The voice of the storytellers: a squire, or rather a squireess, narrates
A play that is a walk through the ages where objects come alive and speak. Hermèstories makes its theatre debut at Franco Parenti in Milan, from 11 to 21 September
3' min read
3' min read
Saddles, harnesses and harnesses for horses: it was 1837 when Thierry Hermès moved from Normandy to Paris to produce them and then sell them in the city. Not even the most daring crystal ball would have allowed a glimpse then of the developments of a maison that, remaining firmly in the hands of the same family - and this in itself is a considerable achievement - remains the best in class in the world luxury sector, according to the economic results of the last quarter 2025. But precisely because of this, rivers of ink have been spilled to tell and make known to the world its history, passed down through iconic and beautiful objects. It was time to do something different. For instance, by exploring the language of theatre.
The idea comes from Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès, and sixth generation with Axel Dumas, current CEO, at the helm of the French company. This is how Hermèstories was born, which chooses Italy and Milan for its stage debut in a historic theatre in the city, the Franco Parenti, from 11 to 21 September, as if to give a cultural kick-off to the Milan Fashion Week that opens on the 23rd.
Loading...
So let's try to imagine: a silk yoke, gigantic, to fly through the sky, or a swing that, instead of a lift, takes you to the high floor of the historic 24, Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where the first Hermès boutique opened in 1880.
The direction is entrusted to Pauline Bayle, author and actress, who has been directing the Théâtre Public de Montreuil, just outside Paris, since 2022: a professional storyteller capable of bringing classics such as the Iliad and the Odyssey to the stage, creating plays that are as challenging as they are accessible. Here the protagonist is a squire named Lad, the iconic equestrian figure of Hermès, played however - mirroring the times - by a young woman. He strolls aimlessly on an ordinary late afternoon around the historic Parisian store and encounters objects and characters that tell stories, curiosities, anecdotes. In dialogue with him is a narrator. And then there is a noisemaker, Monsieur Bruit, who enriches the story with materials and gestures, producing surprising acoustic effects.
"The show highlights the whole world of Hermès," Bayle tells us. "It is not historical, it does not follow a precise chronology, it goes through the ages using different languages, such as humour, oral transmission, balancing aesthetics and the functionality of the objects. There is a deep loyalty to the values of the maison that has allowed it to evolve at the pace of the world's transformations. With this show, I wanted to create a sort of 'flânerie' between the eras. In the writing, with a very French spirit, we sought above all lightness'.
Loading...
