Flowers, Macaroons & More @ Hermès (Paris, France)

I know I've heavily featured Lanvin windows on this blog before, along with other random displays here and there. But until now, I've refrained from posting some of the most opulent windows of all, courtesy of the incredibly talented Leïla Menchari - Window Design Director of Hermès' main flagship on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. While the large boutique comes with several store windows, it's the main display corner that generally has pedestrians stopping in their tracks.

The current windows are extravagant as usual and perhaps it's the delicacies in the form of colorful macaroons (supplied by Pierre Hermé) that finally prompted me to take some photos. Or maybe it's the cute zebras and polar bears I spotted. I also took a few snaps of some of the neighboring windows, which are a little more classic, but over-the-top nonetheless. To read my previous feature of the flagship and see more from the inside, click here.

The impressive main windows of the flagship.

Some of the neighboring windows. Can you spot the Birkins?

And to make up for my lack of Hermès and Leïla Menchari love (the Tunisian born artist has been doing this for the fashion house for over 30 years), please find below a few of her previous windows. Some came accompanied with music or sound effects (birds chirping, leaves rustling etc.) and though some displays in the past were a little 'too much' for me, there's no denying they're quite extraordinary.

All images below courtesy of Hermès. For more stunning windows, please visit Hermès' FB fan page.

Impressions of Hong Kong

Thank you everyone for the well wishes. I'm doing a bit better and have stopped feeling sorry for myself (a little). So without further delay, here the impressions of Hong Kong from a few weeks ago. One of the reasons I procrastinated doing this post was because I was born and raised there, which makes picking suitable photos that portray such a diverse city a little tricky. Another reason is that even though I know the place very well... I don't actually. It's been over 10 years since I moved away and despite visiting at least once a year, HK changes so quickly that within 12 months, 20 new buildings would have popped up, half the stores I know would have moved or shut down and new restaurants would have taken over hot spots I didn't know existed. (Note: all images can be enlarged by clicking on them).

The Hong Kong skyline (and Kowloon across the harbor) as seen from The Peak. Most of the high rises are actually residential.

It's fast paced, modern, busy, crowded, overpopulated and has happily embraced a Western look. But at the same time it also remains traditionally Chinese - a cultural diversity stemming from its history as a former British colony that has since gone back to China. It is essentially still an island... or a cluster of 236 islands to be precise, which means that beyond the expansive skyline, you'll find beaches, country parks, nature reserves and reservoir lakes. What does break my heart though is the rising pollution (a result of fumes from factories in China) most evident by the smog that blankets the skyline on most days, and the reclamation of land from the harbor to make way for new building sites.

Hong Kong Island's hazy skyline as seen from Kowloon.

A few of the landmark skyscrapers, incl. Bank of China (top left), Lippo Centre (lower left), HSBC (lower middle), the IFC (lower right) and residential high rises of the Mid Levels as seen from Hong Kong Park (top right).

Land being reclaimed from the harbor. The construction site used to be all water... the shore of the harbor used to stretch right up to the buildings.

View of downtown Central - Hong Kong's business district and home to plenty of shops of course.

A few remaining colonial style building, though the tea museum (left) is a replica. Right: the Court of Final Appeal.

The cheapest and easiest way to cross the harbor is to take the iconic Star Ferry (top). Occasionally you'll see a lone junk or dinghy in the waters as well.

One of Hong Kong's many beaches. Here: Repulse Bay. And yes, I realize that name doesn't sound enticing, but the beach is pretty.

A Chinese temple near the beach.

Cheung Chau Island, a former fishing village and still renowned for its great seafood can be reached easily from Hong Kong via a ferry. Here a few of the fishing boats along the pier.

The rugged shore of Cheung Chau and some of its hiking trails.

You are never alone.... bustling crowds and a mix of old and new buildings in Causeway Bay's shopping area.

No visit would be complete without eating Dim Sum (the dish on the lower left is rice & chicken in a lotus leaf).

Aside from being a financial hub, many people associate Hong Kong with being a great place to shop. It is... and it isn't. The city's shopping scene is slightly bizarre to those who've never been to big Asian cities (or Dubai). Very much a mall culture where real estate is precious, few shops or even department stores can afford to be housed on street level, making multi-storey shopping centers a common sight. Big name luxury brands are the most prominent, with excessive branding visible wherever you go. Despite the fact that locals were once obsessed with anything adorned with a big Chanel or Dior logo, they have since embraced less glitzy labels, whether it's A.P.C., Comme des Garçons or Tsumori Chisato.

Forget The Gap and food courts... shopping center 'The Landmark' is filled with every designer boutique imaginable, whether it's Balenciaga, Stella McCartney or TOD's (above left). It even houses a Harvey Nichols (lower left) and a Michelin-star restaurant courtesy of Joel Robuchun, if you do get hungry.

Unfortunately none of the Western and Japanese brands are cheap here, with items retailing for up to double the price of what they are in Europe or the U.S. Even though sales were on, discounted items were more expensive there than their full-priced counterparts in Paris. One explanation is the money flowing in from visiting mainland Chinese who can't get such products in their own country and happily pay any price requested for the coveted designer brands. Even the more obscure designers such as Margiela, Isabel Marant or Ann Demeulemeester have standalone flagships in Hong Kong... which might seem strange considering the latter two don't even have boutiques in London or NYC. Needless to say, the big brands are still available in abundance: there are at least a dozen Burberry stores in HK... London has four; Prada has 10 boutiques on the island... Milan only five. Even my beloved Lanvin is represented three times, whereas Paris only has the one flagship. Crazy? Perhaps. But they're all well frequented.

This is only a fraction of the branding visible throughout the city. These are not adverts... they are actual storefronts, with large logos emblazoned on mulit-storey buildings. The Chanel one is particularly blatant, as the logo appears on a bright LCD screen.

Nonetheless, local and indie brands are there if you look close enough (or keep reading this blog). Smaller shops are scattered around Central's Soho area, Causeway Bay or the busy streets throughout Kowloon... and for something cheaper, you can always head to one of the bustling markets.

Another shot of Hong Kong from above. Slightly different from the image at the very top, this one also shows the stretch of harbor towards Wanchai and Causeway Bay.

Hermès pour Liberty (London, UK)

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for their anniversary wishes. I know some would have chosen to attend FNO, but in retrospect, I'm pretty sure Jourdan Dunn or Daisy Lowe would have somehow convinced me to buy an overpriced item I didn't need, so it's all good (in fact, I heard Alice Dellal managed to sell someone a really expensive fur coat at Miu Miu... I wonder if that person regrets it yet...). Instead, I did more guilt-free window-shopping and this time around, my beloved Liberty hosted a pop-up store of its own.

The six Hermès pour Liberty scarves (images: Liberty).

Hermès scarves are as typically Parisian as the Liberty print is associated with London, so it was only a matter of time before these two brands teamed up to create a collection of six scarves featuring the signature Hermès 'Ex Libris' motif on Liberty's traditional Tara Lawns cottons. The scarves and three different special-edition Hermès-Liberty ties were designed by Bali Barrett, the Creative Director of Hermès Silk. To celebrate this union, Liberty created a pop-up store in their scarf section, remodeled to resemble an oversized dressing up box. Here, customers can not just browse the selection, which also includes Hermès' regular range of FW09 scarves and twillys, but also attend events ranging from scarf tying workshops to photo-styling sessions.

The amazing window display.

Because Liberty happens to be one of my favorite department stores in the world, I didn't really need an excuse to pay it a visit and I had actually forgotten all about this collaboration until I approached the beautiful Tudor building and saw the very orange store windows. Liberty is renowned for having some of the best shop windows, but I was still stunned by how they had managed to painstakingly recreate a miniature version of the department store using orange cardboard and paper. All of this was surrounded by Hermès boxes of course. These even hung by the entrance leading directly to the pop-up store area.

The entrance to the pop-up store. Hermès packages everywhere...

I hadn't really planned on spending much time here or even featuring it on the blog until I took a peek in the store. But the staff had done an amazing job transforming the scarf area into an Hermès paradise. Scarves and twillys could be found on almost every wall, tied to orange ropes attached to a soft padded background. Cute wooden mannequin heads modeling the pieces were placed throughout the store as well.

Views of the scarf wall, cash desk and tie displays.

Tables in the middle of the store were made to look like dressing room tables, complete with mirrors and soft benches, allowing you to take a seat and try on the creations yourself. There was a lot of attention to detail, ranging from the giant Martini glasses containing some of the silk ribbons to the carpet featuring the iconic Hermès horseshoes.

The scarf tables...

Open Hermès boxes attached to the walls served as cubbyholes for ties or displayed small mirrors, but the thing I loved the most of course were the props. I actually missed some of them the first time round and only noticed these on my way out, so if you go, pay extra attention to the items against the walls. The most obvious one was the famous Liberty zebra who usually 'lives' in the scarf room anyway but was decked out in traditional Hermès silk for the occasion. The less noticeable pieces were made of Hermès boxes replicating telescopes, cameras and other devices. Looking through these, you'd see moving or fixed images of zebras and horse-carriages. Very cute. In fact, if these had been for sale, I probably would have snapped them up.

I need that zebra...

The reworked spinning hat box showed moving horse carriages.

The view in this box revealed zebras walking into a miniature Liberty store.

Close-up of the scarf mannequin (left) and a camera prop (right).

Last but not least, if you go towards the main area on the ground floor housing the regular Liberty line, you'll see a magnificent arrangement of Hermès pour Liberty scarves suspended from the top-floor ceiling. Right below this, another circular table filled with such scarves can be found.

The store is by no means huge, but you can probably spend quite a bit of time here and I'd head to Liberty regardless of whether you want to catch this or not. I've rarely seen so much effort put into a pop-up store - seeing as they're not permanent, props and decor are usually kept to a minimum. The pop-up will be open until October 18 so you still have plenty of time. If you're not in London but want to get your hands on one of these scarves - all of them are still available via Liberty's online store.

Scarves hanging by the ceiling in the main section and another display underneath it.

Address: Great Marlborough Street, London W1B 5AH
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-21:00, Sun: 12:00-18:00
Liberty Homepage & Online Shop

Hermès Boutique (Paris, France)

Main entrance to the 'sellerie'. And yes, that woman is appropriately carrying a crocodile Birkin.

Let me start off by saying that I'm not the kind of girl who obsesses over Birkin/Kelly bags or who collects silk scarves and twillys like a crazy person. I've always been grateful for the fact that most Hermès items don't reflect my style - and my bank account thanks me for it. While Hermès might not be my favorite brand in terms of what it stocks, it's still the one I admire the most. It's been company-controlled for six generations, shuns mass production and the assembly line - therefore making it probably the only luxury retailer out there who still creates hand-made goods - and believes in using natural fibres and materials. It's the ultimate luxury label. And while many dream of owning one of their beautifully crafted bags; every time I come out of an Hermès store, I have the sudden urge to get a horse so I can buy one of their saddles, harnesses and any other equestrian gear I might need.

Vintage ads promoting the 'sellerie'/saddlery.

Equestrian themed ads throughout the years.

What I love most about Hermès is the history behind the brand. Founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès the company started out creating harnesses for horse carriages belonging to the wealthy and royal. Later on, his son Claude-Émile introduced saddles to the range, moving the headquarters to 24 rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 1878, where it still stands today. The building, which had formerly housed a fine grocery store, had a saddlery on the ground floor, with living quarters one floor higher. These days the entire building belongs to Hermès and you'll still find the 'sellerie' towards the back with its own entrance located on rue Boissy d'Anglas, which is the one I chose to photograph for this blog. Throughout the years, Hermès added scarves, bags, jewelry, homewares, perfume, other leather accessories and of course men's and women's clothing to the range.

Women and men FW09 runway looks.

While they never strayed far from traditional and sophisticated luxury, the owners always made the effort to keep the brand contemporary, whether it was hiring Martin Margiela, followed by Jean-Paul Gaultier as Creative Director for women's RTW or taking on Pierre Hardy as an accessories designer. But if you had any doubt as to the roots of the brand, the equestrian theme is one that is often used in ad campaigns or integrated into a product design. What you'll also quickly realize once you enter the store, is that if you are a true Hermès fan, you can easily purchase every possible item to make the brand a part of your life, from tea cups and bath towels to playing cards and stuffed animals. The ultra-rich can even commission the company to decorate the interior of their helicopter, car (that is, if you don't already own the Hermès designed Bugatti Veyron), yacht or anything else you might desire, such as the crocodile skin guitar case created for Eric Clapton.

Store windows from earlier this Spring (above) and the current season (below).

As over-the-top luxurious as the brand may be though, the main flagship in Paris is actually less intimidating than you might imagine and a lot of fun to browse. The main attraction usually begins with the store windows, which are elaborately decorated and come with special sound effects (in the past this has mainly been a mix of birds chirping and jungle noises). If you go on a Saturday, the store will be incredibly crowded. And just in case you forgot that France is one of the few countries that isn't in a recession, seeing people buy bags, scarves and jewelry like there's no tomorrow will probably remind you of this fact, though the main clientele still tends to be wealthy tourists from the Middle East, Russia and Asia. The store has been redesigned several times, and despite the modern touches, I still feel like I'm experiencing a bit of fashion history every time I drop by. The tiled floors and old-fashioned main staircase give an indication of how the store could have looked like back in the day.

Left: The old-fashioned staircase. Right: Wall decorations near the stairs.

The bag section.

The ground floor is usually the busiest part of the store, mainly because this is where the most coveted items - bags and scarves - can be found. Tables and chairs are scattered about, where clients can sit down to flip through a catalog and choose the leather, model and hardware of various leather bags or accessories. A long scarf counter tends to be the most crowded part of the store, with numerous staff members folding and unfolding the silk wares and customers trying them on in front of the mirrors.

The scarf counter.

My favorite part of the store is the back area where the saddlery is. One artisan was working away at a harness and for a while I perused the different saddles and accessories trying to figure out what I could get my imaginary horse. At the opposite end, I found a small selection of coffee table books, some related to equestrian sports, others referring to art or history.

The saddlery including a book section (below right).

Further towards the front of the store I took a quick look at the leather jewelry, the most popular items being the cuffs such as the collier de chien.

The costume jewelry area proved to be quite popular.

Fragrances had their own little section and this was probably the quietest part of the store.

Fragrances (left), silk ties & dress shirts in the men's section (right).

The second-largest area on this floor was dedicated to menswear, with a large selection of silk ties, dress shirts but also a good range of the current RTW collection.

More menswear (left) and stairs leading to the women's wear.

There are three ways to get to the first floor. Either using the traditional-looking stairs towards the front, the modern glass version in the middle or the old-fashioned elevator near bag section. While the ground floor might not seem as airy and bright, the first floor makes more use of natural daylight, thanks mainly to the skylight in the women's wear section. This area is huge and this is also where you'll realize that bags and scarves are only a small part of what Hermès does. It took me quite a while to scan the different coats, jackets, evening gowns and casual clothes.

Women's RTW collections.

The shoe section was slightly easier to take in and I was happy to see they had already started displaying boots and other footwear from the FW09 collection. The signature sandals were available in a wide array of colors along with some very overpriced flip flops (sorry, but I don't think I'd ever pay over EUR 250 for a pair).

The shoe department.

Along a row of windows, I found more Hermès items you rarely get to see, ranging from limited edition notebooks and agendas to keychains, bookmarks and card holders.

Stationary and other leather goods, including special-print notebooks (right).

What fascinated me the most though, was a small section towards the center where you could purchase baby gifts. I took a peek to see if there was anything I could get my baby niece. Ummm... yeah, something tells me she won't fully appreciate stuffed toys made of real fur going for well over EUR 600. A few non-real-fur toy horses were also available, as well as baby blankets, gloves, hats, and rompers - you could even put together your own set which comes in a little suitcase. Very cute. Very pricey.

Playing cards (left) and children's toys made of real fur (right).

More Hermès items I spotted included playing cards, dominoes and other travel games in the 'leisure' area, beach towels and accessories, as well as anything you could possible need to decorate your home.

Left: The glove counter. Right: Towels, bathrobes and cosmetic cases.

Another very large section housed porcelain, linen and homewares. The entire first floor had a more modern touch with plush carpets and comfy chairs, making this area more reminiscent of a fine department store, than of a luxury flagship.

Home decor and beach accessories.

Porcelain and tableware (left). A very comfy looking bed featuring Hermès linen.

Finally, for those in need of some fine gold or silver jewelry, a separate jewelry area can be found close to the elevator. This is also where the client-service section is situated, where the more wealthy or regular clients can have a seat and talk about custom-orders, place special requests or simply order a ton of bags, as I witnessed one woman do.

The fine jewelry area (left) and the old-fashioned elevator (right).

This store might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely an experience even if the brand is a bit too conservative or pricey for your taste. For Hermès fans, I'm guessing a pilgrimage to the main flagship is worth a trip to Paris alone. I would like to note that the staff gets friendlier the further away you stray from the main bag/scarf section (due to the large amount of visitors in this area) and if you want a chance at scoring a Birkin or Kelly without having to put your name on a waiting list (yes, it's possible) you should go early in the morning during a weekday.

Overview of the store from the first floor.

Address: rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris
Opening Hrs: Mon: 10:00-13:00, 14:15-18:30, Tue-Sat 10:00-18:30
Hermès Homepage & Online Shop