On an early October morning, on what felt like the first actual fall day, the Upper East Side looked more colorful than usual. And not just because of the leaves. Nestled in the middle of Madison Avenue’s luxury shops, the Hermès flagship store had received a bit of a makeover; the display windows full of the brand’s latest collection had been replaced with a blown-up coffee cup, a couple of street signs, and more fragments of New York City’s streets to honor the Petit H pop-up taking over the store for the next few weeks.
Designed alongside artist Lucia Hierro, the maison Madison space houses a special collection made solely from deadstock Hermès materials. And this wasn’t any collection. It was a collection of the quirkiest, most unique items I’ve seen from the brand. There was even a Birkin bag grocery trolley cart that was so beautiful I gasped out loud when I saw it for the first time. Just imagine the Trader Joe’s haul you could do with that!
Other items included a colorful bento box adorned with a leather hot dog, a hammock made from silk scarves, and several leather key chains ranging from a signature apple to a mini-poodle to a skyscraper. Some home goods are also for sale, like a collaged table made from broken plates, a functional wheelbarrow, and a geometrical candelabra inspired by a bench from the store’s patio terrace.
From left: Photo: Brooke LaMantiaPhoto: Brooke LaMantia
From top: Photo: Brooke LaMantiaPhoto: Brooke LaMantia
“The most beautiful scenes of New York come from the streets,” says Godefroy de Virieu, the creative director of Petit H. “We wanted inside the store to feel no different.” The inspiration for the collection, and the store design, came from every part of the city, including the farmers’ market in Union Square Market and Hierro’s home neighborhood, Little Dominican Republic, located in upper Manhattan. “There are many particular parts of New York, so it was important to highlight each of those,” said Hierro, noting that one of her favorite design elements is that the windows mirror the cardboard boxes holding plantains often found outside bodegas.
While the whole experience is shoppable, walking through the Petit H section of the store feels like you’re in a museum. Since everything is upcycled, each piece is bold enough to appeal to younger clients but singular and collectible for major brand fans who want an item no one else will have. Visit the store at 706 Madison Avenue until October 26.
From left: Photo: Frank OudemanPhoto: FRANK OUDEMAN
From top: Photo: Frank OudemanPhoto: FRANK OUDEMAN
From left: Photo: Brooke LaMantiaPhoto: Brooke LaMantia
From top: Photo: Brooke LaMantiaPhoto: Brooke LaMantia