Hermes at Work. How to thread an audience through the eye of a needle.

This time last week I was three lecturers deep into the Hermés At Work lecture series and as many laps around the exhibition with long pauses at the scarf silk screening, tie stitching, glove makers and bag hand stitchers work benches. When it came to the gem setter and watch maker I made a conscious decision, for my family, friends, clients and staff not to blow my mind completely.

In another life I think I would have made a great watch maker or diamond cutter so to go there could have resulted in me running away to Switzerland. I remind myself of my Dad when I say this because he once told me on a long road trip between Melbourne and our family home town of Mildura, somewhere in the flat wheat belt that he would have liked to be an opera singer, musician or painter and may under a different set of circumstances, if he was born in Rome not a small southern village in Calabria, he might have had a chance.

All of the Hermés artisans where very articulate in their explanation of their process and generous answering questions and letting people touch and feel. I will be the first to admit that I was there picking up tips on everything from how to improve the way we handle leather (because I am completely self taught with leather) to a global suppliers for better tools. I waked through going, yep we use those needles, check we can get that leather too and right-on we have just identified a supplier for silk twill which will be a new staple in our palate of silk: georgette, crepe, heavy crepe, crepe de Chine, armure, faille, voile and satin.

There was a moment in front of the bag hand stitcher bench, when my Pattern Making Assistant was showing a keen young man in the audience how to thread a needle the way she was trained to do it by me on he first day in the MATERIALBYPRODUCT atelier (I know it’s a great young romance and they were both oh so youthfully exuberant). Observing this interaction it would have been clear to the Hermés artisan and everyone in the crowd, we were not just admirers of craft. So you would think that Hermés would want to maybe not display their materials and tools or to share their craft so widely, right? But this is precisely the point of the exhibition, appreciation, is the real raw material Hermés was working with in this exhibition.

I am going to pick up on this thread (sorry I could not help myself) next week or sometime soon because I want to talk about the robots with you!

Thank you Hermés for this great lecture series was it really possible for you to inspire me any more in my currently daily work of continuing to build an Artisan house? Our house specialises in custom and bespoke solutions for the busy professional woman so if you would like that in your life respond to this email with I want custom and bespoke solution please.

SINCERELY
Susan Dimasi
DIRECTOR / CREATIVE
MATERIALBYPRODUCT