Is your jet lackluster? A wee bit pedestrian? Or just not, you know, bespoke enough? We feel your pain, kid.
But if that’s the case, we have good news. A secretive studio just outside of Paris is here to help you pimp out your ride: The Sur-mesure atelier at Hermès produces custom orders that will up the wow factor of any space a few notches—whether it’s creating made-to-measure leather interiors for a plane or high-end tchotchkes.
Basically, if you’re an Hermès loyalist who has had your fill of the French luxury brand’s exclusive, ready-made items, a store can refer you to this specialized workshop where craftsmanship is taken very seriously—and comes with a price tag to match.
Speaking to Bloomberg, the design director for the brand’s made-to-measure projects, Axel de Beaufort, pointed out a few of the most notable of these projects, including$44,000 boxing gloves and a $14,700 picnic basket. Of course, that’s child’s play compared to a Gulfstream plane interior or a driver’s seat for a Porsche.
Of course, while this service is clearly about personalization, the workshop tries to ensure that each of these projects is imbued with Hermès’ notoriously understated sense of luxury.
“With branding—people want to show off,” de Beaufort told Bloomberg. And if that’s the case, the brand gently guides customers towards something more subdued: “[When] people come and say, ‘I want whatever it is to have a big H,’ usually we’ll say, ‘OK, we can do something for you, but it won’t be that.’ ”
And just because Hermès is known for leather doesn’t mean that your speciality item needs to be: Surfboards, fishing rods, skateboard decks, even a foosball table have all been projects taken on by the atelier.
“Special orders are a way for us to open our minds and have new ideas,” de Beaufort said. “You need to think about what would be the Hermès answer. So someone comes and says, ‘I want a rickshaw.’ You say, ‘Shall we do it or not?’ And then you do it.”
So, for those of you traipsing around the globe in your superyachts, consider the gauntlet thrown. You hear that, Jerry Jones?
