It looks like Wuhan has more or less bounced back after a pretty dark period in history, and Hermès pitches in with a glittering relocated boutique for some wholesome retail therapy. Coinciding with the luxury brand’s tenth anniversary in the city, it has picked a new two-level location at Wuhan Plaza 66, now widely considered as the city’s premier high-end shopping centre. The interior design by Paris-based architecture practice and longtime collaborator RDAI takes heaps of inspiration from the luxury brand’s storied boutique on rue du faubourg St.-Honoré. The store’s outdoor and indoor exteriors are covered in sleek ceramic tiles in an ochre hue as an nod to the house’s signature packaging. Inside, shoppers find flooring in matching ochre and brown marble and shimmering fragments that reference a river and pays homage to the Yangtze river that flows through the city.

A wide variety of custom-made rosewood furnishings and fixtures dot the premises, presenting no less than sixteen Hermès product categories. In the centre of the ground floor, light shines through the gaps of the stair case’s bamboo wall panels, casting whirling shadows. Upstairs, the home collection and the women’s ready-to-wear and footwear space overlooks can be found. Also to be found here are the brand’s iconic silk scarves, leather goods and men’s apparel and shoes. Gradient carpets ranging from deep pink to light pink, and from turquoise to sand are interwoven on the ground. The bright and diverse colours make each product category clearly separated yet also smoothly connected. The jewellery section features Japanese-style woven wall coverings while the V.I.P. room sees walls covered in hand-painted silk fabrics. The new Hermès store opening also comes with the release of rare items, such as s pink Kelly Doll bag and a floral-patterned Picotin Lock Micro bag.

Designed by

RDAI

Images © Hermès

Photography: Tsing Lim