Today, we got to visit one of the few remaining silk shops where scarf prints are still done by hand. We watched as the shop owner meticulously and intently applied the ink to a screen that showed an intricate design. Upon looking at the design closely, we noticed that it told a story about France with various significant landmarks. He laid the screen carefully upon the silk fabric and in two swift motions, rolled the ink over the screen and fabric twice. There is such an art to his work that amazed me. He makes the process look so simple, working with such ease and skill, but I know that it takes much effort to push that ink evenly across the screen and back.
Our host explained to us that the next step to the process is to send it to Hermes. I can't quite remember what Hermes will do with the printed scarf, but just hearing that name and knowing that each scarf is handled by such a prestigious luxury company convinced me that I must buy an item before I leave. After our tour upstairs and learning about scarves with designs stitched and painted by hand with velvet patterns, I explored the scarves for sale and selected a print that I think my mom will like. Her birthday had just passed recently while I was in France, and I felt that a silk scarf with manual prints make an extra special gift.
The rest of the day was spent as free time. My friends and I decided to walk back to the hotel and along the way, we stopped in a couple clothing shops. European styles are not very different from American styles, and I certainly found a couple items that I really liked (particularly a leather jacket with a zipper that goes up diagonally!), but could not afford. Perhaps someday, I can come back to France and have more spending money on these items!
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