Hermès doesn’t shy away from a maximal production, but for their presentation at Milan Design Week, they went minimal—in a big way. The enormous, historic La Pelota exhibition space was transformed into an austere white void, punctuated by monolithic white shapes that seemingly hovered above the floor emitting warm-hued glows.
Installation view of Hermès’s Milan Design Week 2025 presentation. Photo: Maxime Tétard. Courtesy of Hermès.
The impressive scenography came courtesy of Charlotte Macaux Perelman, the artistic director of Hermès Maison. Guests would round the corner of her serene displays to discover an intimate arrangement of homewares within. The Hermès team packed lightly—but well. There was a lot of Mondrian-style color blocking, and the overall theme seemed to be high design with restraint.
Installation view of Hermès’s Milan Design Week 2025 presentation. Photo: Maxime Tétard. Courtesy of Hermès.
The press materials stated: “Certain objects, furniture, and fabrics come alive with a reassuring vibration, shimmering with a familiar halo. An object can be an emotion.”
That sentiment played out across the collection in subtle but inventive ways. London-based designer Tomás Alonso, known for his precise, material-forward furniture, presented a side table that combines Japanese cedar and colored lacquered glass—an unexpected but welcome pairing. The matte wood offered a soft contrast to the saturated panels of glass, while the rounded wood base played off the more geometric silhouette of the table’s body. As light passed through the colored surfaces, it added yet another dimension—a quiet play of hue and shadow.
A handblown amber glass vase was accentuated by a supple calfskin leather cuff— another surprising yet natural pairing. In fact, all of the glassware was covetable, with just the right amount of color.
Amer Musa, Partition. Creation: Studio Hermès. Photo: Maxime Tétard. Courtesy of Hermès.
The same could be said of the cashmere blankets, a staple of Hermès. Jordanian artist and designer Amer Musa added an auric touch to her geometric cashmere throw: 24-carat gold powder delicately applied to fine, hand-woven cashmere, the pattern meant to evoke musical staves. This is the softer side of minimalism, after all.
Source: Exhibition - news.artnet.com
