Paris, 24th April 2024
HERMÈS WIDENS ITS PRESENCE IN NEW JERSEY WITH A NEW BOUTIQUE IN PRINCETON ILLUSTRATING THE ACADEMIC HERITAGE OF THE CITY
On 24th of April Hermès is delighted to open a new boutique in the downtown district of the renowned university town of Princeton, making it the forty-first store in the United States. The bespoke design is a play between the town’s heritage and its fresh atmosphere, offering a traditional and contrasting environment in which to discover the sixteen métiers of the house.
The boutique is housed in a charming corner brick building in the heart of Palmer Square with a line of bow windows providing abundant natural light. The main entrance unveils a residential atmosphere enlivened by women’s and men’s silk universe as well as perfume and beauty, which sit beside the fashion jewellery collections. From here, a series of small salons highlights each métier flowing from one into the next. Stairs lead up to the equestrian display, which carries through to the home universe and finally to the jewellery and watches area in an intimate, all-wooden salon. Passageways, lacquered in a deep green, transect the store like the chapters of a story and guide the visitors from one side of the store to the other, passing through either the leather goods area or the men and women ready-to-wear, which are framed with textured softwood walls reminiscent of bound paper pages. Fitting rooms and a private salon, emphasize an intimate feeling.
Envisioned by the Parisian architecture agency RDAI, the store design draws on the local academic culture. A palette of deep blue-greens and autumnal reds complements the warmth of the wood, which is abundantly employed in the shelving and herringbone floors. Carpets woven in a graphic, striped composition of color, like a stack of books, delineate the métiers. Furniture, including sofas and chairs, along with the emblematic Faubourg mosaic and Grecques lighting enhance the warm ambience.
The artwork selection, which features touches of humor and equestrian themes, completes the decor. Contemporary works, such as American artist Evan Hecox’s colorful graphic, a tribute to 24,rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, sit alongside timeless masterpieces, such as a paddock oil painting by the French painter Maurice Taquoy from the Émile Hermès collection. To celebrate this opening, American artist Ruby Wescoat reinterprets Princeton’s scholastic legacy through a special window installation. Crows, displaying a keen intellect akin to scientists, humorously evoked by their naturally dark feathers reminiscent of formal academic attire, are engaged in scientific experiments to unveil cosmic secrets.
In this lively and scholarly town, Hermès invites visitors to discover the modernity of its collections in a unique environment that combines contemporary with exceptional know-how.
International Press Director:
Sophie Seibel-Traonouïl
Press Contact: Mark Recker, PR Director, Hermès USA
E-mail: mark.recker@hermesofparis.com
Phone: (212) 835 6486
Since 1837, Hermès has remained faithful to its artisan model and its humanist values. The freedom to create, the spirit of innovation, the constant search for beautiful materials, the transmission of savoir-faire of excellence, and the aesthetic of functionality all forge the singularity of Hermès, a house of objects created to last.
An independent, family-owned company which encompasses 16 métiers, Hermès is dedicated to keeping the majority of its production in France through its 60 production and training sites and to developing its network of 294 stores in 45 countries. The group employs 22,000 people worldwide, including 13,700 in France, of which nearly 7,300 are craftspeople*. Axel Dumas, a sixth-generation family member, has been Hermès CEO since 2013.
Founded in 2008, the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès supports projects in the areas of artistic creation, education, training and the transmission of savoir-faire, biodiversity, and the preservation of the environment.
* As of 31st December 2023
Hermès Princeton
17 Palmer Square West
Princeton, NJ 08542
Tel. +1 (609) 285-3050