While many Hermès collectors are familiar with the Hommage à l’Explorateur Sir Ernest Shackleton carré [link to previous post], fewer know the story behind its polar counterpart: Expéditions Polaires Françaises Missions Paul-Émile Victor – Terre Adélie.
Both stand out as coveted Special Issues [link to explanation of this term], yet each tells a remarkably different story about our relationship with the frozen ends of the earth.
At first glance, one might assume these two designs share a nearly identical blueprint.
Both feature legendary explorers of opposing poles, vast icy landscapes, and hardworking sled dogs. Yet, they represent two entirely different eras of polar exploration. While Shackleton was a towering figure of the early 20th-century “Heroic Age” of exploration – a time driven by imperial ambition, sheer endurance, and survival – Paul-Émile Victor was a mid-century pioneer of modern, collaborative polar science and ethnology. Victor, who actually considered Shackleton one of his greatest inspirations, approached the frozen wilderness with a different mission.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1907, a young Victor studied ethnology at the École Centrale de Lyon. After joining up with explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1936, he led an 825 km expedition across Greenland by dog sled alongside a filmmaker and a team of scientists. During one of his expeditions, Victor spent 14 months living directly with the Inuit peoples of Greenland. This immersive experience forged a deep connection with the indigenous population and solidified his lifelong commitment to preserving their culture. As a meticulous researcher, he brought immense knowledge about daily Inuit life back to France and the rest of the world, alongside invaluable detailed cartography and specimens of Arctic flora and fauna. Victor shared these journeys through numerous journals, articles, and his autobiography. In 1947, he famously founded the Expéditions Polaires Françaises, the organization responsible for managing French scientific missions to both poles, including his famous 1956 expedition to Adélie Land (Terre Adélie) in Antarctica.
Later in life, he sought a quieter routine, moving to Bora Bora in 1977 where he lived until his passing in 1995.
The Expéditions Polaires Françaises Missions Paul-Émile Victor – Terre Adélie carré remains a rare and somewhat lesser-known design, yet it beautifully eternalizes the legacy of the French explorer. Teams of energetic Greenland Dogs race across the ice in the outer corners, infusing dynamic movement and narrative depth into every fold of the silk.
At the very center of the composition lies a polar projection map showcasing both Greenland and Adélie Land. Overlaying these polar regions are the scarf’s title and a detailed dog sled bearing the French tricolor flag, driven most likely by the explorer himself.
Encircling this cartographic core are vivid, highly expressive portraits of Greenlandic sled dogs, framed by heavy golden ropes and harness fittings that recall the rugged equipment of polar travel.
The palette echoes its frosty subject matter through soft icy blues and crisp whites, complemented by deep earthy tones that bridge historical documentary art with high fashion.
The addition of Victor’s signature alongside the classic Hermès signature suggests that this piece may have been a limited release created for a special occasion or reserved exclusively for VIPs or a VIP event (unable to verify this claim – it is just an opinion).
Whether framed as a collector’s showpiece or worn around the neck, it stands as one of the maison’s most captivating narrative designs.
I am downsizing my vast collection of Hermès carrés. If you are interested in acquiring this particular design, please email me directly at carredeparis@gmail.com. I will consider any and all reasonable offers — merci beaucoup!