In the summer, Hermès decided to toy with its arsenal of supple bull-calf leather to create $12,900 blue basketballs. The French luxury brand has now moved on to bicycles — aesthetically pleasing carbon-fiber bicycles, handcrafted in France by Time, which go by the seductive names of Le Flâneur d’Hermès and Le Flâneur sportif d’Hermès. François Doré, the head of the Hermès Horizons division, told WWD, “We set out to make a real bike, not a decorative object. It had to be simple, efficient, easy to use, pleasant and elegant.” The bikes, offered in cream, charcoal, and red, have features like dynamo-powered lights, an internally geared rear hub, a clean belt drive, and hydraulic disc brakes. They also have the house’s iconic bull-calf leather on the handlebars, saddle, carry handle, and luggage-rack support. Come November, they will retail all over the world for nearly $11,000 — which automatically makes the choice for any lost soul stuck between purchasing blue balls or carbon bikes so much easier.
