This week 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi stepped on her feet behind the silk curtain of Hermèsthe iconic French fashion house.
Hermès was founded in 1837 by its namesake, Thierry Hermes, a master craftsman who made harnesses, bridles and saddles of the highest quality to outfit the horse-drawn carriages of wealthy Europeans.
Today, you can still shop for a custom-made, handmade chair, along with ready-to-wear fashion, luggage, fragrances and, of course, the brand’s beloved scarves and handbags.
60 Minutes producer Michael Karzis explained that Hermès continues to handcraft one of its most iconic products, despite relentless demand.
“A bag is made by an artisan, from start to finish, and it can take 20 to 30 hours to make,” Karzis told 60 Minutes Overtime.
“It’s anathema to the way big business operates … against the pressure of speed and commitment to quality, to meet that demand.”
Perfection is not easy and mistakes happen. If there is a wayward stitch or lack of color, the item cannot be sold at retail in a store. And when a line of scarves comes to an end at Hermès, they are taken off the shelves.
“We wanted to know what happened to all this material,” said story producer Karzis.
In 2010, Hermès started Petit h, a unique workshop where creatives and artisans take piles of discarded material and objects and create new products with them.
Alfonsi and Karzis visited the Petit h workshop in a Parisian suburb to interview him
director, Camille Parenty, and artistic director, Godefroy de Virieu.
On display is a surprising and colorful array of products: a salt and pepper shaker inspired by a simple button, a music box spun from a coat hook, and an electric guitar built around an old chair frame.
Parenty explained that de Vireiu invites artists to spend some time surrounded by the materials, and then create a design for a new product.
“Creation in reverse,” he explained.
In a large space aptly named the Sala Alibaba, de Virieu pulled a silk scarf from the pile to show Alfonsi an almost imperceptible flaw and outlined it with his finger.
“This part is not going to be used anymore, so we’re going to cut it … but we’re going to keep it. And that’s the starting point for something new,” he told Alfonsi.
On the first floor of the workshop, artisans were taking designs from creatives and making them come true.
“You see these artisans and they’re all sprawled out, trying to figure out … the frame of a mirror with little pieces of broken porcelain,” Karzis said.
The last stop on the tour was the “nursery”, where finished products are stored before being sent to Hermès stores and customers.
De Virieu showed Alfonsi a stool decorated with brightly colored mushrooms, a stirrup-inspired indoor swing and a shopping trolley topped with a handbag cut in half, none other than the highly sought-after Birkin d ‘Hermes.
De Virieu excitedly showed them one last item: a fully functional indoor hammock made from Hermès silk scarves.
“This is really the story of Petit h,” said de Vireiu.
“[Look] on a piece of material and finding a new way to use it… it’s perfect.”
The video above was produced by Will Croxton. It was edited by Sarah Shafer Prediger and Scott Rosann.