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Hermes + Hiroshi Sugimoto

In the latest edition of Hermès Editeur, the luxury brand has teamed up with Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.  The mission of Hermès Editeur, according to the brand’s website, is to bridge the art of craftsmanship and design with contemporary art.  Artists provide the brand a source of invention, inspiration and innovation, and the projects “confront our craftsmen with real challenges, at first glance insurmountable but overcoming them enables us to extend the limits of our savoir-faire,” according to Artistic Director Pierre-Alexis Dumas.  Previous editions of Hermès Editeur included collaborations with German artist Josef Albers and Contemporary artist Daniel Buren. 

The Sugimoto collection includes iterations of 20 of the artist’s abstract color studies on Hermès’ signature silk scarves.  Produced in limited editions of seven each, the complete collection is being called “Couleurs de L’Ombre” (Colors of Shadow).  The artist’s project of the same title was created after years of chasing bands of prismatic color around his studio and capturing them using the almost extinct Polaroid canvas.  Inspired by this vision, the brand developed new inkjet technology in order to recreate the subtle gradations of intense color.  At nearly $10,000 a piece, the real question becomes whether these scarves should be worn or mounted and framed on the wall. 

Scarf 107

Scarf 053

Sugimoto holding up a scarf from the collection

The artist examining designs over the course of the project (image via Hermes website)