Living in an Hermès House
Hermès made a big splash this year at the Milan furniture fair. Design lovers from all around the globe were paying a visit to La Pelota—a former sports hall—where the minimalist pavilion was set up. It was in this large, vacuous space that each piece from the brand’s interior design collection was given its own place. L’Officiel NL spoke with Hélène Dubrule (Hermès Maison’s General Manager) about the story behind this jaunt into homeware and about what we can expect from the French luxury brand in the future.
First of all, what an impressive exhibition!
DUBRULE: Thank you. We’re also very happy with it. The architecture of La Pelota works so well with our installation: the light, the materials, the space…they naturally enter into a dialogue with each other, and with all the individual pieces of our interior collection.”
Hermès began as a producer of leather saddles for equestrian sports, then it became a hugely influential fashion house. Now, the brand also has an interior collection. Why?
DUBRULE: It was the logical next step, given the development of the brand. Hermès is a lifestyle label, therefore living is a very important part of it. I would even argue that interior design is more intimate than clothing or accessories because one actually lives in it. Our home collection has a rich history considering that there has always been some sort of ‘home’ component to our designs. The blanket, for example, were not only used for horse riding but in the home as well.
The home collection is essentially developed internally by a team of Hermès designers but, as with your other collections, talented is always being brought it from the outside. What does this collaboration add?
DUBRULE: The balance between our own teams and a fresh outside look has always been very important to us. That’s part of the reason why we decided to collaborate with Portuguese architect, Álvaro Siza, who was fascinated by the use of Japanese bamboo plywood. This is a highly innovative use of material and I’m proud that Hermès has had the opportunity to use it. We strive to create timeless items that endure the demands of today.
In addition to your designs, this collection also offers customized pieces. Tell us more about that.
DUBRULE: The bespoke service is indeed an important department within Hermès – not only for the home collection but also for the interior design of cars, yachts and private jets, for example. We fully adapt to the wishes of the customer. We recently designed a new piece of furniture, Carré Box, for a client who wanted a place to store their silk shawls. Things like these can be made to your own taste. Do you want ash wood, leather and cashmere details? No problem. You can fully personalize our furniture, textiles and other interior accessories. Yes, there is quite a big price tag attached but what you will have is something very unique.
What does Hermès Homes have in store for the future?
DUBRULE: We always strive to surprise and to be innovative whilst always maintaining the highest level of quality. Moreover, everything must be a gradual expansion of our current collection. We prefer to build this timeless brand slowly and the different pieces must combine perfectly. We are not going to open shops specifically dedicated to Home. Rather, the magic of Hermès is precisely this combination of fashion, interior and accessories under one roof—a luxury, lifestyle bazaar of sorts.
Text by Tanne Gielen of L'Officiel Netherlands.
With thanks to Hermès.
