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Hermès Debuts A Play
Fancy curtain call // Illustration by Kate Walker
Hermès debuted a play in Hong Kong over the weekend, turning its luxury products into literal artistic tools.
The Big Production: In the age of AI, audiences are gravitating toward analog art — it’s why The Odyssey made almost two billion dollars, Wildwood is being praised by critics, and rock and roll is making a comeback. Theater has long been considered one of the most sophisticated human-driven art forms, making it the perfect venue to showcase handcrafted luxury fashion.
Behind The Curtain: The Birkin bag took center stage in Hong Kong.
Hermèstories, a surrealist retelling of the luxury brand’s history written by Pauline Bayle and directed by Joe Hufton, premiered in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District.
Not only were the props and costumes all Hermès products, but even the sound effects were created using materials from the brand’s ateliers.
The play ran for only one weekend, with tickets available for free while supplies lasted.
Final Scene: Several of the biggest labels in fashion have ramped up their analog-artistic endeavors recently, but Hermès has been at the forefront. According to Highsnobiety, the brand hired 50 artists last year to create social content and added animated paper illustrations to its website. It’s not even the first time a version of Hermèstories has been staged — it quietly debuted in Milan in 2025. With the Hong Kong edition, Hermès may be looking to take the show on the road.
Coming Soon: It’s possible that a fashion brand could splurge on a theater on Broadway or the West End, giving the luxury house a cultural destination to call its own. After all, A24 has already bought an Off-Broadway theater…
Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.