HERMÈS’ WINDOW DRESSING THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

words by VERONICA TLAPANCO SZABÓ

Whimsy, wit, and an almost childlike sense of play have long lived behind the glass at Hermès. Legend has it, the maison’s devotion to theatrical window dressing was born in the 1930s, when a young Annie Beaumel (then a sales assistant in the glove department) was asked to step in for the window manager after an untimely sick day. She rearranged objects with a guileless instinct, suspended saddles upside down, and treated the vitrine like a canvas. The result was so charming that Beaumel remained in charge of the windows until 1978.

all images courtesy of HERMÈS

That very spirit reached new heights when Tunisian designer Leïla Menchari entered the scene in 1961, eventually succeeding Beaumel and earning herself the title of “Queen of Enchantment.” Under her reign, the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré windows became theatrical and extravagant. The storytelling at the core of her work makes perfect sense for a house that, since 1837, has remained loyal to its artisan model. Freedom of creation, innovation, the pursuit of beautiful materials, the transmission of savoir-faire, and an aesthetic rooted in function have all shaped Hermès since day one. The windows are simply the first introduction of these values to visitors.

Known as vitrines, Hermès window displays change throughout the year and follow an annual theme shared across the globe. While the framework is collective, each city offers its own interpretation of it, often through collaborations with local artists, designers, and scenographers. Below, we have a curated journey for you through some of recent Hermès’ vitrines.

“DRAWN TO CRAFT” — AMSTERDAM (2025)

This year's theme integrates the creative “process” itself into the design, courtesy of Franco-Danish artist Victor Cord’homme. A snowy universe emerges where characters ski across infinite bridges, glide past observatory igloos, and tumble through Amsterdam. Mechanical pulleys lift angelic figures through Chaîne d’ancre-shaped windows, while Hermès objects such as a Mini Clic Médor bracelet and the R.M.S Cabin suitcase appear mid-journey across P.C. Hooftstraat 94.

“SPIRIT OF THE FAUBOURG” — AMSTERDAM (2024)

In 2024, Hermès turned inward, paying homage to 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the very place where it all began. The displays layered yet another reference into the design; the 100th anniversary of André Breton’s Surrealist Manifesto. Dutch set designer and creative director Marcel van Doorn orchestrated this visual narrative, crafting an installation of multiple paper disks, some even rotating, that nod to early praxinoscopes, treasured pieces from Hermès’ extensive archive.

“THE ASTONISHING MOMENT OF LIFE” — ZURICH (2023)

The theme invited visitors to see the mundane anew through artist Gkritzali’s lens. In collaboration with the ECAL (University of Applied Sciences and Arts) they took as a starting point the most ordinary of actions such as eating, dressing and playing. These daily rituals were then reimagined through geometric forms and iconic Hermès accessories to all be choreographed into one mesmerising narrative. 

“LIGHTNESS” — HONG KONG (2022)

Under the theme Lightness, the Hong Kong vitrines lifted human activity into the sky. Where figures floated among clouds, suspended in airy landscapes capturing the connection between freedom and imagination.

“UNE ODYSSÉE HUMAINE” — GERMANY (2021)

Each vitrine was composed of a layered setting, part landscape, part architecture with grainy plywood, ceramic slabs, airbrushed forms, and papier-mâché structures all coexisting in a sustainable harmony. The result is tactile and thoughtful!

“AN EPIC JOURNEY” — MUMBAI (2020)

In a year that divided time itself into “before” and “after,” Hermès Mumbai turned toward endurance for its design. Where the windows depicted an expedition to Mount Everest, a journey known to be full of challenges. The snow-covered landscapes and climbing figures features became metaphors for the personal summits each of us was learning to climb during that time. 

“IN THE PURSUIT OF DREAMS” — PARIS (2019)

Clouds drift lazily across painted skies, lakes curve into the shape of horses, and barns subtly transform into woven bags. Nature and objects mirror one another, in this gentle, folk-inflected world.

 "LET'S PLAY" — NEW YORK (2018)

Designed by Pierre Charpin, this Madison Avenue display offered a striking and simple composition, the horse, of course, impossible to ignore. Charpin seamlessly blended the maison’s equestrian heritage with his own distinctive artistic language.