How I Fell for Hermès

As you may (or may not) have noticed, it’s been quite some time since I wrote my last article for PurseBlog. Friends asked, “Did anything happen?” Internet acquaintances checked in to make sure that I was ok. Despite my best efforts – or, perhaps, because of them – I pretty much vanished from social media, too. 

Something did happen; or rather, many things happened. Life happened. 

Life Changes and New Beginnings

My older son graduated from college, and we took a family trip to Rome and Paris to celebrate. Then I helped him prepare for his next adventure: law school. He was offered a sizable scholarship from the law school I had attended and was excited to go.

This was a full-circle moment for me, as I really began my adult life right after graduating from law school: I moved home to study for the Bar exam, took it, and then was set up on a blind date with my husband—I had just moved back to New York, and settling down was the last thing I intended to do, but fate has a funny way of guiding us where we need to be sometimes!

Law school was the last time I was single-me, student-me, child-me. Now I have a child—OK, he’s 22, but still—who is having the same experience, which I can remember so clearly.

The First Encounter with Hermès

Law school was also when I first became aware of Hermès.

While Hermès had been around for well over a century, it was not very well-known in the United States until the mid-’90s. To begin with, there weren’t many boutique locations. There was only one in New York, on 57th Street in Manhattan, and none on Long Island, where I lived. It was not ubiquitous like Gucci, or Louis Vuitton, or my mother’s favorite, Chanel.

I entered law school in 1995; social media was still at least a decade away. Even Sex and the City didn’t air its premiere episode until 1998, the year I graduated. And up until this point, I hadn’t been interested in fashion, or even (dare I admit it?) bags. I loved a good backpack (still do) and barely used the few nice purses my mother had given to me.

That was all about to change.

During the summer after my second year of law school, I had a friend who interned at a law firm in Manhattan. At the time, the law firm represented Hermès in New York. He became fascinated with the company and its products. I remember him telling me about these handbags, which I had never heard of before; that they were very special and truly hard to come by, and even if you did ever find one, they were incredibly expensive. The more he discussed what he had learned about Hermès (the company and the family as well as the bags), the more intrigued I became.

Then came the sentence that changed it all:

“…but you’ll never have one.”

A Challenge Accepted

I can still hear him saying that in my head: you’ll never have one. He didn’t even say it in a mean way; it was more matter-of-fact than anything. This was something that was just beyond us.

It was a small, yet life-changing moment. As a teen, I’d been very easygoing and non-competitive, to the point that I often let my peers believe I wasn’t as smart as I actually was. The combination of law school and maturity was forming my adult personality, my drive, and my self-esteem. I don’t remember what my exact response to him was, but in my mind it was certainly along the lines of:

“Challenge. F******. Accepted.” 

And so it began.

Of course, I was still a student, so bags were out of the question for a while. I decided to visit the 57th Street boutique before it was time to go back to school. It felt a bit forbidding, but the store was nearly empty, and the first thing I saw, closest to the store entrance, was the scarf case. I took a look inside and fell in love. 

Scarf Obsession and Everyday Elegance

The designs were beautiful. To me, each one was a brand-new work of art; one that I could personally own and enjoy. The silk felt thick and luxurious in my hands, and comforting around my neck, like a little bit of armor against the stresses of the day. While expensive, I could purchase one every so often, which I was thrilled to be able to do. I found professional attire very limiting, like I had suddenly been forced to wear the most boring clothing I could imagine; adding an Hermès scarf was a little piece of joy that I could bring with me anywhere.

I wore one of those first magical scarves when I went on that blind date with my husband; as soon as we saw each other, we knew we were meant to be.  

I used to wear them so frequently that he would sometimes make fun of me for my obsession. At one point, I vowed to him that I would wear a scarf every. Single. Day.  

And I did. 

For over ten years. 

Including the days I gave birth to each of our children. 

Have you ever had a goat try to steal the scarf off your waist at a petting zoo?

Over the years, my husband became interested in my obsession as well; not only did he see how much it meant to me, but he came to understand and appreciate the history and artistry as much as I did. 

The First Birkin

The funny thing was, as much as I wanted a bag—early motherhood had left me with a strong desire to be elegant and put-together, or at least to appear that way—I had become so enthralled with the scarves that I really didn’t even look past the silks and cashmeres. After 11 years of buying scarves and small leather goods, this had come to the attention of my boutique’s Store Manager. During this time, I had not once asked about purchasing a bag. She began encouraging me to consider what I wanted. I had no idea what was even possible.

Enter PurseBlog. 

My life had not been devoid of friendships with Hermès enthusiasts. Early post-graduation eBay purchases led me to NYC neighbors who recommended me to Yahoo Groups, where I found other Hermès addicts clients. However, those groups were small, intimate, and lacking in non-text media. Finding PurseBlog was a revelation: a community spanning the world, chock-full of pictures, databases, and lists, where people came to share what they knew and learn from each other. I absolutely dove in.

Soon after, I decided on a 30cm Birkin. Truthfully, whether it was a Birkin or a Kelly didn’t really matter to me, as I’ve always loved both styles, and although I initially wanted a Kelly Sellier first, a Birkin was more practical for a mother of young children. As requested, I gave the store manager a brief list of colors I would be happy with. I waited a total of three days to receive a call that they had the bag in my first-choice color. I was thrilled.

That was 2007. In the years since, I have been fortunate to purchase many more scarves; even my husband will buy one on occasion to display in his office as art. I am grateful to have been able to purchase quite a few bags, too. I have not taken every bag I’ve been offered, and every so often, I take a bit of a break from Hermès.

A Lifelong Passion

That’s life: as they say, a marathon, not a sprint.

There were times when my attention was focused on other things, and times when my wallet was focused on other purchases. And that’s ok! I find it makes my experience even more enjoyable, as I always come back to Hermès with fresh eyes.

I thrill to see the new styles, designs, and colors, and catch up on what I have missed. It makes me feel refreshed, grateful, as excited as I was that first time I saw the scarves in the 57th Street boutique, and as determined as I was on that day almost 30 years ago when I was told that the Hermès experience was beyond me.

Challenge won and done.