An Exclusive Look At Hermès' Biggest Store In Hong Kong -

The thrill of opening an orange box with the Hermès logo became even more exciting with the inauguration of the flagship store on 10 Chater Road, Central.. Hermès Ceo Axel Dumas walked from the old address a block away to the 1000 square meter store in Landmark Prince’s ground floor to cut the brown ribbons that wrap up every Hermès gift box. Inside were three floors of apparel, leather goods, home line and fragrances.

Bamboo Scaffolding Inspiration

Trumpeteers stood on the curbside fronting the main entrance on Ice House Street, where guests queued in single file, unmindful of the chill on one of the coldest days in Hong Kong. Mr. Dumas and Hermès Managing Director of Hong Kong and Macau Elsa Rameau stood in a casual reception line to welcome them to the newest and biggest Hermès home that wafted of Hermès fragrance. “This is not just a store,” Mr. Dumas said. “It is part of the maison in Paris. It is our home in Hong Kong and we hope it  will also be yours.”

The connection to the Hermès maison in Paris was evoked through the paintings and photographs from the collection of forbear Charles-Emile Hermès, which were displayed throughout the retail space.  

Art work from the collection of Hermès ancestor Charles-Emile Hermès find a home in the Hong Kong flagship store
Art work from the collection of Hermès ancestor Charles-Emile Hermès find a home in the Hong Kong flagship store

Artistic Director Denis Montel, who conceptualized the store design, brought the western heritage together with the Hong Kong environs through the three-dimensional, vertical façade inspired by traditional bamboo scaffolding. It was a meeting of two worlds from different parts of the globe, and a coming together of history and the contemporary.

Home Designed by Hermès

The bamboo element repeated in the staircase that is a centerpiece of the store. Pass the fragrances, fashion jewelry, and the silk scarves and silk collections on the ground floor, the staircase leads up to the mezzanine and the men’s universe of clothes and leather goods. It includes the latest shoe collection for men with sandals, loafers, sneakers, moccasins and derby shoes. The women’s universe is situated in the mezzanine on the next level and holds the women’s collections, including jewelry accessories, watches and a VIP l’ecrin” for jewelry.

The top level is a vision of what an Hermès home would look like with furniture tableaus simulating different parts of the house. Home décor for a living room and other parts of the house are set on clever pieces that transform into cabinets and entertaining modules.  A dining table is set with dinnerware from the Carnet d’Equateur collection while pieces of the widely popular H Deco collection and Balcon du Guadalquivir displayed on the shelves.

Let’s Play

The store projects an element of fun from the window display to the foosball table on the third floor, which people can play. It is a resonance of the Hermès theme for the year “Let’s play.” Hermès Hong Kong celebrates this theme with the release of a limited edition of Sac A Malice small bag collection that will be available only in the Landmark Prince store. The wearable art features illustrations of a dice roll, the Hong Kong skyline and a birdcage.

by Anna Isabel C. Sobrepeña

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