Handbags and gladrags

Now you all know that Miss Mannequin likes a private viewing (queueing with the masses was never for me)! So when my dear co-blogger friend Jonathan Baker Jonathan's RetailStoreWindows blog invited me to an exclusive late night viewing of the Hermes Leather Forever Exhibition, I was of course there like a shot. How clever of Mr Baker to organise a special hour entirely for VM's, 110 turned up!

every girl wants a Kelly bag!

I can do the show only the briefest of justice on this blog - the exquisite nature of the workmanship by this much loved luxury brand, even more of a joy to see at close quarters. Room after room of beautifully displayed (and spectalarly lit) bags, purses, folios, saddles and hoods, along with the rare opportunity to see two memebers of their famed atalier working on bags before our goggling eyes.





One craftsperson, one bag...what a motto and so very apt today in a world where every other fashion hit swears by the name luxury. THIS WAS TRUE LUXURY! and workmanship. Miss Mannequin swooned as she watched the ladies lovingly punching holes for stitching and honing the backs of nails until they were flawless in finish, completely smooth to the touch.

A small booth midway held the most delicately crafted winged saddle, colourful yet never garish, suspended in mid-air as if the horse had galloped away leaving it floating. Another room concrentrated on the core of the product - leather hides - of every colour and texture - all to be handles and desired.

The show, sadly is only there until May 27th, just time dear reader, is you more swiftly to go and see it before it closes and moves on. And so to the handbag counter at the Hermes store, all the better to appreciate the quality of a truly superior handbag.