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SCMP Reporter

IT TAKES nine months and 800 people to produce one Hermes scarf.

  No wonder the best dressed female executive feels a class apart with one of these metre-square creations draped over her shoulders.

  Is it worth it?   Hermes president Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermes believes so.

  He said there were frequent inquiries as to whether Hermes would ''lower its standards'' and concentrate a little more on quantity for greater distribution.

  ''If we lowered our standards, we could make a lot more money. But making money was never the goal at Hermes,'' he explained.

   ''We're talking about nurturing the luxury and simplicity of true quality, elegance, harmony and durability.

  ''Our products live with, and take on, the personality of the possessor.''  And it seems the women who don the distinctive scarf, with its trademark horsy characters, agree.

  Demand for scarves has never been higher.

  It is the accessory the executive woman most often chooses to dress up an outfit, whether for work, a business lunch, or cocktails with clients.

  According to Hermes' figures, during the busy Christmas buying season, one scarf is snapped up every 20 seconds.

  To date, 3,000 models have been created.

  Each year, a minimum of 12 new designs go into production and about 20 are re-coloured.

  ''Every year, we try to mix the different subjects that are typical of Hermes,'' Mr Dumas-Hermes said.

  ''What is unique in the world is that we keep the same designs for years and years.

  ''The idea behind it is that they're so well done, so classical, there is no need to change the pattern.

  ''By changing the colour, we can create two very different products, both equally attractive to women.''   In the 1930s, Robert Dumas - Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermes' father - was responsible for the creation and success of the scarves.

  Using the skill and expertise of the silk manufacturers of Lyons and the design prowess of Paris, Mr Dumas built a formidable alliance.

  But why does it take nine months and the toil of 800 people to create one scarf?   It starts with the designer who selects the pattern and, after much scrutiny, reflection and elimination, he chooses the colours.

  Meanwhile, the weaver prepares the silk that will marry with the pattern - washing, unwinding, spooling, warping and weaving it into the finest imaginable fabric.

  Next comes the printing, by a firm with 160 employees.

  The colours are prepared in meticulous proportions.

  The silk is spread on tables where colour after colour is applied to the screens - from 12 to 35 applications, depending on the shade.

   The scarf is then fixed, washed, dried, retouched and sized according to a unique and exclusive process.

  The final stage - hand-rolling the edges - is performed by 60 people.

   The result is a scarf which is the envy of the executive woman worldwide.

  This season, Hermes has two new designs.

  The Cadre Noir depicts 13 images of the riders from the famous military riding school in Saumur as they put their steeds through pirouettes, a gallop, the croupade, courbette and passage.

  The Chevaux de Trait shows Clydesdale draught horses at work pulling a plough.

 Like a painter, Cartier has immortalised a selection of its classic watches by recreating the designs on a silk scarf.

  Jewelled watches and solid gold watches, such as the Tortue, Baignoire and Tank, are combined in a bold, modern composition, evoking the timepieces of the past and present.

  In silk twill, with hand-rolled hems and available in six colours - green/red, grey/pink, red/blue, black/white, orange/green and red/white - this new scarf features a contemporary watch-making motif in subtle and sparkling tones.



Smart scarves that keep top women looking fine