Hermes Le Jardin de la Maharani Feels Unworn

A wonderfully intricate design, with a fascinating story behind it,  our example feels unworn, but we’ve found a couple of really tiny marks on it, and the care tag has been removed, so we’ve scored it 9.9/10.  First released in 2017, and available in 12 colourways, this beautiful scarf was created by the ever-popular Annie Faivre,

Its design is a poignant tribute to Princess Gayatri Devi, the Maharani of Jaipur and third wife of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. She was widely celebrated for her beauty, her blend of Indian and European tastes, her political engagement, and her efforts to advance education for Indian women. Annie Faivre designed this intricate piece to metaphorically “offer flowers” to the Maharani, who deeply loved nature and gardens. The artwork is freely inspired by historical Mughal motifs and features highly detailed, luxuriant floral and botanical arrangements. As with all of Annie Faivre’s creations for Hermès, look closely at the pattern—her signature design trait is hiding a mischievous little monkey somewhere within the complex illustrations.

The complex design uses motifs from Indian Art to show a garden in full bloom. Each of the four corners is entirely different but the whole design is wonderfully balanced and so the scarf ties beautifully.

Hermes writes: Freely inspired by Mughal motifs, this scarf is dedicated to the Maharani of Jaipur, born Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar, the third wife of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. Her tastes and culture were equally inspired by India and Europe. She marked her time through her political engagement and her determination to bring education to Indian women. At the beginning of the 1940s she created the girl’s school that bears her name. Twenty years later she became a Member of Parliament, elected by the largest majority in Indian history. The Maharani of Jaipur loved nature and gardens. with this scarf, Annie Faivre wanted to pay homage to her by “offering her flowers”.

Dedicated to a princess, this scarf will make anyone who wears it feel like one.