Hermès delineates balance in milan’s design week collections for the home exhibition
image courtesy Hermès

french fashion house Hèrmes has presented their ‘collections for the home 2016-2017’ during an exhibition held at the center of the city during milan design week 2016. the set is comprised of furniture, textiles, and accessories including a sofa, chairs, trays, blankets, screens and a cabinet. greeted by a magnifying glass, the luxury brand evokes the finest attention to detail that governs its new collection. creating a balance between materials, shapes, sizes, proportions, uses and sensations, Hèrmes invites users to take care of themselves the same way they have taken care of every aspect of the design of the objects.

‘magnifying glass’ 
brass cone covered in fawn H bull calf
magnifying lens (x 2.5) in glass and gold-plated brass
l 24 x w 7 x h 15 cm 
image courtesy Hermès

founded in 1837, Hermès initially specialized in the manufacturing of horse equipment like harnesses and saddles. this faithful passion has driven them since their origins, having everything originate in horses and imprinting into the brand the features of an animal of magnificent physique that is vigorous, cautious and capricious, of quivering sensitivity, and quick to bolt. the ‘oria d’Hermès’ collection references the oria chair conceived by rafael moneo in the early 1960’s for his own home. in this new visitation, the same line is traced and enhanced by the comfort of fine materials and the fashion’s house skills and know-how. a velvety leather backrest provides support at the base of the ribcage, a detail that responds to the human body while harmonising with the chair’s basic form.

‘oria d’Hermès’ chair
structure in oak
w 52.5 x d 59.5 x h 75 cm
designer: rafael moneo
image courtesy Hermès

‘oria d’Hermès’ chair
structure in oak
w 52.5 x d 59.5 x h 75 cm
designer: rafael moneo
image courtesy of Hèrmes

balance is expressed on several different levels in the ‘équilibre d’Hèrmes’ collection of desk accessories and decorative objects. in carefully measured proportions, materials like natural maple, fawn H bull calf, natural wicker and brass, harmonize in pure elementary forms. designed to appeal to the senses and the mind, their apparent simplicity is contained within both mathematical precision and artisanal handcraft. the set is made of functional objects such as the desk blotter, the magazine rack or the wastepaper baskets. others are more whimsical like the icosahedron, one of the five polygonal forms known since ancient greece as platonic solids.

exhibition view
image courtesy Hermès

known for their commitment to traditional savoir-faire, Hèrmes pursues its adventurous spirit with ‘lacquer objects’, a collection of centerpieces and boxes that use a technique originating in japan. the layers of lacquer are applied over a darker undercoat, which reappears in an extremely subtle fashion at each rim, creating a delicate two-tone effect. the concave-shaped tops of the centerpieces are cut in half to reveal the different layers, giving a form that is reminiscent of the asian gesture of offering. the result is a set that has the appearance of having been sculpted rather than assembled.

‘folding armchair’
structure in natural maple, ebony-finish maple or pear wood
seat and backrest in natural cowhide or clémence bull calf
(gold, rouge H or ebony)
w 87 x h 81 x d 54cm
w 34 1/4 x h 31 7/8 x d 21 1/4 in
designers: rene dumas and peter coles
image courtesy of Hèrmes

Hermés’ carnets d’ équateur porcelain collection, find our coverage here
image © designboom

‘magazine basket’
fawn H bull calf and natural woven wicker
w 35 x d 30 x h 21 cm
image © designboom

‘magazine basket’ detail
image © designboom

‘spinning tops’
gold and black hunter cowhide in full leather technique, natural beech
ø 7 x h 8 cm
ø 2 3/4 H 3 1/8 in
image © designboom

‘mattress’
15 removable cushions in fawn H bull calf on a base of the same leather
white piping
headrest in fawn H bull calf
l 141 x w 68 x h 7cm
designer: RDAI
image © designboom

‘mattress’ detail
image courtesy of Hèrmes

‘leather boxes’
fawn H bull calf
large: ø 11 x h 20cm / ø 4 3/8 x h 7 7/8 in
medium: ø 13 x h 16 cm / ø 5 1/8 x h 6 1/4 in
small: ø 9 x h 16 cm / ø 3 1/2 x h 2 3/8 in
image © designboom

exhibition view, ‘lacquer objects’
image courtesy Hermès

‘square box’
structure in natural maple covered in fawn H bull calf
cover in natural maple
w 20 x d 20 x h 8cm
image © designboom

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