Right At Home
Hermes Maison gave the colour wheel a good spin at Salone del Mobile this year.
Artistic directors Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry oversaw the creation of seven vibrantly-hued pavilions for the launch, which was held in Milan’s La Permanente museum. Clad in 150,000 textured zellige tiles specially imported from Morocco, each towering structure showcased a range of objects, such as accessories, textiles and wallpapers. An architectural sensibility pervaded the mise-en-scene, with doors and openings creating dramatic shafts of light.
Colour in all its nuances got free play, from the illustrated whimsy of British artist Nigel Peake’s bright, summery botanical illustrations for the maison’s tableware, to the bold primitivism of Mexican artist Miguel Castro Lenero’s black-outlined, stylised horse silhouettes on blankets – a nod to Hermes’ equestrian heritage.
While guests perused the 2018 offerings, a group of performance artists dressed in sweatsuits matching the pavilions’ colours weaved silently among the crowd. They stopped occasionally to form human chains on the floor, perch in doorways or hang precariously off roof ledges – an enigmatic, yet quirky performance typical of Hermes’ launches and one, that like the new homeware, invited contemplation.
Meanwhile, an artist’s collective fanned out across Milan, with artists in electric Yves Klein-blue jumpsuits spontaneously chalking the maison’s new wallpaper patterns in iconic locations such as Via della Spiga and the Brera design district.
These are our top five picks from the launch.
Pli’H Desk Accessories
Hermes’ artisans experimented with paper first when creating this range of desk accessories, which shows in the origami-esque result. A sheet of supple yet robust bridle leather is cut minimally, then stitched with four saddle stitches in white linen thread to hold the shape in place. Each minimalist piece will look as good a decade from now as the day you bought it.
Droit Fil Scarf Box
Ostensibly inspired by sewing boxes (though grandma’s sewing kit never looked quite so chic) the Droit Fil scarf box in maplewood is glazed in a vibrant orange, a fiery hue matched only in intensity by the incardine blood orange alligator leather-clad handle – a precise fit which takes six hours to complete. It will hold up to 18 of your favourite Hermes carres.
Tangram Boxes
The game of tangram, or “the seven boards of skill” inspired this set of three lacquered boxes. Hermes Maison managing director Helene Dubrule says one of her key roles is to assemble a “tribe of excellence in terms of know-how”, an approach borne out here. Each box, which calls upon the skills of Vietnamese lacquer experts, is handpainted, then daubed with sponges, creating an alluring interplay of depth and an iridescent effect. The tangram motif also appears in a simple yet spectacular hand spun cashmere blanket.
A Walk In The Garden Tableware
Bring the beauty of an English garden to your dining table with the maison’s new range of tableware, artfully illustrated by Peake. Twigs, flowers and grass sprout up across latticed, chequered and herringbone motifs, some of which recall dog-eared graph paper pads of youth. Rendered in a subtle palette of bright orange, leaf green, buttercup yellow and Prussian blue, the pieces suggest a nostalgic yearning toward a more innocent, carefree time.
Equipages d’Hermes Bouchon Stool
It takes considerable skill to make something really simple. The Bouchon stool eschews artifice or embellishment for the most basic of forms and, as such, has a formidable timelessness to it. Its centre is cork (though the piece has a pleasing weight) and its exterior is sheathed in leather which is first pinched, then saddle-stitched and burnished. Is it a side table, stool, pedestal or objet d’art? You decide.
