Hermes Selle d'Officier en Grande Tenue Scarf

No longer just a scarf, countless creative ideas of showing off these art pieces have been shared over the years, e.g. framed and hung as home decor, several ways of converting it into various fashionable tops and skirts, neckties, belts.

Since 1937, the silk scarves of French fashion house, Hermès, has become an iconic fashion accessory that is recognized all over the world. Hermès scarves and shawls have been collected and adorned by celebrities and royals throughout history, from Audrey Hepburn to Grace Kelly and even Queen Elizabeth II. 

Renowned artists are commissioned each year to create elaborate artworks with bright, vibrant color combinations. An individual scarf typically integrates 20 to 30 different hues, each printed from a unique silkscreen process that can take hundreds of hours to complete. Each one is painstakingly screen-printed, with each color allowed to dry before the next is applied. These art pieces have proved to be timeless collectable pieces of history.

DESIGN HISTORY:
This scarf by Wlodek Kaminski, in the style of a portrait, reveals the beauty of a horse’s saddle. Designed for army generals, this selle d’officier en grande tenue (full dress officer’s saddle), was adopted by the French army in 1884 and abandoned at the start of the First World War in 1914. It was manufactured by the Parisian house of Bidal et Piat, an establishment reputed for its military equipment. Crafted in fine Morocco leather and velvet, it is adorned with a simple and graphic leaf design, a “tiger skin” pommel (in reality made from panther skin), frogging and finely chiselled brass. This selle à l’anglaise holds a special place in the Émile Hermès collection.