Hermes On The Beach was all for fun

The luxury brand may not be associated with sand and surf, but it knows how to throw a party.

WISH-20150402 EMBARGO FOR WISH 2 April 2015 NO REUSE WITHOUT PERMISSION Hermes Origami House launch party, Cronulla Pic : supplied

It is fair to say that a beach is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Hermès.

Sure, the Paris-based luxury goods company makes things such as beach towels and swimming costumes, but the brand is arguably best known for its equestrian accoutrement, sophisticated ready-to-wear and of course its highly coveted leather bags and accessories (which are not necessarily the most practical of beach items). Last month, however, Hermès threw the beach party to end all beach parties at the historic Strickland House in Sydney’s Vaucluse for more than 450 of its nearest and dearest.

Contradiction and the unexpected are what Hermès strives for, according to the brand’s Australian managing director, Karin Upton Baker. “The event ... for me also symbolises the wonderful paradoxes which enliven the company,” she says. “Hermès is a maison steeped in history but always moving forward; a name which is embedded in the culture and sophistication of France, dancing and playing on the sands of Australia.”

Ironically, the sand underneath the feet of the invited guests — shoes were left at the door — was imported for the event from Cronulla in the south of Sydney. Nearly 400 tonnes of it was placed on the lawn adjacent to the house to bring the beach just a little closer to the harbourside mansion, which was built in 1854 and was once the home of Sydney’s first mayor, John Hosking, and is today owned by the NSW government.

According to the company, the Hermès On The Beach Party was more than two years in the planning. Five DJs played throughout the evening, more than 50 wait staff served food that included Alaskan crab pillow sandwiches, confit duck terrine with cumquat and toasted brioche, and braised beef and caramelised onion pies — all washed down with Laurent Perrier champagne and a selection of custom-designed cocktails. There was a silk fortune teller, dancers dressed in Hermès swimwear, a bar made from oversized enamel bracelets, black stallions created by the artist Anna-Wili Highfield and a fleet of golf carts to ferry guests from the road to the house. The only thing missing was a sales pitch. The luxury business is an increasingly competitive one and enticing customers into stores to discover your wares is becoming a complex art.

The event was all about the fine art of the soft sell. “Hermès On The Beach symbolises the emphasis we place on joyous interaction with the world of Hermès,” says Upton Baker. “All we ask of our guests is that they enjoy and experience.”