Hermès Maison collection launches during Salone del Mobile are always impressive and have, in recent years, become distinctly architectural under the artistic directorship of Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry. There was the memorable Michele de Lucchi lighting takeover of Palazzo Serbelloni in 2014, followed in 2016 with the incredible Brutalist earthen brick pavilion by Mexican architect Mauricio Rocha at Teatro Vetra.
This year sees the French luxury house in a more poetic mood, with a softly coloured grid of glossy hues in the form of 150,000 zellige tiles created by specialists Mosaic del Sur and imported from Morocco, providing the backdrop to their new accessories, textiles and wallpapers. Taking place in Milan’s La Permanente museum it took Hermès three weeks to create what feels like a mini-village of seven pavilions of varying scales with doors and apertures creating dramatic lighting effects inside. The overarching theme is colour with exteriors and interiors tiled in two different shades; inside each one geometric blocks, chunky shelves, stairs, hooks and display stands exhibit the new pieces.
Each room hosts particular objects, such as tangram-inspired lacquered boxes by Gianpaolo Pagni, Périmètre porcelain vases, natural maple Tibicolour trays displaying designs by Irish artist Nigel Peake – who has also created the new ‘A Walk in the Park’ tableware collection on show in the café area – leather accessories, blankets and wallpapers.
Adding drama on the opening night were a group of performance artists uniting to create human towers and carpets, dressed in Parkour-style sportswear that was naturally shared the same palette of the tiles. A little bit bonkers, extremely beautiful and executed with the precision and handcrafted finesse of which the house is known, it’s already one of the hits of this year’s Salone del Mobile.
Each house showcases pieces from the collection, displayed here are the Périmètre porcelain vases designed by Gianpaolo Pagni and Droit Fil, a scarf box made in paprika maple
Exemplifying Hermès leather crafsmanship and equestrian heritage are these centrepieces constructed from bridle leather
Colourful Périmètre porcelain vases are highlighted against the dark glossy zellige tiles
High hooks display blankets, or ‘Plaids’ like beach towels, there are six geometrical and equeestrian designs handwoven and printed in 100 per cent cashmere and also a cashmere and merino wool mix
The game of tangram inspired three lacquered Tangram boxes, designed by Gianpaolo Pagni the boxes are handpainted, the colours applied with sponges
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