Luxury brands are known for their opulence but it's rare to see humble stationery getting the star treatment, until now. Design house Hermès is changing the luxury game with a series of delightfully ostentatious envelopes for delivering some seriously posh post.
Most famous as one of the best fashion logos, Hermés' entry into the world of practical postage supplies has raised some eyebrows due to its hefty price tag. Despite this, I can't help but be a little enamoured by the intricate envelope designs (even if they make stamp prices seem uncharacteristically cheap by comparison).
The controversial product was brought to the attention of the internet after TikTok user Benton McClintock shared a selection of extortionately priced items from the Hermès home collection. Amidst a $1,350 mushroom-shaped paper weight and an eye-watering $7,750 waste paper basket, the stationery shone through as one of the most unnecessarily exorbitant items, at $130 for a single A5 envelope.
Users flooded the comments with rapturous sarcasm, pointing out Hermés' strange product description which states the product is "reusable" and comes in both A4 and A5 sizes. One user commented "TWO SIZES for the envelope?!? They're really spoiling us this holiday season" while another asked, "So if the envelope is reusable… do I just ask the person I sent it to give it back?"
@bentonmcclintock ♬ original sound - Benton McClintock
While I've made peace with the fact that I won't be receiving a Hermès envelope any time soon, the designs undoubtedly have a sense of elevated elegance that's both unique and stunning. Described by Hermès as a "keepsake" for important documents, the silk-wrapped envelope is certainly not just an average white paper postable – and let's face it, it couldn't be for that price.
For more absurd luxury design take a look at Louis Vuitton's fake leg boots that might have been the strangest optical illusion of last year. If you've got designer brand fatigue, Netflix's clever Lupin posters might be a welcome refresh from excessive opulence.
