Its creation, in 2010, signified a new era for Hermès: it was this small creative laboratory that transformed the leftovers of the ateliers into works of art, and that brought words like upcycling and sustainability to the luxury industry's agenda, much earlier than expected. But the intention of petit h has never been other than to keep alive the innocence of childhood, that period when everything seems possible. This is precisely what its creative director, Godefroy de Virieu, advocates.
Its creation, in 2010, signified a new era for Hermès: it was this small creative laboratory that transformed the leftovers of the ateliers into works of art, and that brought words like upcycling and sustainability to the luxury industry's agenda, much earlier than expected. But the intention of petit h has never been other than to keep alive the innocence of childhood, that period when everything seems possible. This is precisely what its creative director, Godefroy de Virieu, advocates.

“Creation in reverse.” It sounds like a dirty word, but the expression that best sums up the philosophy behind petit h is actually a metaphor for the almost surrealistic work to which its designers, artists and craftsmen are dedicated. After all, what about a place where materials (always unexpected, always surprising) reign over ideas and where any convention is discarded in favor of a new (and inspiring) story? Founded by Pascale Mussard, a descendant of Thierry Hermès, in 2010, the petit h was intended as a “laboratory and a place of innovation”, something it has obviously become - first with the curiosity aroused by pioneers, then with the respect demanded by avant-gardists acclaimed by critics and the public. It is in Pantin, on the outskirts of Paris, that the headquarters of petit h is located, a magical place where through the constant dialogue between creativity and craftsmanship delightful objects are produced, all of them with a utilitarian purpose, from leftover materials (it is interesting to use this word, “leftovers”, because that is precisely what they are, things that are “left over” from some activity, things left behind in a process, that's also where the poetry of these “leftovers” comes from, like the torn sheets of paper from restaurant tables where any of us, as a child, wasted hours drawing) or from imperfect products (belt buckles, crystal glasses, pieces of leather that don't pass quality control, rolls of dormant silk).
The end result, that is, the petit h signature objects, which can be either miniature airplanes and boats or supermarket trolleys with many similarities to Kelly wallets, are proof that creative recycling (or what is now commonly called upcycling) is viable in the luxury industry. And they demonstrate, at the same time, that it is possible to maintain the quality and craftsmanship of the artisans, whatever the project at hand - from large orders to more discrete marketing challenges. Sustainability has long been part of the Hermès lexicon, and petit h is proof of that. And its creative director, Godefroy de Virieu, knows that this concern, along with many others, has always been in the maison's DNA. In this cabinet of curiosities, the only limit is imagination and the only rule is that there are no rules.
We’re just beginning a new year, which is always a good time to look ahead… but also to think about what we have left behind us. This will be your 5th year as creative director of petit h. What is your assessment of these first years, and what are your plans for 2023 in the atelier? I am very proud of what we do in the workshop. Petit h is a unique responsible creation concept based on Hermès materials that are dormant and deserve another life. We are continuing our efforts to ensure that each of our creations pays tribute to our materials, know-how and creative freedom. We are also adept at constantly evolving, researching new areas of know-how, finding new techniques, being ingenious and integrating new materials. We are moving forward with new explorations of raw materials that respect our environment and that we combine with our existing ones. We are exploring new avenues such as wicker, terracotta, linen and paper, which we are incorporating into our own materials. These are exciting projects!
Sustainability is now a big word in fashion, but when petit h was founded, in 2010, its eco-conscious purpose wasn’t the industry’s biggest concern. How has the recent global focus on sustainability and upcycling impacted the atelier’s development? Sustainability and upcycling, for Hermès, are not a new marketing angle. It is firmly established in the house’s roots to always be creative, always respect the very precious materials we work with and the highly skilled craftsmanship that goes into making these objects. This is a very strong element of the house’s spirit. Artists and designers are increasingly concerned about the origin and scarcity of our resources. There is now very high awareness and it is a very good that the materials are valued and respected. It's an artisan mindset to keep and set aside offcuts of leather or silk, like little treasures. We must be fair and reasonable in our use of materials.Not only was this approach already firmly established at Hermès, but Petit h was able to make it a self-evident principle. Today we even go so far as to explore uses for our own material offcuts, taking our approach to its limits (with the goal of throwing nothing away), such as making adhesive tape from leather offcuts, or turning fragments of broken porcelain into a magnificent coffee table in Picassiette style mosaic.
You have stated, more than once, that the petit h method is “creation in reverse.” With that in mind, is it possible to know what the outcome of the creative process will be, or is it always a surprise? Does that mean you have total creative freedom? What is fascinating is to start with an intention, a spark, a rush of enthusiasm around a material fragment. It is by following the path of this creation in reverse that the road can suddenly take several forms. It is these exchanges and ideas that can be the source of new inspiration. This makes it possible to give the creation “branches”. It is this whole journey that is exciting. You let yourself be guided and you don't rule anything out, and all of a sudden everything falls into place. The object takes shape. The materials are there, waiting, and that thought can be quite dizzying, like a writer staring at a blank page, but I know a little spark will come when the time is right. For example, we gave an obsolete saddle tree to 10 artists. We started with around sixty saddle trees from the 1960s, originally from the equestrian métier, which were passed on to us by the Conservatoire des Créations Hermès. The tree is the skeleton inside the saddle; it is a magnificent object that is highly symbolic for Hermès. I like to give the material or object a new life by diverting it from its original use. The saddle tree becoming a chair is a process that I particularly appreciated, and which reflects the creativity of petit h really well. This example perfectly evokes how, with the eye of an artist and the expertise of an artisan, we are able to create brilliant objects, with different uses, but which all offer a slice of Hermès’ history.I am also in awe of the guitar we designed with Jérôme Cognet, an artisan-luthier based in Paris. It was an exciting collaboration in which we pooled our know-how to create this magnificent guitar made from a saddle tree. We had 10 unique creations, each one as surprising as the next: a guitar, a chair, a swing, a sledge, a basket …
I understand that the concept behind the petit h is to make products (“useful objects”) that we can use in our everyday lives. But has it happened to you or your team that, all of a sudden, you felt an urgent need to create an upcycled version of a Kelly bag? Petit h’s aim is to draw inspiration from the material used to make objects with a twist, objects that create surprise because they are ingenious, surprising and funny but that remain useful.The materials we receive come from all Hermès métiers, and occasionally we are given bags.This is how we redesigned a Birkin and gave it a twist, by separating out its damaged part and reconstructing it with canvas and skateboard wheels. It has been renamed the Roule-Birkin, not without humour!
That concept of the petit h is, in a way, very similar to that of our relationship with children: we let them play with “leftovers”, in your case unused or surplus materials. Is it this naiveté, or innocence, that makes petit h so special? Being in the materials store inspires dreams and makes you feel like a child building a den. It’s about using what we have to hand.The talents of our artists and craftsmen are, however, the result of high levels of sensitivity and experience – a natural understanding of the object and our language. What seems to be the simplest and most obvious is sometimes the thing that takes the longest to achieve. The ingenuity of our objects is a source of pleasure and humour. I like seeing our customers smile when they discover our creations.
Would you agree that the flaws (like discarded bits of leather, for instance) are the stars of the petit h? Fifteen years ago, they would simply be thrown away in the main Hermès ateliers, now they have new, exciting lives… I would say that flaws should no longer be regarded as such. But the star is the material above all else. Whether with or without defects, it must be respected, taken in hand, and shaped into something. At petit h, we eliminate flaws so that the material can pursue its path and continue to tell Hermès stories. Flaws are our allies – they allow us to be creative.
If you had to resume petit h in one word, what would it be? TO DREAM.
Translated from the original on Vogue Portugal's The Innocence Issue, published February 2023.Full story and credits on the print issue.
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