Photo: Nacho Alegre
A few years ago, Hermès released a silk scarf titled “Della Cavalleria Favolosa.” It featured fantastical animals – a horse with a merman tail and a half unicorn, half bird among others – and the drawings delighted the imagination. Their improbable pairings making for probable creatures. Walking through the artisan workshop of Hermès petit h just outside Paris, one recalls such animal life. Here, bits and pieces, both large and small, are gathered from all the Hermès 15 métiers to create new objects. And while each delights the eye, they all have a function. There is a bookshelf with an inbuilt vase that rolls in with the wheel of a bicycle. A unique Hermès tote decked out with a fringe of silk spaghettis that beckons to be swung like a circle skirt. Moving deeper through the rows lined with the exceptional pieces from artisans whose savoir-faire has been crowned with the highest honors in France, one arrives at a guitar made with a horse saddle. Each object is a wonder. There is even a falcon stand crafted with terracotta, leather, porcelain, and crystal – destined for Dubai. This month, the Hermès petit h exhibition stops in Dubai, where a “souk” created by Emirati architect and designer Abdalla Almulla displays a bounty of objects, including those made specifically for the region.
Photo: Nacho Alegre
At Hermès, since 2010, with the creation of petit h, no material is discarded, instead being all gathered in one place – the petit h ateliers – to be molded into a new, unique object ranging from silk tape to a wooden cabin and a leather-lined safe. This métier is run by its creative director Godefroy de Virieu, who eagerly encourages an exploration of the shelves laden with hundreds if not thousands of silk scarves, buttons, crystals, and plaids. “Just this fabric in itself is a treasure,” exclaims De Virieu, caressing one. “There are two factors, it’s French law to consider the material, and we are wholly responsible for our stock,” continues De Virieu. “The Hermès model, based on craftsmanship, structurally limits the quantities that are produced. Throughout the production and commercial chain, Hermès ensures that its stocks are kept to a minimum. In the case of surplus objects we always favor recycling – petit h for example.”
Photo: Courtesy of Hermès
All this and more await to capture the eye of an artisan or of a guest artist invited to imagine an objet Hermès that will one day appear at the petit h boutique on Rue de Sèvres, Paris, and imminently, Dubai.
Hermès petit h Dubai from November 8 to 27, 2022, at the Hermès The Dubai Mall store.
