Luxury group Hermès strengthens presence in US

Located on the ground floor, the store combines façade columns inspired by the surrounding nature with a palette of colours and textures akin to Topanga State Park. The entrance, suffused with the soft light of the Grecques, leads to the first out of the four spaces, featuring women’s silk, perfume and beauty in a terracotta setting. On the left, the leather area, presented in a mural library, is home to small leather goods and equestrian accessories, and introduces a cosier room, whose 1950s-inspired furniture and upholstery are bathed in natural light. The second space, dedicated to fashion jewellery and men’s silk, gives way to a third area where men’s and women’s shoes are framed by two walls in sand tones, reminiscent of carved rocks. On the right, in an alcove clad with cactus-shaped dry soil panelling, watches and jewellery stand opposite to the homeware universe, which enjoys the sunbeams coming through an open storefront. The walk ends with a more intimate space showcasing men’s and women’s ready-to-wear selections, the company said in a press release.

The wall finishes echo the clay shades of the travertine stone and large mosaic on the floor, while the whole interiors pay homage to the adjacent herbaceous vegetation with niches in clear terracotta stucco and displays in cherry-wood veneer. The overall atmosphere set by Parisian architecture agency RDAI is a nod to the vivid, earthy hues of the canyon nearby. As for rugs and carpets, their colourful topographical layers reveal original shapes that suggest the changing local reliefs and skies.

The decor consists of more than forty artworks, mixing classic and contemporary themes and styles. Alongside a series of photographs by Joel Meyerowitz, and a dreamlike landscape by photographer Catherine Henriette from the Émile Hermès collection, is a luxuriant, sun-drenched scarf by the illustrator Filipe Jardim. Drawing on a breath-taking setting, French artists Octave Marsal and Théo de Gueltzl present the Retour à la Nature (“Coming back to Nature”) cashmere and silk shawl, the fruit of their residency in Mars Canyon, in Santa Monica mountains. 

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)