It’s not easy being a gentleman. There are rules of etiquette, style and grooming that must be obeyed, not to mention all those little eccentricities like dancing, poetry and sandcastle building that women just adore. But if you're not as sure-footed as Fred Astaire, not to worry, Hermès is stepping in to help guys gain all the skills necessary to be the perfect gentleman. Their new microsite, Le Manifeste, will teach men how to tie a tie, dance a few key moves, pick out the perfect man bag, write a few lines of fashionable poetry, and yes, even build sandcastles. (Stylishly, of course.)
The fun thing about the site isn’t just that you get to learn a few cool dance moves or finally impress your girlfriend with your fashion knowledge. It's that everything is made into a game with less-than-traditional rules. Want to learn about shoes and accessories? There’s a game to guess the contents of an x-ray bag. The poetry lesson has refrigerator-style magnets (remember the ones you had in college?) and the dancing lesson plays out like a mobile game with swipes and taps for each move. It’s actually pretty fun.
Of course the point of the site is to introduce men to the shoes, accessories and leather goods of Hermès as much as it to teach them the boogaloo. After each game, the site pulls up a selection of products that were used during the lesson and offers shoppable content. We have to say this is probably our favorite way to shop—here’s hoping they bring some games to the women’s accessories site.
