Theater buffs and Hermès devotees may have a reason to mingle over the next two weeks, as the French luxury maison sets the stage for a play and exhibition that constructs an equestrian world around the brand’s many iconic — and equally whimsy — designs.
Written by Pauline Bayle and directed by Joe Hufton, the playful theatrical number was launched at Hong Kong‘s Freespace within West Kowloon Cultural District last weekend.
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The play and exhibition will be open to the public until Nov. 8, and visitors can sign up for free online.
Dubbed Hermèstories, the production follows Lad, a young woman playing a waiting groom and equestrian figure for Hermès, as they stroll through Paris in the late afternoon and encounter a cast of characters along the way.
The story begins at Hermès’ flagship on Paris’ Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where silk scarves and fine leather goods set the scene for a playful journey through the luxury maison’s history. The characters then find themselves at a desert window display and take the audience along for an adventure filled with witty exchanges, misunderstandings, wordplay and songs.
Along the way, familiar Hermès objects — from silk scarves and the signature orange box to zippers and Bolide bags — become part of the action, reflecting the house’s playful bent.
For Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès, the showcase brings Hermès, its silk scarfs, Kelly and Birkin bags, colorful scarves, vividly to life.
“At Hermès, every object has something to say,” said Dumas. “‘There is no amnesia in design,’ as Jean-Louis Dumas would always say,” added Dumas.
An accompanying exhibition, which invites audiences to wander through an installation designed as a backstage storage space, offers a chance for visitors to get a closer look at famous Hermès designs.
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