I am in a gallery in Milan, perched on one of the two short steps which run along the side of its entryway. This is no traditional white cube. Ahead of me, a maze of large, stark white structures hangs from the ceiling. A diffused halo of coloured light sits beneath each, corresponding in shape like kaleidoscopic shadows.
Inside them hides a wonderful display. You might find a colourful set of mouth-blown glasses in one, a hand-woven cashmere blanket in another, or if you’re lucky, stumble across a prismatic side table which doubles as a veritable piece of art.
Still, all I see from my current vantage point are the bottom halves of exhibition-goers milling around. (The eclectic assortment of footwear proves to be an unexpectedly fun, if somewhat truncated, way to people-watch.) It’s a calming balm to the otherwise frenetic pace of Milan Design Week, spanning the streets which lie just beyond the brick entrance of La Pelota.
Sitting with me are architect and designer Charlotte Macaux Perelman and curator and publisher Alexis Fabry. Having served as the artistic directors of Hermès Maison for over a decade now, the duo has dreamt up the hypnotic display we are gazing upon, where they are unveiling Hermès’s newest collections for the home.
“How do some objects emit emotion—something which is difficult to control?”
I point out to them the objects which have most captured my attention—like the aforementioned glasses, which I have since learnt were produced through cold-cutting to create stripes or a chequerboard pattern. The process is incredibly precise, but confoundingly is able to render a visual effect almost like watercolour.
“The Casaque glasses are some of my favourites too,” Macaux Perelman agrees. “Because there is a virtuosity behind the technique which is not visible. As you know, we cut away a part of the coloured glass so that you can see the transparent glass underneath. It is extremely difficult to carry out this casing technique, but we love the idea of a discrete and silent virtuosity.”
It’s a bold statement—one that feels almost like a segue from the storied maison’s obsession with craft. At least, that is until you are reminded that each object on display, from the immaculately saddle- stitched tartan leather baskets to the hand-woven cashmere throw, hem-rolled by hand and threads laced with 24-carat gold, are undeniable masterpieces of craftsmanship.
It’s what follows the craftsmanship that Macaux Perelman and Fabry seem to increasingly be concerned with. Their utility and aesthetic aside, these objects are accompanied by an almost childlike feeling of discovery—a quest for a new layer of meaning held within. Here, the duo offers a glimpse into the creative query that shaped this year’s collection, and where they think the future of object-making lies.
1 / 5
Beyond individual objects, what story is this year’s home collection telling?
Macaux Perelman: Last year, our focus was on the materiality of design— the importance of soil, land and raw materials. The materiality of an object is something you can control and work with. It is stable. This year, we are looking beyond that stability to explore the vibration an object emits, or its aura.
Fabry: The question we are asking is: why do some objects have an aura while others don’t? How do they emit emotions—something which is difficult to control?
2 / 5
The scene we are looking upon is exceptionally striking despite being very minimal. What inspired the idea for this year’s scenography?
Macaux Perelman: We chose to create this white setting with halos of colour on the floor, which serve to limit the space. It is a trace of abstract architecture, questioning the idea of what is full and what is empty. We highlight immateriality—something which escapes us and something you cannot calculate. This relates to the aura of an object and the presence it emits.
3 / 5
The Pivot d’Hermès side table by Tomás Alonso seems, to me, the ultimate exemplification of the message you are trying to drive across this year. What makes the object so special?
Fabry: In this object, we indeed have a miraculous result. When you manage to place the pivoting tray in a balanced position, sometimes it’s truly extreme. It feels like a tightrope walker’s expertise is embodied within the object. And that is because the designer Tomás Alonso manages to marry contradictory materials—that is his special talent.
4 / 5
You have such different backgrounds—Charlotte from architecture and design, and Alexis from publishing and curation—but the resulting vision is ultimately cohesive. How has your creative partnership developed?
Macaux Perelman: Yes, we have different backgrounds, stories and sources of inspiration. However, we agree not only aesthetically, but we also share great trust between ourselves and our teams. This is very important. We don’t question each other’s ideas. We have discussions, but it’s always a dialogue. There’s a common curiosity.
Fabry: It was a great gift to allow us to carry out this job together. There was a lot of risk involved too, because we were friends first, and this could have altered our friendship. But our creative partnership has actually strengthened our friendship. We look at objects from different viewpoints. Charlotte has her viewpoint from the culture of an architect and my viewpoint is different. But we ultimately converge.
5 / 5
We talked earlier about what drives you to create. I do believe that in the world we are inhabiting today, true luxury is taking the time to go through the process of making something beautiful—purely for the sake of creation. Looking into the future, what continues to inspire you?
Macaux Perelman: You mention time, which is indeed our best ally. Time, for Hermès, is the truest expression of luxury. We’ve always said that the small scale is, perhaps, even more important for us than the large-scale operation. It takes more energy and it can be extremely difficult to make, but it’s very important to us to try our best to reach something absolutely unique.
Fabry: We operate in the micro, not the macro. It’s not a question of spectacular gestures. We look at the smallest of details. If we’re dealing with a spoon, for example, we may look at varying its weight. No day is the same. We’re working on infinite questionings, but always with the same intentions.
