Well, I have been struggling with writing this post for months now. In recent years I have compiled a full scarf profile, which I call “Scarf of the Moment”, very quickly after I have purchased an Hermès  scarf. It takes me quite a long time to do this, but I enjoy the process. With this one, however, there have been so many real life events that have got in the way. I have had to write some complex and important pieces for serious purposes, so updating my blog has not been my priority.

I really want to do this wonderful design justice! So, let’s begin…

Hermès fans will know that prices for their scarves and shawls have been steadily rising over the past few years. In 2020, I managed to save up for one cashmere/silk shawl, Plumes en Fête, but didn’t plan on getting another in this expensive format. Then a new design for Autumn/Winter 2023 appeared on The Purse Forum and I fell in love! It took ages for the right colourway to appear on the UK site and I had almost given up…

When this showed up…

Le Jaguar et le Colibri shawl, designed by Montserrat Gonzales-Lugo, 140cm cashmere/silk, colourway #07 Marine, Rouge, Rose, Ref: H243919S 07.

Description

On lifting the scarf out of the orange box and carefully unfolding it, the beautiful colours and design take my breath away. My immediate impression is of a multi-coloured feline lying lazily on a navy background, surrounded by flowers. A hummingbird hovers in the top left corner, shimmering with many jewel shades. The central part of the shawl is bordered by a colourful pattern of interlocking geometric shapes.

My version of the shawl, #07, has most of the flowers, buds and leaves in a lovely mid blue, with a few picked out in red. They are all outlined, first in navy then also with a deep yellow that stands out against the rich navy background. The Jaguar lies across the centre of the design, watching the viewer with amber eyes. The animal’s skin is decorated with a coat of many colours: pink, red, orange, green, blue, brown and white, with a multitude of shapes: triangles, rectangles, circles, and flowers, reminiscent of a beautiful mosaic. In the top left corner, a hummingbird flies, again depicted in multiple patterns to show the feathers.

The whole amazing design is surrounded by a wide mosaic border in a different style, with the coloured shapes combining into intricate patterns. Hermès Paris is spelled out on this border and the artist’s signature can be seen on the background. There is also a gorgeous contrast hem. From a distance, the warm shades of red and pink stand out on the border and the two creatures. This shawl is a riot of colour and form!

Colourways

These are the colourways for the Autumn/Winter 2023 cashmere/silk, 140cm shawls. I have added in the codes to help those of you who may wish to purchase a shawl.

Design story

This has been taken from the Hermès website:

Details

Here are some closeups of my scarf in a slideshow format:

How I wear the shawl

As I have not owned the shawl for very long, I have not had much opportunity to wear it. I have, however, taken photos to show a variety of scarf knots (see the next section). Below are two images that I took a few weeks ago. I think that I will mainly wear the shawl against a navy background to showcase the wonderful colourful design. In my wardrobe I have jumpers and tops, jeans and trousers, and a wool dress which would all work.

I have created a collage to show some of the clothing and accessories I might wear with the shawl…

Scarf ties

I have knotted this scarf in a variety of ways – apologies for the poor quality of the photos.

The ties are:
Top L to R: weave knot, half-bow knot, and a draped bias fold.
Bottom L to R: two versions of a cowboy knot, and a criss-cross knot. I used a MaiTai horn shawl ring for two of these ties.

Background information

I tried to find some detailed information about the designer of the shawl, Montserrat Lugo, but there does not seem to be anything worth posting here. Please let me know if you find anything suitable.

There is an excellent video made by Hermès fan “cranleyplace” which describes the shawl. This video has information about the designer as well as a detailed review of the shawl itself. It includes a fascinating section about the influence of indigenous Mexican textiles on the design and another about hummingbirds.

A couple of sites each about hummingbirds and then jaguars:

Discover Wildlife
Hummingbird guide
Detailed facts and videos. Partnered with BBC Wildlife.

Big Cat Rescue
Jaguar facts
Straightforward article.

World Wildlife Fund
Jaguar
Detailed information about this amazing animal.

I own another Hermès scarf, L’Arbre du Vent, by the same designer. You may be interested in reading the Scarf of the Moment post that I wrote back in February 2017.

This is a quick reminder of the scarf:

I hope readers have found this exploration of Le Jaguar et le Colibri both interesting and useful. Once again, if you find any errors or have any additional information that I could add, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕