“In no moment was there anything that didn’t go through the hands of the craftsman. As the craftsman intricately drew on the plate, it was thrilling,”
On the 18th at 2 p.m., a long line formed in front of the box-type exhibition space set up in the outdoor lawn plaza at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The crowd was there to enter the ‘Hermes In the Making’ pop-up exhibition held from that day until the 27th. After viewing the exhibition, Kang Hye-won (59) said, “When you hear of Hermes, don’t they say it’s the ‘king of luxury brands’? That wasn’t said for no reason.”
Kang’s husband, Park Kang-soo (60), said, “When my wife suggested we go, I thought she was asking me to buy a bag at one of those trendy pop-up stores, so I was hesitant.” However, upon witnessing the craftsmen’s work firsthand, he was fascinated and understood the high prices.
A pop-up exhibition refers to a specific exhibition held for a limited period in crowded places and then disappears. Hermes has previously hosted events mainly for VIPs at places like art galleries and fashion shows. Although there have been exhibitions for general consumers, this pop-up exhibition in Korea marks the 10th one following Denmark, the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and Thailand.
Reservations for entry were fully booked for all time slots. Considering that there were a total of 11 entries on that day (with a maximum of 130 people allowed at a time), it is estimated that over 1,400 people visited the exhibition. On-site reservations were possible, but a cancellation ticket from a prior reservation was required.
Entering the exhibition at 4 p.m. according to the reservation time, visitors found 11 craftsmen working in individual booths, engaging in conversations with the visitors. Translators were beside craftsmen who had come from France and Switzerland, relaying questions from visitors and the craftsmen’s stories. When a woman in her 40s, Hwang Mo, praised the intricate work and gave a thumbs up, the craftsman working on putting a design on a scarf responded with a smile.
The craftsmen’s work varied, from leather cutting to watch and jewelry making, dyeing using silk screen techniques, saddle and glove production, porcelain painting, and repair work, all explained at the visitors’ eye level.
Especially with signature luxury bags like the Kelly and Birkin bags, visitors crowded the booth where leather for the bags was cut. Craftsmen demonstrated techniques of nailing pointed studs into the cut leather and then rounding them off.
A diamond engraving craftsman with a loupe explained the tools used for specific tasks. Another craftsman painting a leopard pattern on a ceramic dish delicately stamped each pattern with a thin brush.
According to Hermes Korea, the company sets up one workshop each year to train craftsmen. By the end of last year, they operated around 60 workshops and workspaces with educational facilities. There are 7,300 Hermes-affiliated craftsmen, and Hermes bags are entirely handmade in France.
This is said to be aligned with the philosophy of Guillaume de Seynes, Deputy CEO of the Hermes Group, who oversees production and investment at Hermes. Before the exhibition on that day, De Seynes had held a pre-invitation interview, stating, “The severity and rigor rooted in the spirit of craftsmen have been at the core of Hermes for 187 years.”
Hermes is also popular in the Korean market. Hermes Korea recorded sales of 797.2 billion won and an operating profit of 235.7 billion won last year, marking an increase of 22.6% and 12%, respectively, from the previous year. This is more than double the sales of 2019, which were 361.8 billion won. De Seynes reportedly referred to Korea as a ‘truly important market’ during the interview that day.
Throughout the exhibition space, experiential areas for visitors were set up. Small pieces of leather cut in A4 paper size were hung on display stands for visitors to smell and touch the texture. Visitors could also try stitching leather themselves or participate in silk screen activities to add color to scarves or fabrics. Park Hyun-min (35) said, “I could better understand the craftsmen’s work by experiencing it firsthand.” Han Ji-young (24) mentioned her dream of creating her own brand, saying, “I learned a lot by studying the craftsmen’s work.””