Hermès's Bali Barret talks to Vogue about the “impossible” double-sided scarf that was over ten years in making

When you think about scarves, it's the simplest of accessories; but in luxury fashion, it's a sign of timeless elegance, a touch of grace and one can’t help but think of Hermès. The 19th-century French luxury house has balanced a highly-covetable stature with classic, whimsical, and sometimes even humorous prints that define the personality of these iconic silks. At Hermès, innovation sits alongside age-old savoir faire that opens up new horizons in fashion and craftsmanship. Continuing the tradition, imaginative designs were added for spring/summer 2020, each with unique inspiration and story. “Innovation is at the heart of creation at Hermès, we are always seeking to push the boundaries, seeking astonishment, a new thing. It's alive and very much supported by the craftsmanship of the house,” iterates Bali Barret, artistic director of the women’s universe. The first scarf or carré (square) was introduced in 1937, and since then themes such as astronomy, time travel, cartography and mythology among many others, have inspired hundreds of artists that have designed them with Barret at the helm of each of these artistic collaborations. 

One of this season’s inclusions, a circular scarf imagined by artist Dimitri Rybaltchenko, features a large imprint of Pegasus, the winged horse on lunar impressions. The round ‘Clair de Lune 140’ is finely bordered by a black crescent dotted with stars, in silk twill with hand-rolled edges. 

Meanwhile the story of a powerful woman dashing through different scenes of Paris, in a sports car, on rollerblades and on horseback is told on the new double-faced carré. French artist Ugo Bienvenu, who has created short animated films for the house before, turned the ‘Wow Double Face' scarf into a comic strip on the Hermès woman. The design—multi-coloured French version mirrored in monochrome and English on the opposite side—is revolutionary work by the silk métier, Barret explains. “The double-sided scarf is a great innovation in the history of silk printing. Without the genius of craftsmanship nothing was possible. We have been working on this printed on both sides silk scarf for over ten years.” The idea first came to her from a silk scarf found in a military surplus, printed with a different military map on each side. “At first, the craftsmen told me that it was impossible to do. Technology has evolved a great deal in the last fifteen years and one day the craftsmen said ‘maybe’. And then the adventure began—sometimes it's just a matter of time and tenacity. It is a fine and complex work, which was developed by the craftsmen and textile engineers of Lyon for three or four years.” The long process of development goes on to showcase the journey made by every piece and personifies the conjunction of tech and tradition.

The ‘Jungle Love Rainbow' heart pocket square, interprets one of natural artist Robert Dallet’s big cat drawings. The illustrations appear on rainbow stripes, fit in an original small format piece and packaged in a heart-shaped orange box. The significance of an Hermès silk scarf holds different meaning to each owner, it’s a piece of the brand’s story telling that lives in their wardrobes forever.