PARIS, 13THJUNE 2018

REOPENING OF THE HERMÈS STORES

IN MONACO AND NICE

The stores in Monaco and Nice, both located on the seafront, have reopened topresent thecollections from Hermès' fifteen métiers to customers on the French

Riviera. The objects, clothing and accessories, which have been carefully chosenfor each location, reveal the abundance of Hermès' creations. The atmosphere ofthe South of France subtly permeates the lines and colours of these two spaces,redesigned by the architecture agency RDAI.

Mediterranean light and colour

The Parisian saddler pays tribute to the colours of the Riviera, accentuating the tworenovated spaces with shades of blue, honey and sand. In both Nice and Monaco, thelight hues of the cherry wood furniture are a warm reminder that nature is never far away.The windows have been designed to draw in the Mediterranean brightness. In Monaco, inorder to protect the store from the strong summer sun, glass screens combined with agolden metallic mesh, woven by textile designer Sophie Mallebranche, filter the sunlightfrom the façade. They also delineate spaces right down to the lower floor. The walls of theMonaco store, covered in a traditional stucco, coloured with natural pigments, arereminiscent of the wet and dry sands of the beaches. The matt white lacquered staff of thecolumns and ceiling echoes the radiant sky of the South of France.

The Nice store, endowed with a pale yellow façade, stands opposite the regal palm treesin the Jardin Albert-1er, one of the oldest parks in the Riviera'scapital. The walls, in whiteMarmorino plaster with a slight hint of grey, or enhanced with light oak in the jewellery andwatch area, soften the rays of sunlight that stream through the wide picture windows.

Craftsmanship and materials: a Hermès signature

LikeallHermès objects, the premises have been crafted to high standards, with masteryand a spirit of innovation,by the hands of artisans. In Monaco, the matt white lacqueredstaff of the columns and ceiling is hand-cast in wooden moulds, then installed andadjusted by local craftsmen.

The materials too have been chosen and crafted with the utmost skill. On the floor,terrazzo is combined with a mosaic depicting the historic motif of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré store in Paris. Fragments of glass, mother-of-pearl and silver, laid by hand, evokethe sparkling waters of the nearby sea.

The staircases punctuate the core of the spaces with their distinctive materials anddetails. In Monaco, the staircase is a true technical achievement, rendered entirely interrazzo. In Nice, light stone is furnished with a balustrade whose stirrup-shaped contoursrecallthe house's equestrian origins.

Fluidity, volume and perspective

The Hermès store in Monaco has undergone numerous transformations since it was firstopened in 1947. Its listed façade, which curves around the bend in the road well-known tofollowers of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, has been returned to its original appearance,rounded at the corners. An extra 150 square metres have been gained by digging into therock, creating 430m² of open, flowing space. The entrance, like a suspended balcony,offers a panorama of the entire ground floor at a single glance. The collections for thehome, those of the men's universe, equestrian, fragrances, bags and silk unfurl under thevisitor's gaze. On the lower floor, an atmosphere of understated elegance houses thewomen's universe, shoes and hats. To the left, the walls of the jewellery and watches areaare given subtle warmth by a pinky-ochre patina with touches of golden copper, createdby the artist Pierre Bonnefille.

In Nice, the stairwell was moved in order to emphasise the full depth of thestore's200 square metres, located just a stone's throw from the Baie des Anges since 1991. Aprofusion of creations from men's and women's ready-to-wear, silk, leather, equestrian,watches and jewellery occupy the ground floor. The home universe, installed as if in anapartment, benefits from the privacy of the mezzanine area, interspersed with largealcoves in light wood.

Hermès was established in Paris in 1837, and since then six generations of enterprising and passionateartisans have contributed to spreading its values: sourcing the finest materials, enriching the know-how of highlyprecise skills, and creating beautiful objects to last throughout time in a spirit of constant innovation.

Hermès is managed by Axel Dumas, CEO since 2013, with Pierre-Alexis Dumas as its Artistic Director. Both are sixth-generation members of the founding family.

The architecture agency RDAI, under the direction of Denis Montel, is responsible for designing all Hermès stores aroundthe world.

Hermès, 8 avenue de Verdun, 06000 Nice, France Hermès, 11-15 Avenue de Monte-Carlo, 98000 Monaco

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Hermès International SA published this content on 13 June 2018 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 13 June 2018 14:07:09 UTC