Entering Hermès' presentation at Milan Design Week 2024 is a mystical experience: the expansive darkness of the space doesn't suggest any product displays, instead anchoring the guests' vision to the floor, created as a showcase of sixteen different traditional flooring patterns in hues of greys, browns and reds.
The Topography of Material by Hermès at La Pelota
The installation references the timelessness of Hermès' collections, 'inviting you to step out of time while keeping your feet on the ground,' and the display, reads a note from the brand, 'aims to create a dialogue between roots and movement, between materials and know-how.'
The materials forming the traditional flooring patterns come from ancient Italian traditions and were sourced from across the country to reflect the ancestral knowledge of specialised local crafts. They include reclaimed wood from Lombardy, cracked earth, Porphyry from Trentino, terracotta arranged in half-moon shaped patterns, green ware (22,000 pieces of it), limestone from Puglia paired with pebbled Carrara Marble.
Walking across the bridges that separate the different motifs is a meditative experience, a moment of connection with the earth and the world around us, and a welcome pause from the bustling design week outside.
Meanwhile Hermès creations are hidden behind a wall, an illuminated slit in the back wall suggesting the displays and guiding visitors to the discreet corridor, where iconic objects are shown alongside new designs and pieces from the past few years (from Tomas Alonso Coulisse paper lamp to Studio Mumbai's Lignage d'Hermès stone table). New blankets in rich hues and patchwork-like patterns are presented alongside 1960s silk jock outfits, adding a touch of visual humour to the display.
Voltige d'Hermès lamps, shown alongside a hunting whip from the 1980s
Silk jockey's blouse from the 1960 and Tartan Dye bed blanket
The showcase aims at drawing bridges between Hermès' contemporary language and its history, each object from the most recent collections presented alongside a piece from the past (dating as far back as the 1930s) to discreetly demonstrate how the maison's collections have always followed a precise set of influences and techniques.
The Topography of Material by Hermès is on view during Milan Design Week 2024
La Pelota
Via Palermo, 10
20121 Milano
New Derby buckets and Mangeoire bag, 1949
-
In Shanghai, Hermès conjures a ‘cosmopolitan explorer’ for its one-off show on the Huangpu RiverNadège Vanhée, artistic director of Hermès’ womenswear collections, presented ‘The Second Chapter’ of her A/W 2025 collection earlier this evening (13 June 2025) against the futuristic skyline of Shanghai
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Peugeot brings back a classic performance badge for the electric era: meet the E-208 GTiPeugeot has unveiled the new E-208 GTi, a performance EV designed to hark back to a golden age of compact sports cars
-
Delve into the Wallpaper* Design Directory 2025, on sale nowIn the July issue of Wallpaper*, find a photographic love letter to Milan Design Week, plus the best new furniture, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms and more
-
Tokyo design studio We+ transforms microalgae into coloursCould microalgae be the sustainable pigment of the future? A Japanese research project investigates
-
Delvis (Un)Limited turns a Brera shopfront into a live-in design installationWhat happens when collectible design becomes part of a live performance? The Theatre of Things, curated by Joseph Grima and Valentina Ciuffi, invited designers to live with their work – and let the public look in
-
Naoto Fukasawa sparks children’s imaginations with play sculpturesThe Japanese designer creates an intuitive series of bold play sculptures, designed to spark children’s desire to play without thinking
-
Inside the Shakti Design Residency, taking Indian craftsmanship to Alcova 2025The new initiative pairs emerging talents with some of India’s most prestigious ateliers, resulting in intricately crafted designs, as seen at Alcova 2025 in Milan
-
Faye Toogood comes up roses at Milan Design Week 2025Japanese ceramics specialist Noritake’s design collection blossoms with a bold floral series by Faye Toogood
-
6:AM create a spellbinding Murano glass showcase in Milan’s abandoned public shower stallsWith its first solo exhibition, ‘Two-Fold Silence’, 6:AM unveils an enchanting Murano glass installation beneath Piscina Cozzi
-
Dimoremilano and Loro Piana channel 1970s cinema in decadent Milan displayAt Milan Design Week 2025, Dimorestudio has directed and staged an immersive, film-inspired installation to present new furniture and decor for Loro Piana
