Commissioned work for Hermès
This summer Levi van Veluw created these installations for Hermès, working for 4 weeks together with 16 Chinese workers in Shanghai's industrial area. The items in the window display are all handmade in wood veneer, with craftsmanship that reflects a human touch and attention to detail.
The Hermès Maison in Shanghai is the fifth of its kind worldwide, after Maisons in Paris, New York, Tokyo, and Seoul. The H-shaped, double-fronted and double-exposure building offers 1,174 square meters of retail and exhibition space complete with a rooftop garden.
Full Press release
For the Hermès Maison in Shanghai, Levi van Veluw has created a daring window display that depicts the journey of a horse who set out from a French atelier, ventures across exotic continents, and finally arriving in China – a visual tribute to the relationship between Hermès and China.
Each window displays a moment in the noble animal’s journey, frozen in time. With exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail, Levi uses wood veneer to capture the horse and its journey. To the artist, wood not only breathes a sense of history, but is also profoundly associated with the force of life itself.
The horse - traditionally a symbol of inspiration, intelligence, and warmth - brings a powerful and dynamic spirit to the window display, representing the determination and confidence that Hermès unswervingly inherits its essence of foundation.
French Romance Arrives with the Horse
Hermès Celebrates the Grand Opening of the Hermès Maison in Shanghai
September 12, 2014, Shanghai – The Hermès Maison in Shanghai today made its debut, opening in the same the year as the fiftieth anniversary of establishment of Sino-Franco diplomatic relations and the Chinese Year of the Horse. The Hermès Maison in Shanghai is the fifth of its kind worldwide, after Maisons in Paris, New York, Tokyo, and Seoul. Located on the corner of Central Huaihai Road and Songshan Road, the Hermès Maison in Shanghai adds to the dynamic presence of Hermès stores throughout the world.
The H-shaped, double-fronted and double-exposure building offers 1,174 square meters of retail and exhibition space complete with a rooftop garden. The figure of a Hermès firework-maker on horseback, a replica of that in Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, adorns the terracotta roof of the Maison. The first floor houses Hermès’ women’s and men’s silk collections, including a colorful selection of exquisite scarves and ties. Luggage, leather bags, agendas, and small leather goods occupy cherry-wood shelves and cabinets, across from a jewelry display. The second floor contains the men’s and women’s collections, comprising a full range of ready-to-wear, gloves, silks, and shoes. The 284-square meter third floor is dedicated to homeware, including furniture, textiles, porcelain, and crystal, as well as sports and leisure products, such as beach and picnic goods. The 210-square-meter fourth floor is a museum-quality event and exhibition space.
In celebration of the opening, Hermès created a series of special products in red for China and in blue for Shanghai. These exceptional pieces include an ailée saddle in H red and Malteseblue crafted from crocodile skin; alligator skin bags; mini bags embroidered with sapphires or red silk threads; the Pégase d’orcouture scarf; a limited-edition series of eight Arceau Chevaux Cocotte watches made from champlevé enamel in shades of red with a matte H red alligator strap; and the Galop Hermès necklace, bracelet and ring - all in white gold in the form of a diamond-encrusted horse’s head.
The Maison window display by Dutch artist Levi van Veluw installed for the opening depicts a horse traveling from France to China, representing the relationship between Hermès and China. The items in the window display are all handmade in wood veneer, with craftsmanship that reflects a human touch and attention to detail.
The Hermès Maison in Shanghai presents Hermès’ legacy of excellence, from 1837 to today. Combining cultural elements from the East and the West, the Hermès Maison in Shanghai is both modern and historic, true to the spirit of Hermès and its legendary French elegance.
