities are only as limited as your imagination. The purpose, just one – to embellish with a murmur. Sometimes playful, sometimes quiet, the carré is so much more than just a piece of fabric. It is fashion’s answer to the amazing Swiss army knife.

RULES TO WEARING THE HERMÈS CARRÉ
Dare. Don’t be squeamish about creasing it or treating it roughly. Play. Invent, experiment and let your imagination fly.
The minute you open the orange box, you become the magician.
Use the magic well......

HERMÈS DIVA HOTLIST

• G Grace Kelly
• G Audrey Hepburn
• G Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
• G Queen Elizabeth II
• G Madonna
• G Catherine Deneuve
• G Carla Bruni Sarkozy
• G Gwyneth Paltrow
• G Victoria Beckham
• G Sarah Jessica Parker
• G Elle McPherson
• G Oprah Winfrey
• G Hillary Clinton

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