One of the things that makes Hermès’ scarves unique and so sought after is the designers’ and colourists’ use of colour. It is not simply that the colours are beautiful, which of course they are, but that interesting and unusual colour choices and juxtapositions are used. The colours can be subtle, clashing, bold, vibrant, soft, strange, but they work. And they also work because there is almost always something that will suit each woman’s complexion, eye colour, hair, clothing and lifestyle.

Unlike other scarf designers, Hermès offer lots of different colourways for each scarf. These can transform the pattern so that it can look quite different. Sometimes scarves with the same design look so unlike each other, when they are tied, that they are hard to identify. The differing colourways can create alternate moods for the scarves also. The Parures de Samouraïs, which I posted about on Friday, is available in 12 different colourways and I will write more about that this Friday.

Bearing in mind that the images from the website are slightly different in colour to real life, I have shown you here the 10 different colourways available for this scarf, Paperoles. This is a new re-issue of a classic scarf, originally designed by Claudia Stuhlhofer Mayr in 2000, for the Spring/Summer 2017 season.

Each colourway creates a different mood for the design, even on a classic scarf like this.

Some scarves appear transformed – like this gavroche 45cm version of Alice Shirley’s Dans un Jardin Anglais with 8 different colourways:

The original 90cm version of the scarf, issued in Spring/Summer 2015, had 10 colourways! Aren’t these amazing?…

This scarf changes through the seasons from Spring, through Summer, Autumn and Winter according to the colours used in the design.

This is a very different design – open sweeps of colour, showing a landscape. Again, utterly changed by the colours used. This is Au Bout du Monde 90cm by Antoine Carbonne from the Autumn/Winter 2016 collection:

My dream is that one day I will own a beautiful apartment with a gorgeous view. The walls will be painted plain colours and I will hang framed Hermès’ scarves as decoration. Maybe one day!

Have a look at these ideas: Top 12 Ideas to Decorate Living Rooms with Scarves

Just some last advice: Hermès is notorious for its quirkiness and unpredictability in how its web boutiques are stocked. Unfortunately for those of us in Europe, the inventory for the European sites is often quite limited and so we often cannot easily access the full range of colourways for each scarf. The advice from the experts on tPF is to jump in if you see the design and colourway you are chasing. If you wait too long, the chances are that you will be hunting for it later on via a reseller or eBay!

If you want to find out more about the complex design process for Hermès’ scarves, with particular reference to colour, why not try some of these links:

DisneyRollerGirl
Workshop visit: The Hermès silk scarf workshops in Lyon

Style Bubble
Hermes Silk Road

System Magazine
Bali Barret takes inside the Hermès colour kitchen

How Hermès silk scarves are made – video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8U83wPA_ZI