For its first saddle workshop outside its historic Paris headquarters, Hermès chose the equestrian region of Normandy, in the commune of Louviers. As the company's artistic executive vice president, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, noted at the inauguration in April, "Thierry Hermès was a saddlemaker for 10 years in Normandy before starting the company in the mid-19th century."
Even with this respectful nod to the past, the Maroquinerie de Louviers, designed by French Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh, is 100 percent 21st century in concept, with eco-responsibility at the forefront. For the construction of the 66,700-square-foot building, which sits on some 10 acres, Ghotmeh commissioned local artisans to hand-make the half million red bricks that now enrobe the pinewood frame, minimizing carbon emissions with what she calls "materials from nature" while supporting traditional Norman craft.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Architectural Digest US.
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Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Architectural Digest US.
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Elements of Style - Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry celebrate 10 years of artistic exploration at Hermès
Last March, Hermès brought its home universe to life in eye-popping fashion at a one-night-only extravaganza staged at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The lavish performance featured dozens of dancers showcasing the French luxury house's furniture, tableware, textiles, and decorative objects in elaborately choreographed vignettes that seemed to riff on the unboxing ritual so popular on social media-a supersized spectacle of conjuring magic from ordinary crates. The event also coincided with the 10th anniversary of Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry's tenure as artistic directors of the Hermès home division.
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