In 1937 Robert Dumas, son-in-law of Émile-Maurice Hermès, introduced the house's first silk scarf. It was called the carré ("square") after its shape. Christie's notes that it was inspired by riding silks and was made from dense Chinese silk, twice as strong as conventional fabric. The first design was Jeu des Omnibus et Dames Blanches.
Each carré is screen-printed by hand, and a single design takes months to develop and produce. More than 150 artists have designed scarves for Hermès, making it one of the house's most recognisable products.
The scarf's practicality became part of its legend. In the late 1950s Grace Kelly, by then Princess Grace of Monaco, used an Hermès scarf as a sling for an injured arm. New designs are still issued every season.