Hermes marks China anniversary with unique exhibition

Hermes exhibition called Harnessing the Roots in Shanghai with a focus on the brand's origins as a harness maker. Photos Provided to China Daily

To mark the 20th anniversary of Hermes in China, the French luxury house has launched an exhibition called Harnessing the Roots in Shanghai.

"We arrived in Shanghai in September 1997 and opened Hermes Maison in Shanghai in 2014. Now we have 24 boutiques in China and will open stores in Changsha and Xi'an. The Chinese market is very important for Hermes. And we hope this show about the DNA of Hermes will help people understand what we want to do," says Hermes Greater China chief executive officer Luc Hennard.

The exhibition comprises five parts: Brides de Gala; The Horse and Its Tack; the Saddle, Buckled Up and Ties and Straps.

The focus is on Hermes origins as a harness maker and the way in which these origins have influenced the bags, garments and accessories throughout the brand's 180-year history.

The objects at the exhibition are arranged by theme rather than in chronological order.

The exhibition also includes a video of the whole process of making a saddle recorded by Robert Dumas (the fourth generation of Hermes) in 1962.

Chinese visitors can listen the audio done by Chinese actor Wang Qianyuan, best actor winner at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2010.

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermes says, "We believe that every design is remembered. The old memory is never a drag but inspires us to move on."

Bruno Gaudichon, the curator of the exhibition, who is also the curator at the "La Piscine" Museum of Art and Industry in Roubaix, in northern France, says: "Hermes always finds a balance between innovation and heritage. It creates the trend while not forgetting to inherit the tradition."

The exhibition will open to public through Nov 18.