The Other Side
What does innovation mean for Hermès? We discover that its vision for the future lies in its past
Whether it’s a new Netflix series to binge on or a must-try app to download, it’s human nature to look for the next big thing. Often the quest for the new requires a rejection of the old, but for Hermès, forward-thinking means digging deeper into what it has been doing for almost two centuries. “My father used to say that we have two legs for walking at Hermès, one is called tradition and the other innovation. In order to walk we need both legs, and we also need to lose balance, which means to take a risk at every step,” said artistic director Pierre-alexis Dumas at the brand’s theme unveiling event in February.
Melding old and new is a common narrative for many luxury brands, but what sets Hermès apart is its strong commitment to craftsmanship and its united direction. While other houses create disparate collections, each
Hermès metier has the same starting point: a central theme that shapes the creative direction for the year. In 2018, the theme was “Let’s Play”, while last year it was “In the Pursuit of Dreams…”—these are reflected in every metier ranging from leather to home and its newest one, Hermès Beauty.
For 2020, the theme is “Innovation in the Making”, which was decided on before Covid-19’s disruption has forced everyone to transform the way they do business. And what does one do when innovation is on the agenda? Create an environment of learning, and that is indeed what transpired at this year’s theme event in New York.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
The event was a closed-door affair where the tight-knit Hermès team from around the world met friends of the brand, which included Tatler Singapore. Along with my classmates, which included designers Pierre Hardy and Véronique Nichanian, we rode a quintessential yellow school bus then took a short ferry ride to Governor’s Island, the site of the one-day-only Hermès University. We were welcomed by our “dean” Dumas, who introduced our lecturers: French philosopher François Jullien, Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson, paleoanthropologist Ian Tattersall, artist and choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili, and legendary designer Jony Ive.
Trust Jullien to pose a series of simple yet thought-provoking questions: what exactly is innovation? Is it merely thinking out of the box? Does it sit diametrically opposed to tradition? After outlining the arguments, he arrived at the conclusion that innovation is borne from tradition. “God did not create the world in one day but every day. Tradition is a continuous innovation—it is the act that innovates.”
The focus on the “gesture” as opposed to the idea or “aha moment” alone resonates with Hermès. Dumas notes that the company’s innovation “lies in the miraculous interaction of the mind, the hand and the material”.
SEEING DOUBLE
Bali Barret, artistic director of the women’s universe, concurs that innovation is at the heart of creation at Hermès. “We are always seeking to push the boundaries, seeking
astonishment, a new thing. It’s alive and very much supported by the craftsmanship of the house.” The result of this entrenched culture of innovation is a double-sided scarf, a marvellous new creation launched early this year. It is a result of a decade of iteration and exploration; the findings are so precious that the exact way of making it is kept a secret to even those within Hermès.
“The Double Face scarf is a great innovation in the history of silk printing. Without the genius of craftsmanship nothing was possible. We have been working on it for over 10 years. The idea came to me from a silk scarf that I found in a military surplus, printed with a different military map on each side. At first, the craftsmen told me that it was impossible to do. Technology has evolved a great deal in the last 15 years and one day the craftsmen said ‘maybe’. And the adventure began. Sometimes it’s just a matter of time and tenacity. It is a fine and complex work, which was developed by the craftsmen and textile engineers of Lyon for three or four years,” shares Barret.
At Hermès, not only do the craftsmen and designers have a space conducive to creativity, but also sufficient time for discovery. Without the pressure of a hard deadline, it’s an environment prime for breakthroughs, big or small. Pre-pandemic, a lead time of a decade seems untenable given the constant churn to come up with what’s next. But if the past few months has shown us anything, there’s a yearning for a slower pace and more meaningful interactions. Bringing back the humanity to the way we live is a better future. And here, yet again, Hermès is ahead of the curve.