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The value of these elements lies in the fact that they will age well, as they are not susceptible to passing fashions
Les Nécessaires d’Hermès is a collection of furnishings and accessories for the home that was introduced by the French Maison in 2013 and updated this year with new elements. The design of the dozen multipurpose furniture items and seats that make up the collection was entrusted to the talents of Philippe Nigro, French by birth but Italian by choice. As the name suggests, Les Nécessaires takes its cues from the functional, “necessar y” furnishings where, up until the 19th century, people kept everything they needed in their daily lives. They were built by outstanding artisans, a characteristic conserved in the valet stand, occasional tables, transformable seats and accessories that compose the Nécessaires. A collection that was complemented last year by Les Curiosités d’Hermès, three large, super accessorised trunk-cabinets. As he explains in this interview, Philippe Nigro (who was elected designer of the year 2014 by Now! Maison & Objet) has approached high craftsmanship by drawing inspiration from the world of design and his experience in large-scale productions with big design firms such as De Padova, Ligne Roset, Glas Italia, Venini, Caimi Brevetti. QUESTION How was the collection born, and what relationship was established with the artisans? ANSWER It was conceived in 2011, right after my first meeting with Her-
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mès: we began to think about a collection of functional items that, unlike sofas and other major furniture elements, would not necessarily be the “protagonists” of a home. We focused initially on specific items, and went on to expand the design brief while we developed new ideas. In the two years that went between my designing the pieces and their actual realisation, I worked in close contact both with the Hermès technical office and with the artisans. The wood and metal elements and the padding for these furnishings were developed by external resources, while the upholstery and other finishing touches were done internally, drawing on the maison’s historical expertise and knowhow in working with leather. Q. How was it to work in these exclusive workshops? In what way do they differ from those that are involved in more industrial productions? A. As a designer, I spent a lot of time discussing the details with the artisans who were making the pieces. Even if they are independent, these workshops are strongly engaged in the whole process because the workers are trained by Hermès artisans. On top of that, a special section of the workshop is often dedicated exclusively to Hermès. All the suppliers of this collection are in France, because the idea was to have a 100% French production. Regarding the approach, I would say that it is the same:
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