Usually whimsical, they are made from shelved projects, discontinued leathers or colors and items that do not stand up to standards to carry the name Hermès.
This "new life" line gives rejected leather pelts, broken bits of porcelain, decapitated crystal goblets and strips of silk scarves the opportunity to shine.
This "new" line is the brainchild of Pascale Mussard. Started a few years ago, she, the great-great-great-granddaughter of company founder Thierry Hermès, was in the factory when beautiful fabrics, products and leathers that did not "cut it" and were doomed to be destroyed, felt a deep desire to do something.
She started keeping bits and pieces and engaged Gilles Jonemann, a jewelry designer working under his own name who held no awe for Hermès bags or silk scarves to aid her.
They worked on it secretly for a year, creating about 100 prototypes. She then took the concept of selling Petit H goods to her family, the lawyers and previous artists that owned the designs of the "parent" product. I am so thankful that she did what she did. Her line has brought new joy to Hermès Lovers.
As always, these items live up to the expectations and scrutiny of the house of Hermès. The artisans on this line are very experienced and were selected by Ms. Mussard to join the Petit H atelier after proving themselves at Hermès's larger factories.
Petit H "expresses the values most dear to Hermès," says Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès's artistic director and Ms. Mussard's cousin. He adds that it remains "faithful to the artisan spirit of the house using exceptional discarded materials to create and reinvent beautiful objects full of fantasy which are unusual."
Petit H also allows Hermès to boast—as the company does on its website—"We don't throw anything away."
So next time you are considering an Art purchase or a Hermès? Get both !
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