A bit of old news (this collaboration came out back in 2010) but… Out of the all the headphones to be housed inside of the beautiful Swift leather case from Hermes, why does it have to be the Bose Noise Cancelling headphones? No disrespect to the very popular travel headphones from the Massachusetts maker, but Hermes aligning themselves with Bose does not seem like a proper fit for me. Hermes speaks luxury. Bose does not.*

Rather than discuss more proper headphone manufacturers to align with Hermes, I’ll focus on the wonderful work the leather maker did on the bag: each leather case is hand saddle-stitched with protective pads to keep the headphones in place. Special cut-outs are ther for all the accessories as well. Finally, the finish off the interior with goatskin lining. Beautiful work from Hermes. (wallpaper*)

*consider the Audio Technica Active Noise-Cancelling headphone at half the cost of the Bose if you really need noise cancelling options.

We return to the Hermès Arceau collection. Two additional models, these feature the rare technique  of straw ‘Marquetry’, the application of strips of veneer to form patterns. It’s an ancient art so don’t go trying it at home. French rye Straw is taken through a series of processes with incredible precision by folk who’ve been practising for years. The result are these patterns, representing two classic Hermès tie designs.

A lot of work has gone into these so if you grab yourself one don’t forget to give a shout out to the artisans that nearly lost a finger to create your fine timepiece. More at Perpetuelle

Hermes delivers a beautiful yet heavily priced coloring book as part of their “baby gifts” offering. The Les 4 Mondes (the 4 worlds) coloring book comes in with 12 pages of 24 designs ready to be colored between the lines by both adults and children. It is a unique gift and the price points towards this: each coloring book runs $135. Some some rather than most…

More looks after the click.

This one would have been a proper gift for the chess player in your world. Part of the Hermes collection for Spring/Summer 2012, the three foot chess table fashioned from clemence taurillon leather features competing armies in rosewood and mahogany. Setting a new bar for luxury chess matches. No doubt, a stunner.

More looks after the click.

Hodinkee discovered this classic Hermes branded Universal Geneve chronograph. The little brother to the Patek Philippe line in the 1940’s, Universal Geneve created an assortment of co-branded timepieces well before the modern trend in co-headline accessories. Worth a deeper looks ove on Hodinkee.

The latest video from Hermes looking at the wonderful world of artisans and their worlds.”Discover Dominique and his passion for saddlery.” Enjoy.

Hermes walks us through what is essentially the starting point for the luxury brand with an editorial video outlining their equestrian and lifestyle offering. The Black Rider is a very clean introduction.

NOWNESS visits the studio of acclaimed calligraphist, Nicolas Ouchenir, who has done work for the likes of Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Dior to name a few. The 33 years old Parisian has hand lettered invites for the top fashion houses for more than a decade. Many are sure to recognize the art and labor involved in doing calligraphy. Amazing work.

View the video on NOWNESS.

Not that the idea of making belts from silk ties is new, but seeing these made by Hermès seems to be the only real thing. The Capri belt is made of Hermès silk and features an interchangeable buckle, as the belts always come in sets of two. We especially like the striped and tartan patterned ones in the range. Of course these are better suited for summer than for the winter, so get one fast for the last warm days of the year.

Take a look at the entire range of belts after the jump.

The Guardian has an interesting piece about Hermes struggle to keep up with demand. Hermes superfans will know that their one of the last companies to keep their production luxury and this has simultaneously made them even more attractive to customers and harder for them to keep up. There’s also some info on how the Birkin bag came about and Victoria Beckham’s total expenditure on their bags. Hint: It’s a lot. (The Guardian)