The Sheer Touch of Luxury

Perhaps this is not the time to talk about luxury, with the economy in a mess and no end, or upswing in sight why should anyone even care about beautiful and expensive things? I must start by saying that during the Great Depression, Hollywood flooded the film market with what people hungered for...glamour. People wanted to know that tomorrow was going to be better, so Hollywood gave them Busby Birkley extravaganzas and Shirley Temple. The world looked brighter on film. People broke out in song and everybody danced. Shiny ballrooms replaced cold-water flats and you could count on Fred Astaire to take you to Heaven at any given moment. I am reminded of this as luxury fashion houses seem to expand and expand during these troubling times and no one seems worse for looking at these extraordinary things being offered. Growing up in the U.S. of course we had luxury. You can not spend one half hour in Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman and not realize you were in the lap of luxury. There is something incredible about wonderful service and America excells at this. You walk into a store and are made to feel like a millionaire, whether you are or not. People are willing to make your dreams come true. You want that handbag in the finest ostrich? Right away ma'am! You want your car seats in the finest leather and the keys in pavé diamonds? Yes, Sir! No is not in the vocabulary. At the same time, growing up, there was still one phrase that popped the eye of the most weary, Made In France. Objects and items from France always stood out as the most stylish, the most exclusive, the most beautiful and the most coveted. Once my grandmother was given a bottle of Shalimar from Guerlain and the oohhs and ahhs were directed to the fact it was french and therefore somehow better. Now, I will not go into a dispute to if the french make things better, but I will say that they make some incredibly good and beautiful things. Things that have lasted for hundreds of years and defy trends and fashion. Shalimar is one of the oldest scents around and it still worn. Guerlain began creating scents during the time of Napoléon III and still going strong. Hermes has been creating exquisite leather goods since the 19th Century and still creating the most desired objects in the world. The Birkin Bag has become a pop-culture reference since Sex and the City's Samantha claimed to be buying one for Lucy Liu just so she can get ahead of the months long waiting list. Recently I was in New York at the Hermes store and overheard an Asian woman request to see a Birkin Bag. The sales woman, trying to decipher the woman's thick accent explained that they did not have any Birkin bags in the store. "What do you mean you don't have any!" The world has become familiar with the bag made and named for the English actress Jane Birkin. She was wrapped in her huge romance with french musical genius Serge Gainsbourg. She girlishly carried a basket around with her containing all her things. In an attempt to have her carry something more practical, Hermes approached her with a leather sac, big enough to hold all that she wanted, yet was discreet. The Birkin Bag was born and the world has slowly grown to love it. Grace Kelly got her namesake bag after trying to hide her pregnancy from prying eyes in Monaco. The Kelly Bag, small and more demure than the Birkin, became the rage for luxurious ladies who wanted to signify they had good taste without resorting to the logos of Louis Vuitton or Gucci. Known for it deceptively simple designs, exquisite materials and patented sewing technique, Hermes, which began as a saddlery business moved from saddles to carriages and to the horseless carriage. Finally to personal leather goods and clothing. Each item produced is promised to be of the utmost quality and you feel it. There is a tremendous amount of pride in this product. It is less about the fact that it is precious, but more about the idea that this is made by hand, by artisans practicing for years and trained by people producing for decades. Nothing is sent off to China. Nothing is sewn by a 12 year old in Southeast Asia or Latin America. It is stamped Made in France and true. I have been fortunate enough to become close to one of the directors at Hermes. Through her I have grown more and more interested in the brand. Growing up in Dallas, I visited the Hermes store there. A former co-worker got a job there and on a visit to her I discovered the scent Bel Ami. The smell of tobacco and leather affected me as the height of masculinity and I bought a bottle of it. It was without a doubt the most expensive scent I had bought at the time and also without a doubt the only item I could pretend to afford. My interest was peaked and to my surprise, one of the first people I meet in Paris would work for Hermes. In recent years, Hermes has gained in huge popularity and in a way, this makes sense in this economy. If you are going to spend money, you want it to be wisely spent. You want the item to last you. You want your purchase to go beyond the trends and yet, secretly you want it to be the envy of those in the know. Sure people have adopted a snobbish quality with an Hermes bag, but the item itself does not exude such a quality. I see women in New York carefully lock their Birkins and hold them as you would a cherished childhood teddy bear. I prefer the way my friend carries hers, open and irreverently. I am sure she is casual with it because she's confident in it's durability and carries IT, instead of IT carrying her. It is when personal style takes over. Personal style is another form of luxury all together. Just yesterday I visited the original Hermes store here in Paris. Everything under one roof. Dreams manifest. Each person is welcomed at the door. Every question is answered and smell of leather is heady at best. There are customers swirling silk foulards, bags are discussed in many languages and you can swim in the cashmere. At the same time, I did not feel like an outsider. Even if only there for a look, the LOOK is appreciated. So, when in Paris go to Hermes. Before thinking a person crazy for spending huge amounts for a bag, visit Hermes. You will find yourself seduced, believe me. Luxury can come in many forms and for me it is best when it is not easily recognized, but obviously felt.