and playing on my laptop with photos from the past…
While in Prague, I could not resist this shot of the entrance to the St. Vitus Cathedral, a gorgeous example of Gothic architecture.
One of the most extravagant and perhaps most beautiful bridges in Paris, the Pont Alexandre III (right after Pont Neuf, that is :-)). Coming from the Eiffel Tower, I paused and enjoyed the view from the Esplanade des Invalides, then past the Grand Palais, one of my all time favorites, I was heading to my other favorite destination @ 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré…
Prague meets Paris – interestingly, the St. Vitus Cathedral was designed by a French master builder, Matthias von Arras, who designed it in full French Gothic style
On my last visit to Paris, I could not help but be reminded of my favorite, subject, the Hermès scarf, wherever I went.
I saw inspiration, just like the artists themselves must have, around every corner in this enchanted city. My favorite and very first scarf, Le Bois de Boulogne, is named after the biggest park, the Bois de Boulogne (I just learned thanks to WIKI, the second largest park), which is 2 and a half times the size of New York’s Central Park.
Another gorgeous vintage Hermès scarf is the Quai aux Fleur, which I had already written about during my stay in Paris.
Today I would like to focus on the Republique Française Liberté Égalité Fraternité – 1789, which was designed for the 200 year anniversary of the French republic. In his design, Joachim Metz, celebrates France becoming a Republic and perhaps it was not Paris that was his inspiration, however, I found many references here.
The French revolution, which began in 1789, paved the way for France to become a republic in 1792 and Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité French for “Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood”, became the national motto. I, of course, must also mention Marianne, whom Metz so beautifully portrayed on this scarf. Marienne is France’s national emblem. She represents liberty and is an icon for freedom and democracy.
I found Marianne in many places in Paris. On government buildings, statues and many other landmarks. Marianne is one of the most prominent symbols of the French Republic, and is officially used on most government documents.
Marianne is a significant French republican symbol. She is Republique Française, she is Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.
Here is one of my all time favorite Hermes scarves, Les Tuileries by Joachim Metz, named after the famous Parisian Gardens leading up to the Louvre.
Last time I was in Paris, a couple of summers ago, I fell in love not just with Paris all over again, but with this stunning part of heaven. No wonder Mr. Metz used the elaborate entry to the gardens as inspiration for his stunning scarf.
Cliquetis is another HERMES carre that has become an icon in its own right. Sadly, along with that, it has also become probably one of the most copied designs of the Parisian Fashion House. Just a cautionary note, if you have just recently fallen in love with the Hermes Carre, please be careful not to purchase any Cliquetis, that sports the Hermes name in bold letters across the entire scarf. A sure sign that you are dealing with a FAKE!
Authentic Cliquetis Hermes Paris
FAKE courtesy of Etsy julianata*
*Thankfully, the seller did advertise it as a fake, but sadly someone actually purchased it… 🙂
Back to the inspiration behind Cliquetis. Cliquetis translates to clatter more or less.
Looking at the scarf, I can almost hear the clatter these swords and sabers might make strung together the way Madame Abadie did on her carre. The difference between a saber and a sword you ask?
At least the way I understand it is that a sword is a very old weapon dating back to sometime BC, it is straight and designed to thrust. A saber, on the other hand, is a much more modern invention, think 18th century France. It is typically curved, sports a larger handguard and its curved blade was designed to primarily slice.
The saber became extremely important during Napoleon’s Empire and almost every soldier had one. The saber played a huge role in many of his battles including Waterloo.
It was during Napoleon, that officers began to personalize their sabers and swords and thus making the task of identifying them with a specific regiment or army corps much more difficult. Consequently, large numbers of non-regulatory models exist from that period. In general, however, the saber was considered par excellence the weapon of chivalry, while the sword was reserved for general officers and, in particular under the Consulate and the Empire, represented more than anything a symbol of civil and military authority.
Julia’s carre represents only some of these models, but certainly enough to give us an idea of the variety of types that were in circulation at the time of the Empire. Two of the most common sabers are located in the bottom row; the first left is a Navy sword, hence the anker and the third one would have most likely belonged to a senior officer of the Imperial Guard. It is the one with the shell hilt.
I would also like to mention the sabretache in the right corner.
Cliquetis Hermes Paris Early Issue
Yes, the same sabertache we find in Joachim Metz’s Poste et Cavalerie. To read more about the Poste et Cavalerie and its sabertaches, please follow the link.
Paridaisa, which means enclosed garden in Persian, is a gorgeous scarf by Eugene Brunelle. It was first issued in 1984 and re-issued to my knowledge in 1998 and again in 2004 as a muslin shawl. I also believe that Mr. Brunelle designed only this one scarf for Hermes. After discovering his website, I learned that he was born and raised in New England. So perhaps Kermit Oliver is not the only American ever to design for the Fashion House after all.
After studying on both sides of the Atlantic, Mr. Brunelle, entered the world of furniture and design, which ultimately landed him at Hermes as the head of merchandising for their Asian Pacific region. After twelve years at Hermes, Mr. Brunelle in 2004 left in order to dedicate himself to produce his own lines of contemporary furniture and objects.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria and became Classic Era’s most prolific and influential composer. A child prodigy, his career started at the tender age of five and during his 35 years, he composed over 600 works.
Hommage a Mozart is a glorious scarf celebrating one of the most loved composers of all time!
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Salzburg Austria
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Signature as seen on a wall in his birth home in Salzburg
You must be logged in to post a comment.