Hermès in the Making in Copenhagen: Live craftsmanship at DAC
Exhibition
Oct 15 - Oct 24, 2021
Hermès in the Making in Copenhagen ran from 15 to 24 Oct 2021, bringing visitors close to 11 artisans demonstrating how Hermès works with leather, silk and precious metals—framed around durability, repairability and the passing on of know-how.
How do you create sustainable designs that can be passed on for generations? You could get a close-up look at the French house Hermès when it moved to DAC in the fall 2021. You could meet eleven artisans, including leathermakers, a watchmaker, a saddler and silk printers, as they demonstrate their skills.
Perhaps you are familiar with Hermès’ silk scarves or its Kelly bag. But did you also know that Hermès still makes horse saddles? As well as watches, jewellery and tableware?
The artisans brought their tools, materials and know-how, so the whole family could watch them live in action. Together you could discover the detailed engravings and meticulously printed colors that give the silk scarves life. The beautiful saddle stitching on a leather piece or the shape of a pair of gloves. The inventiveness and expertise it takes to repair a bag. The patience necessary to create a watch or to adorn a bracelet with diamonds. The painstaking care it takes to paint the round edge of a white porcelain plate. And the dexterity required to assemble a saddle.
Since 1837, values such as durability, quality, innovation, passing down of know-how and functional aesthetics have permeated craftsmanship at Hermès. Values that resonate more than ever before in the most important challenges of our time in terms of sustainable production.
Photo: Hermès
Photo: Hermès 
Photo: Hermès
An event the whole family could enjoy
The exhibition’s playful set design was inspired by the artisan’s workbench. You could visit different workshops and learn about each of the crafts and explore how Hermès creates new designs using the finest materials – made to last and which develop a beautiful patina over time, and which can be repaired and passed on to your children, grandchildren and, yes, even great grandchildren.
You found interactive installations and sensory experiences for children and adults alike. You could take part in a workshop focusing on dexterity, and discover the films from the Footsteps across the World collection produced by documentary filmmaker Frédéric Laffont, which chronicles Hermès’ relationship with sustainable development.
Hermès in the Making opened its doors for the first time at Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen, before it travelled further to several cities in the USA
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What was Hermès in the Making in Copenhagen?
Hermès in the Making in Copenhagen was an exhibition at DAC where visitors could experience Hermès craftsmanship up close through live demonstrations by artisans.
When did the exhibition take place?
The exhibition ran from 15 to 24 Oct 2021.
What could visitors experience in the exhibition?
They could experience 11 artisans—including watch, bag and saddle makers—showing how they work with leather, silk and precious metals.
Which products and crafts are mentioned as examples?
The exhibitions mentions silk scarves, bags, saddles, watches, diamond bracelets and porcelain, alongside processes such as engraving, printing/colour work, repair and assembly.
What activities and formats were included besides live making?
The exhibition included interactive installations and sensory experiences, workshops on dexterity and colour/scent design, and short films from Footsteps across the World.
What should I know if I only read one thing?
Hermès in the Making (15–24 Oct 2021) made craft processes visible at DAC through 11 live workshops and a focus on durability, quality and repairability.