"If this was Japan, there would be 300 people waiting in line," said Taniguchi, who speaks English as a second language and is about to finish her studies and return to her job in a flower shop in Tokyo's Imperial Hotel.

She was referring to the opportunity to purchase a limited-edition "Waikiki 2004" Twilly scarf commemorating the boutique's opening for the "bargain price of $110."

She was expecting a few friends to join her in line.

Although there were no crowds outside, the atmosphere inside was palpable as the staff and executives from New York and Paris rushed around unpacking boxes, polishing fixtures and rearranging inventory for the long-awaited opening.

And while the architecture, lighting and fixtures were all of note, perhaps the most exciting news at Hermès for fall 2004 is the introduction of the first collection designed by renowned Paris couturier Jean Paul Gaultier.

When the Hermès-Gaultier alliance was announced to the fashion world, eyebrows shot up. A strange match, some insiders clucked: the eccentric, larger-than-life designer, known for his exhibitionist clothes, and the 160-year-old luxury goods firm known for its understated elegance?

However, it makes perfect sense to Hermès CEO Robert Chavez, visiting from New York for the store's opening, who said: "Both Hermès and Gaultier are committed to quality, great style and a beautiful product. Both are independent thinkers with individual style, so it's a marriage made in heaven."

"He used so many of the materials and icons of the house with a wonderful interpretation, and our clients are responding accordingly," Chavez said.

Indeed, the first thing Gaultier did after joining Hermès was to lock himself away in the archives and study the aesthetic history of the firm.

The collection is one of classics with a touch of caprice. A wool kilt is embellished with leather straps and a Kelly closure (adapted from the Kelly bag, made famous when Grace Kelly used it to hide her pregnancy during a photo shoot).

Flowing opposite the mainstream taste for low-rise pants, Gaultier offers at-the-waist pants and high-waisted skirts with hand-sewn top stitching. An innovative cashmere shawl has one arm sewn like a sleeve so that when a woman throws it over her shoulder, it won't fall off.

In a nod to Hermès' origins as a saddle maker, Gaultier's theme at New York's Fashion Week last week was cavalry chic. Inspired by fantasies of Louis XIV and Madonna on horseback, his collection included an alligator riding jacket and jodhpurs worn by recently unretired supermodel Linda Evangelista.

Although Gaultier is only designing women's ready-to-wear, Chavez said he is inspiring designers throughout the firm to look at things in a new way.

Two products that are not likely to change: the Kelly bag and the Birkin bag. The ultimate Hermès icons, these bags have waiting lists so long that the firm closed the lists three years ago and asked women to wait just to be put on the waiting list.

The Birkin bag's popularity skyrocketed after an episode of "Sex and the City" when Samantha (played by actress Kim Cattrall) was so desperate to get hold of a red Birkin bag that she pretended she was buying it for Lucy Liu to jettison her name to the top of the waiting list. When Liu found out, she grabbed the bag and ran.

Although many products pay for such exposure, Hermès was surprised when the bag was written into the script.

"The phones rang off the hook all across the country," Chavez said. And upped the waiting list a few years as well.

Carrie, the character played by Sarah Jessica Parker, wore Hermès scarves on her head, at her wrist and waist, and tied to her handbags; this also caused a stir in the stores.

In regard to interior design, Chavez said that although the store has a long tradition and history, they always try to instill elements of modernity.

Architect Rena Dumas, of Paris, designed the Waikiki boutique which, at 4,300 square feet, is twice the size of the former location. She wanted it, above all, to be full of light. She knocked out windows upstairs to get more natural light and used a variety of indirect lighting fixtures.

The wood is a warm cherry, the stone is pale and the walls a soft chino. The visual merchandising communicates the corporate philosophy, said Chavez, "That each product deserves its moment, and that the quality and craftsmanship of each item should be showcased."

In spite of the warmth of the interior, Hawai'i residents may still feel that Hermès is just for visitors.

Not true, said Chavez.

"Our staff is here to melt down all those icy walls. They are warm and welcoming; and we want you to feel at home, even if you are just coming in to ask a question."