On Saturday the 28th of December, Michael Coste, the External Relations Manager at French luxury house Hermes, visited the Great Pyramids of Cairo. A guest of Mrs.Zeinab Bashir, the man whose friends count the most famous of celebrities and socialites in the world, was also treated to a private tour of the soon to open Grand Egyptian Museum. Among the guests hosted by Mrs.Bashir at the lunch that followed the visit was Egyptian Movie star Laila Elwi and selected members of the media. Mr.Coste who visited Egypt for the first time, a childhood dream as he told us, continued his journey to Sharm El Sheikh to spend New Year’s Eve at the Rixos Sharm El Sheikh hotel as guests of Mrs.Bashir and her husband. Mrs.Bashir a client to many of the international luxury houses is very active in promoting Egypt internationally. In an exclusive interview with PASHION , Michael Coste shares his thoughts on his trip and also lets us in on the secret of the iconic Hermes Birkin and Kelly bag.
P: Your impression of Egypt?
MC: It is more than an impression! I am very excited because it is the first time I come to Egypt and that means a lot to me, because it was my dream as a child to visit Egypt. There are so many things to do here. I want to tour the River Nile on a boat and visit Luxor and the temples. Egypt is so rich with culture, heritage and that is absolutely impressive. Your country respects the traditions and I love that.
P: Is that love for tradition something we have in common with France?
MC: It is impressive to see the connection, and I am not surprised that so many French people love Egypt.
P: Tell us about Hermes.
MC: Hermes is the same for me. I love this brand because it is a balance between tradition and modernity. Hermes started as a saddle maker, the horse is the DNA.
P: What about the phenomena of the Birkin and Kelly bags?
MC: The Birkin and the Kelly – oh my gosh! These are two iconic bags and we love icons.
P: What about the 2-year waiting list?
MC: We don’t really have a waiting list as we try to do our best to make our customers happy when they come to our stores. But when you want a beautiful hand-made item, and all our items are hand-made, it is a long process to make such a bag. We have such a beautiful coloration, and we are the only brand that makes such a coloration. So when you want the best – the best material, the best coloration and the best savoir-faire you will never have an item such as this.
P: If you were to name another iconic bag after whom would you name it?
MC: Its not my job to create. I’m just like you when you discover something new or perhaps I will discover it a little bit before you.
