Weaving Sweetness

Florence Lafarge, creative director of home textiles and the children's universe at Hermès, discusses meaningful objects, essential elegance, and the brand's timeless vocabulary of luxury

- Asih Jenie

Luxury is inherent in everything Hermès does-from the material sourcing, production and craftsmanship of its products to its sophisticatedly designed printed collaterals, all are done with care and clear intent. It seems to also be a rule, or at least a consensus, that the word luxury itself need not be mentioned, only precisely articulated.

"We don't really like this word at all," says Florence Lafarge, the brand's creative director of home textiles and the children's universe, in French. "We would like more than anything else to talk about good craftsmanship, good materials, beauty and timelessness." We are sitting on the steps next to The Topography of Materials by Hermès, the brand's deeply meditative installation at La Pelota, during Milan Design Week this year, with veteran interpreter Paolo Maria Noseda between us, translating her French into English. She elaborates further, explaining that the term "luxury" often implies "ostentation", which can overshadow the intrinsic value of the object itself. True luxury, she says, is not about a superficial label, but rather the essence of the object. "It's about the quality of the materials, exceptional craftsmanship, and the thoughtful use of colour."

CRAFTSMANSHIP OVER TECHNOLOGY