-bit-for-bit: Art and craft heritage equestrian define Hermès

       As a horse person and avid dressage judge, I had been many equestrian events. But this time it was different.

I went to Paris to enjoy the fourth annual CSI five stars Saut Hermès jumping. With top riders in the world competing on the historic Grand Palace, just a few minutes from the Champs-Elysees, he became one of the hottest tickets on the track jumping. "The Great Hall has a capacity of 4500," said Patrick Thomas, CEO and President of Hermes, "And this year we received more than 12,000 requests for tickets."

I arrived around lunch time as a guest of Hermes, a house that was built on the power since 1837 when its founder Thierry Hermes set up a harness and saddle shop in Paris. Since then the company has expanded far beyond the stool, and was known for impeccably crafted leather handbags, belts, and men's and women's fashion, which helped build the brand one of the world's most exclusive labels.

What made it different journey for me it was a rare visit to the Hermes factory, a look at one of the best brands in the world, where I learned that, although the scene before the Paris flagship store may have opened since 1880, not is much different in the workshop.

In the factory, Hermès still employs artisans trained in fashion each seat by hand. The newest addition to the family, jumping saddle Cavale, borrows from the world of beds as it is injected with a commonly used type of memory foam in the manufacture of mattresses. The result is a lightweight, comfortable saddle. I can attest to its comfort, because I could test on a horse in the Grand Palais.

How Hermes saddles are hand bags and scarves crafted by people with generations of know-how. The formation of new artisans will take several years before all the bags in all types of leather such as crocodile. I had the opportunity to both the bag and the silk scarf and commitment to quality is evident to visit plants. Worthy of the brand, Hermes products are expensive - a handbag Kelly can start at more than $ 8000 and a silk scarf 70cm costs about $ 375 - but here in the factory, you can see why. Produce a bag takes days during scarf makes a company more than 800 hours to workers.

With handbags, a single craftsman for production of a bag from start to in a nod to his roots equestrian is responsible ready, the saddle is still used today, and all prices are hand made in reverse only with the zipper and inside pocket sewn to the machine. "The bags can be ordered, for example, if you want to change the size of Kelly," says Jocelyn Zerbib craftsman "or they can be customized to include a variety of colors and gemstones or precious stones like diamonds." And, if repair is required, the bag is on the person or their teaching, where she was retired from the company.

In the factory scarf Lyon, the process is just as intense. Hermes buys his own silkworms and produce high quality custom silk. "For 50 years we have bought our silkworms China," said Tidiane Kamel, Director of Communications, silk. "But now we have the source of Brazil because they have better quality and consistency of the Hermes thread needs." Most competitors ready-made silk printing to reduce costs. Hermes artisans weave their own, which is more expensive, but a part of their philosophy on quality, engraving a color acetates to time to the fabric for ties, hemming and hand cut and roll the edges of the scarf.

In a world where goods assembly lines are the norm, that Hermes still insist that most of its products by hand, puts the same way he has done for over 175 years, its market - an exclusive no doubt, but one that appeals to all who appreciate quality.

"We are never in a hurry. We step by step," says Thomas. "We want the best quality and it takes 10 years to produce a product, it's perfect for us."