French leather goods house Hermès is furthering its La Nature theme for 2016 by collaborating with an African art collective.
The art collective, Ardmore, established in 1985, features the ceramics of Zulu, Zimbabwean and Sotho potters based in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
Hermès has often featured African themes in its silk scarves, so the Ardmore style of flora and fauna, such as elephants and palms, meshes well with the brand’s existing aesthetic.
Friends of the savanna
According to WWD, the collaboration between Ardmore and Hermès has been two and half years in the making. Of the six designs submitted to Hermès, the house accepted two, “The Savana Dance” and “Le Marche du Zambèze.”
Both designs were created by Sydney Nyabeze, a painter originally from Zimbabwe. The Savana Dance print features a wildlife narrative of a monkey being chased by a leopard while La Marche du Zambèze shows an elephant and other animals in Zimbabwe.
The silk twill scarves are now available in select Hermès boutiques and online. The La Marche du Zambèze scarf is available in 10 color options and is sold at $375, per current exchange rate. Hermès’ The Savana Dance, made of vintage silk, is sold for $288 with eight color choices.
Furthering its exploration of African wildlife, Hermès is showing the “fierce and fragile” side of big cats through a museum exhibition celebrating the art of Robert Dallet.
From Jan. 10 through March 13, visitors to the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT can view nearly 75 drawings, sketches, paintings and Hermès scarves designed by the late Mr. Dallet.
The exhibit, and the sale of Mr. Dallet-related merchandise, will benefit the big cat conservationist group Panthera, best known for its connection to Zimbabwe’s Cecil the Lion (see story).
Editorial: Luxury Daily