Hermes Korea Endorses Local Culture
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Localization seems to be the natural born child of globalization, as multinational corporations recognize the increasing importance of understanding the local culture in order to branch out. French fashion powerhouse Hermes is a leader in blending into the local arts and culture scene, according to Hermes Korea head Jun Hyung-sun.
Founded in 1837, the Paris-based couture house is most famous for its luxurious leather goods, vibrant silk scarves and perfumes.
``When we speak of Hermes, we cannot consider them as simple products. First of all, they are extremely high priced, but they entail a long tradition of craftsmanship. Moreover, Hermes involves art and culture,'' said Jun.
Jun, 48, has been at the helm of Hermes Korea for 12 years now, ever since launching it here in 1996. Hermes tries to integrate itself into the art and culture scene of Korea in numerous ways. Jun first spoke to The Korea Times at the Asian Cinema Night party at the 12th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival last month. It was Hermes's seventh year sponsoring the event along with the Korean Retrospective Special at Asia's largest film festival.
``Hermes is what I'd like to call a `multi-local' company,'' said Jun in a Korea Times interview. ``Hermes respects and endorses the local culture in which it settles. The mere fact that a Korean is head of Hermes Korea reflects this. In fact, all of our staff is Korean ― this is really rare for foreign corporations in Korea. We are truly a Korean company in that respect.''
In 2005, Jun received a special award from the President of Korea as a model taxpayer. In 2006, Korea became home to Hermes International's fourth flagship store after those in Paris, New York and Tokyo. Located near Dosan Park in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, Maison Hermes Dosan Park is not only a boutique but great place for tea and gallery-hopping as well.
The 10-storey building has a chic book cafe, Cafe Madang (meaning yard in Korean), where you can also take a walk around Promenade, a small exhibition space displaying mementos of the family-run fashion house, which stretches over three generations. There is also Atelier Hermes, a contemporary art gallery, on the third floor.
In October, Hermes Korea awarded its eighth annual Missulsang, or art award. Hermes is the first foreign company to launch a project to support local artists. This year, Kim Sung-hwan won the scholarship for his unique video piece ``Summer Days in Keijo - Records of 1937,'' which was on display at Atelier Hermes for about two months.
``Our efforts to localize is reflected in employing Korean words like Missulsang,'' he said. Cafe Madang is another example. ``Rather than spend money to employ a famous celebrity to model our products or open lavish cocktail parties with champagne, we host an art exhibition instead. It doesn't help our profits, to be sure,'' he said with a chuckle. ``But it's something truly meaningful in the long run, and I hope other corporations can take a stand to contribute to the local arts and culture.''
Localization efforts can be found elsewhere. When a fire delayed the Hermes building's opening last year, Hermes Korea did something quite out of the ordinary. ``We employed a famous shaman to perform `gut' (a traditional Korean ritual for warding off evil spirits) at the construction site. We (Hermes headquarters in France and Hermes Korea) both thought of this,'' said Jun.
Hermes Korea also hosted a series of street concerts in front of Dosan Park this past summer. As for new cultural projects in the future, Jun expressed his deep passion for performance arts of all kinds, from theater to dance.
Hermes has long been a symbol of exclusivity and ultimate luxury, with the famous Birkin Bag boasting a sometimes six-digit price (in dollars).
But cultural activities like Missulsang, which offers Koreans a chance to see works by rising contemporary artists, draws Hermes closer to Koreans as being more than a big price tag, but a true trendsetter in the arts and culture.
Atelier Hermes is currently displaying installation works by Martin Boyce. The exhibition ``Suspended Breath'' runs through Jan. 6, 2008. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday, but is closed on Wednesdays. Call (02) 544-7722. Maison Hermes Dosan Park is located between Apgujeong and Sinsa stations on subway line 3.