We take an exclusive look at Tie Break, the latest app by Hermès
Who? Bobby Breward, the director of the Hermès store in Cannes, designed the first Hermès silk tie in 1949, after a casino in Cannes insisted that all men must wear a tie upon entry. The five-fold silk staple has since become signature to the brand, produced at the Hermès atelier in Lyon, where they weave their own silk. Each tie takes one year in total to make and has only a six-month cycle, making it an instant collector’s item, and indeed, there are Hermès tie collectors in abundance. There is a strange sense of unity in owning an Hermès tie. And now the tie club is going digital, with the launch of their new app, Tie Break.
What? The free app pulls on Hermès archival past, while offering a mix of cartoons, GIFs and arcade-style games. You can shop 57 current collections, including bowties and scarves as well as eight 'how to knot' tutorials. This season, the Hermès A/W14 collection couples casual silhouettes and luxury fabrics, from leather jogging trousers to an outlandish crocodile parka coat. The menswear line has, in recent years, been primarily aimed at the city businessman, which is the target audience for the new app.
Why? With a history rooted in artisanal technique, Hermès is not always associated with the digital game. Tie Break is a more detailed, menswear follow-up to last year’s Silk Knots app for women, and marks a new direction for the fashion house. It encompasses the illustrative quirks that the brand has become noted for, drawing on the brand's heritage to dress a thoroughly modern gentleman.
The app can be downloaded here from August 27.
Text by Mhairi Graham
