Hands Up: Marc B (Hermès)

Skin-deep in the Hermès Men’s RTW Leather Atelier

The gesture is self-assured. With his furrier’s knife, Marc B. seems to cut the piece of deer skin as smoothly as if he were drawing lines. Like a magician, he removes the blades one by one, never hurting himself. The furrier’s knife is flexible, lightweight. It is easy to handle. There is a certain constancy. One must master the angle, spread the skin to avoid any folds; but beyond that, one must take possession of every single square millimeter. Imagine him grabbing a dozen skins from the trestles, curving them into a supple spectrum of ice-blue calfskin. He grabs the patterns – blue cards for the skins, orange for the linings – with the confidence of a true master.  With thirty-five years of experience at Hermès, Marc (who prefers to use his first name) is a master of his craft. Outfitted in his chocolate calf apron, he operates as a true surgeon of materials, eliminating the “flaky” parts to keep only the noblest, central ones, knowing from the outset what will provide a collar or a sleeve with its roundness and neatness.  From lamb to goat, from calf to baby sheep, each skin has its own character. Deer, for instance, evokes “caviar grains.” His father, a leatherworker, retained his passion for craftsmanship, which he passed on to his son, who has been a cutter in the workshop for the past six years.