Fabulista Suggests: The Complacency at the Atelier.

I have always been a fan of renegades. They are unconventional, they think out of the box – the fabulous, creative people of the non-conformist circle. One such person is beautician turned fashion buyer, Michael Tonello. The author of “Bringing Home the Birkin”, an exposè on his experience as a fashion buyer, he has publicly denounced the faux-popularity of the pseudo-beaureaucracy behind the Hermès Birkin.

More than that, I am glad to know that there is at least one other person out there who shares some of the views I have about the Birkin and even possibly about Hermès. The birkin is not a handbag. It was modified from the then Kelly handbag to a weekender after a comment from the subsequent eponymous owner to the Hermès boss.

As Michael says, the bag is therefore “the [Birkin] is rather heavy, even empty”. It’s size as an intended weekender also renders it bigger and thus impractical and even cumbersome as a daily bag.

In any case, the House of Hermès is not exactly the place to go for high fashion. Perhaps it is the atelier’s founding history as a saddle maker. They are certainly deft as quality leather makers but when it comes to creativity and beauty, it just isn’t quite there. Take their bags (again) for example. Everything has the same fastening clasp; think Birkin detail on EVERY carrier, even the men’s bags. Yes, there’s a fine line between signature and boring.

For Hermès, it’s just boring.