Hermès opens new store in Wuxi, China

Luxury fashion house Hermès opened on Thursday a new store in Wuxi, further expanding its footprint in China. 

Located in Center 66 at the heart of Liangxi District, the two-level space is architecturally inspired by water and stone, with a façade pattern paying homage to traditional Ming temple roofs. Vertical wooden tiles in a dark-blue hue create a kinetic effect, echoing the sinuous course of the Yangtze River, while opaque wood panels separate the store’s interior from the outside world.

Level one houses women’s silk, fashion jewelry, men’s silk, fragrances, and men’s ready-to-wear. Natural light illuminates the men’s ready-to-wear section, complemented by a dark-blue ceramic staircase with a bronze guard rail reminiscent of rain, leading to the leather universe and men’s shoe section. Level two houses women’s ready-to-wear and shoe areas, along with equestrian accessories, homeware collections, jewelry, watches, and a private lounge.

Created by the Parisian architecture agency RDAI, the floors on each level consist of granite grey stone highlighted by mosaic carpets bearing the Faubourg pattern, infused with dark-blue and pale-yellow tones. The unique design is reminiscent of the bas-relief in the Chenghuang temple from the Ming dynasty. Lastly, curved ceilings, brightened up with light oak wood, contribute to the store’s mineral nature.

Completing the space is art from French artists including works such as Thierry Ardouin’s photograph of l’Arbre du voyageur and French painter Antoine Carbonne’s carré design originals from the Émile Hermès collection. 

The opening marks the 34th address for Hermès in the country, asserting its anchorage in the prosperous Jiangsu province, often referred to as the “land of rice and fish.”