On the occasion of the Salone del Mobile 2017, Hermès came back to its old home, La Pelota, on Via Palermo, 10. Inside a pavilion full of light and built with natural materials, the new home collections, created under the artistic direction of Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabr, have been introduced to international design enthusiast. Inspired by a great Mediterranean house, the furniture, objects, fabrics and wallpapers and a new porcelain service all pay homage to the French maisons original métier as a harness-maker.
With a new collection of ten pieces – dubbed ‘Lien d’Hermès’, and including a coat hanger, log basket and wine rack – the brand presents a pared back line in its signature brick bridal leather with touches of maple, lacquer, crystal, wicker and metal. Leather makes sense because it makes the link, in Hermès’ new collections of objects and furniture for the home. Its use re-engages with the first act of the saddler and harness-maker: it dresses objects as it dressed the horse.
More precisely, the leather today reveals the objects as formerly it exposed the body of the horse. Renowned for their finesse, Hermès harnesses relieved the animal of the ceremonial trappings that concealed it and hampered its movements. The leather harness re-established full visibility of the physical beauty of the horse, and at the same time liberated its dynamic potential. The operation was twofold: aesthetic – rendering visible –, and functional – rendering mobile.
