Hermès Keeps Up With Haute Luxe: Meaningfully Sexy Luxury World of Barthélémy Toguo

01.12.2011

One of the rare African names with access to the luxury Hermès society - Barthélémy Toguo, inspires its exclusive members to act in support of his deprived continent.

Hermès soirée? Sharing wealth by leading individuals selling their soul to brands? No, thank you", said my friend when I suggested this idea for a November evening.

My message for him and all luxury-skeptics- “Go on, try to make a fashion party without models, and you’d see it is not easy. Yet, Hermès and Toguo make it together. Toguo gets to intrigue us, reproach us, teach us to be happy. Above all he wins us over in fighting - not his, but our battle for a better world in support of African art…

Through the "high and mighty" Hermès shop at Av.de la Toison d'Or, Jovi and I rush for the exhibition opening, as we arrive late. Not being able to resist, we stop for a moment, to zoom miniature multi-coloured kingdom of scarves intriguingly posing close to the entrance. The rest of the shop stays blurry as we hasten to the main part of the evening – the gallery within - La Verrière Fondation d’entreprise Hermès.

Ladders full of nails painful to look at, greet us from the walls inside. Ladders cut off somewhere in the middle of nowhere and brought to La Verrière, conjure up the scenes of human suffering. Humans and the way they “climb” for food and water but also knowledge and art in Africa. In search of a mental exit, my eyes get caught up by a few quotes. Cheerfully humoristic and joyful works yet painted black and white. Some rather lucid and profound quotes too… e.g. “Toutes les jolie maisons ne sont pas le lieu pour passer la nuit”... resonate trueness and untroubled air.

Once again I look for exit, this time in search of colors. The last thing I need before I leave, is the explanation why there were no colours when we need them desperately in today’s ever sadder world full of injustice. The waiter brings fancy apple and carrot juices and we slowly sip it, when someone approaches Jovi and shows us the author of the exhibition. “The only black guy, this evening”, I’m thinking, “the guy who made it” and I decide to ask him "the colour thing".

Toguo is reserved towards me, but my blond compassionate Lithuanian girlfriend puts down his tension so he slowly enters the conversation and gives us his business card in the end. Somewhat smilingly, Toguo points us to the plenty of colorful barrels in the middle of his installation and explains their meaning. It is gray barrels of oil and so needed water in Cameroon, where he comes from, that marked his childhood. Nowadays these barrels have colors as Toguo has water and he can bring water and art to the people of his country while at the same time raising awareness of people in the haute luxe world how lucky they are.

Toguo is not pathetic, he is not sweet either, but an artist who founded Bandjoun Station in his home country where he engages actively with local agricultural community. Toguo knows his worth- his works are shown in most prestigious galleries worldwide and people seem happy to pay ≈17.000 EUR for a piece. I would do that gladly if I had this money, as I can see it clearly why others who have it, do it. Maybe I can help in some other way, I start thinking...at least by spreading the word about this fantastic Hermes-enabled experience...

A day after, on my way to Bologna, Italy, at Charleroi airport Hermès perfume smells better than before. Makes me think I am investing my money well. Makes me recall people like Toguo who are making this world a better place.  Them who made it themselves, and those who support(ed) them.

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A few days left to see the exhibition:
La Verrière, Brussels (Belgium), November 4 – December 17 2011
50, boulevard de Waterloo, Brussels 1000
Monday - Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm
Free admission