OUT OF OFFICE: LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s platform for archival and historical pieces Heristoria is showcasing its second chapter in Paris until Sunday.
According to Heristoria chief executive officer Gérosine Henriot, this second chapter was inspired by a visit to the Officine Générale Buly outpost in the Marais, located in a building that was once the Rudier foundry where artists like August Rodin and Antoine Bourdelle had their sculptures cast.
“Softness and calm reign supreme in this timeless place and this instantly evoked a sense of unavailability, symbolized by the expression ‘out of office’ today,” the executive said.
Given that “Out of Office” moniker, the 31-piece selection is a nod to escapism and explores a five-decade range between 1970 and the 2010s.
In this summer-minded selection are a zebra-motif spring 1973 Jean Patou dress from the final collection by Michel Goma, the designer who took over after Karl Lagerfeld as artistic director in the mid-1960s[; a spring 1986 sleeveless striped shirt from Kenzo; and a cream double-breasted linen dress from the 1980s that is part of the “Fendi 365” ready-to-wear line.
Several Christian Lacroix-era Patou scarves in colorful designs are also in the selection, as are a brooch from Parisian jeweler Fred and a 1970s Disco Volante timepiece, a design launched in 1974 and nodding to the Space Age, from Swiss watchmaker Zenith.
A Fendi dress from the 1990s.
Alex Pommier/Courtesy of Heristoria
There were also flagons of cognac from Hennessy and a picnic-ready kit from Veuve Clicquot that includes a limited-edition bag cosigned with yachting specialist Riva.
The Heristoria concept launched in November 2022 with “Preface,” a set of heritage items and experiences such as a visit to the Kenzo atelier or Chateau Yquem vineyard. The first chapter, “Time to Bloom,” was shown last May at The Cadogan hotel in London.
All items are one-of-a-kind and the Heristoria site is replenished as objects are unearthed, but won’t have scheduled “drops.” Not to be confused with resale, each piece is pulled from the maisons’ internal archives, and the platform does not offer peer-to-peer or strictly “secondhand” sales.
After their Paris showcase, the “Out of Office” selection will be available on the Heristoria website from July 10.