Pierre Hardy the Artistic Director for Hermès‘ shoes, jewelry and beauty lines, also runs his own leather goods brand, specifically shoes and bags. The independent brand and company which already operates a small and discreet boutique in Paris at Palais Royal, has now opened a new boutique at the prestigious Rue Saint Honoré. The 645 sqft boutique covers the complete range of products of the brand.
Hardy sketched the interiors himself. His original vision was as a theater, with shoes and handbags center stage. He skewed away from bold prints or patterns, sticking instead with neutral shades and linen curtains for a look he characterizes as “minimalist but quite warm.” Long metal banquettes are topped with cushions, to give the space a relaxed feel, while thick rugs cover reclaimed parquet flooring found in Tuscany.
Against the neutral background and under dramatic spotlights, the shoes and handbags are meant to be the story. Each season the script will change, and the space was designed in a way that furniture can move with several pedestal surfaces to showcase the product.
“I wanted to keep this feeling of roughness and neutrality that’s not intimidating,” he said. “We are on the street where all the luxury brands are and it isn’t that I don’t want to compete, but I want to play my own game and my own aesthetic.” The latest collection is titled, “Liberté,” It’s a creative endeavor of its own.
“It’s beyond challenging,” said Hardy. Hardy is averse to obvious branding and eschews logos. “It means keeping my identity as strong as possible and not trying to do the same [as the big brands]. It’s my only weapon,” he jokes.
