Kermit Oliver & Hermès: Storytelling on Silk & Canvas

Kermit Oliver & Hermes: Storytelling on Silk & Canvas is an exhibit of original artwork and Hermes scarves designed by native Texan, Kermit Oliver, the first American to design scarves for the esteemed French fashion house. Just years after his graduation from Texas Southern University in 1967, Oliver, originally from Refugio, Texas and the son of a cowboy, became an acclaimed artist in Houston with art aficionados and socialites flocking to his exhibit openings.

In 1980, as Oliver’s vibrant works began to gain recognition in Houston art circles, Lawrence Marcus, son of Herbert Marcus, the cofounder of Neiman Marcus, saw Oliver’s artwork in a Houston gallery and recommended him as a designer to his friend, Jean-Louis Dumas, the creative director of Hermes.

The rest, as they say, is history! Between 1984 and 2004, Oliver designed 17 scarves for Hermes, each one following the themes of Native Americans, Texas, or the Southwest.