Did you know the first Hermès silk scarf was created in 1937 by Robert Dumas, who was the son-in-law of Emile Hermès (the third-generation proprietor of the famed maison and a key figure in transforming the brand from a saddlery workshop into a luxury goods house). Dumas would end up taking over from his father-in-law as head of the business in 1951 and, during his time at the helm, he was responsible for several important successes, not least the switch to orange packaging and the invention of the Sac à Dépêches (which would, a couple of decades later, be renamed the Kelly handbag).
Moreover, Dumas was also the mastermind behind the Chaîne d’Ancre, a motif that is as quintessentially Hermès as the horsebit or even the H symbol. Inspired by a common anchor chain, this figure-eight design has been an incredibly rich source of inspiration that has spawned a wide range of Hermès creations, including bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces and even handbags.
“I didn't come up with the idea of turning the anchor chain into a piece of jewellery,” admits the current creative director of Hermès’ jewellery, Pierre Hardy with a clear twinkle in his eye, “Robert Dumas did, but I would have liked to have thought of it first.”
What Hardy has done though is to reinvent the theme by elongating it, maximising it, rounding it, and lengthening it, thereby adding his own twist to a storied theme. And, by subverting the Hermès link he has added new interest to the Chaîne d’Ancre collection and added a new range of products.
“There are a lot of stories and messages in the new collection,” continues Hardy. “Among them, we are reminded of the robustness and fluidity, or solid and liquid, reminiscent of the origin of the motif, the maritime theme. The chain is both strong and fluid, like the flow of water. Thanks to this, we were able to emphasise the robustness within Chaine d'Ancre while also highlighting the chain's smooth movement, which became a great theme. Depending on the materials and the presence of diamond settings, we were able to meet Chaine d'Ancre in completely different forms.”
It's a collection you simply must go and explore for yourself.
Left: The Punk Chaine d'Ancre ring (1,200 USD) takes a familiar Hermès figure of eight motif and elongates it into the shape of a safety pin that stretches across three fingers (in silver) or two fingers (in rose gold), for a contemporary rock'n'roll look. This page: A gorgeous Chaine d’Ancre necklace (POA) in rose gold set with 5,191 diamonds (53.52 carats) and a cushion-cut orange sapphire (14.97 carats).