The Ultimate in Customisation

The story of how the Birkin bag was born has become the stuff of legend in fashion lore. On a flight from Paris to London in 1981, actress Jane Birkin was seated next to Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas. As she placed her bag in the overhead locker, her belongings fell everywhere. She then turned to Dumas, complaining that she could never find a weekend bag that suited her.

Three years later, he created a bag in supple leather for the actress, who has since then become associated with the item, which is named after her and is to this day the most coveted piece of arm candy ever created.

Although the Birkin is now available in boutiques around the world – that is if you’re a top Hermès client and not a mere mortal subject to the vagaries of endless waiting lists – it started life as a bespoken creation that ended up being so popular it became part of the maison’s line of permanent offerings.

Although Hermès doesn’t advertise its extremely exclusive – and, needless to say, very pricey – made-to-measure service, the house has for years given its clients the chance to design completely personalised items, truly one-of-a-kind and often extravagant pieces, which are a far cry from the traditional harnesses that the brand has been making in its leather workshop in the heart of Paris since 1837. 

Le Sur-Mesure Hermès, as the service is known, is housed in a large building in the Parisian suburb of Pantin where a team of designers, engineers, architects and artisans (about 30 people in total) work on special commissions that range from the interiors of private jets and vintage cars to pieces of furniture made entirely of leather and bicycles finished in alligator skin.

Clients meet with a dedicated team at the showroom in Pantin, where they can peruse an Avions-Voisin car from the ’20s whose interior is upholstered in Hermès leather; the seats of a helicopter covered in cashmere throws; or more “accessible” items such as a portable cocktail set made in the shape of a golf bag or an unusually shaped tote meant to carry a rare Japanese musical instrument. These items give clients an idea of what Hermès is capable of, triggering their imagination as they develop the pieces in collaboration with the Hermès team. For while the house has strict guidelines when it comes to the making of one-of-a-kind pieces, it also wants to give its clients free rein and let them come up with the most far-fetched ideas, which it will try its best to turn into reality after a series of meetings that can take up to a year.

After all, if you want the interior of your boat decked out in Hermès, it’s not just a lot of cash you need to put up; you’ll also have to be patient and not expect things to be done in a matter of months. Everything is made in Pantin and then the pieces are shipped to a dockyard to be fitted, or to a plane hangar if you’re working on a private jet.

As a customer, you’re involved in every step of the creative process and the Sur-Mesure team is more than willing to listen and make changes according to your needs or preferences – but if you desire your private-plane seats to be covered in massive Hs then you’re probably not the right fit for this exclusive service.

While Hermès is not the only luxury maison to offer personalised creations, it’s the only one to do so on such a scale, collaborating with top luxury-car manufacturers – Bugatti is a recent client – and ship builders in the creation of unique objects of desire.

Hermès is in the business of making dreams come true, and while to a fashion novice owning one of those Birkin bags is the ultimate dream, those who can afford more can truly aim for the stars.