Passifolia by Hermès, vegetable passion

Passifolia, the new tableware collection by Hermès, is a true celebration of the beauty of nature. With the collection, Benoît-Pierre Emery, the creative director of Objets et La Table at Hermès, sought to work with nature in an unencumbered way.

The tableware features a tropical theme that seeks to “rediscover the richness of the floral world, plants and leaves, intimately intertwined.”

Designer Nathalie Roland-Uckel drew her inspiration from the fantasy world of the Garden of Eden and from the beauty of exotic nature for the 30-piece set featuring plant patterns. “Plates, platters and cups spread out across the table and form landscapes that invite contemplation.”

It took artisans more than 2,000 hours of engraving to make each piece distinct. “An important aspect of this collection lies in alternating rhythms,” explains Emery. “Sometimes the vegetation is extremely dense and spreads out like camouflage, covering the entire piece inside and out, and sometimes it is more isolated. Certain elements, such as the large leaves on the dinner plates are given a far more minimalist treatment.”

Hermès Passiofolia, etymology and representation

The name of the collection comes from the Latin name of the passionflower plant, Passiflora incarnata. Passionflower, meanwhile, takes its name from the religious term flo passionis. According to Jesuit missionaries in South America, the flower resembled Christ’s crucifixion, with the stamens representing the wounds of Christ, the filaments, the crown of thorns, and the petals, his apostles.

The story behind

"The rain drums on the convex palm leaves. The wind hums over the fringe of petals. These sounds sharpen the chlorophyll, awakening greens in a chorus of mint, sage, celadon shades. The fuchsia, coral and garnet hues of the flowers explode in the white summer heat. In the tropical mist nature composes a richly melodious suite. An homage to the foliage that protects the earth, to the colors that burst forth in song. To the power of flora, its folly, and its leaves which rustle a single word, Passifolia."

Passifolia de Hermès, passion végétale

Passifolia, la nouvelle collection de vaisselle d’Hermès, est un véritable hymne à la beauté végétale. « L’idée était de travailler la nature avec beaucoup de liberté », explique Benoît-Pierre Emery, directeur créatif d’Objets et La Table chez Hermès.

« S’agissant d’un thème tropical, j’ai voulu retrouver le foisonnement des végétaux, des feuilles, de la richesse du monde floral intimement mélangés. »

La dessinatrice Nathalie Roland-Uckel s’est inspirée de la fantaisie du jardin d’Éden et de la beauté de la nature exotique. Ainsi, les motifs végétaux décorent les trente pièces du service. « Assiettes, plats et tasses se déploient sur la table et forment des paysages qui incitent à la contemplation. »

Il a fallu plus de 2 000 heures de gravure rien que pour rendre chaque pièce distincte. Passifolia est « le fruit d’une aventure artisanale, une exploration des savoir-faire de la maison Hermès. Une mise au point de techniques et une succession de gestes qui ont permis de reproduire fidèlement la palette tropicale et luxuriante de l’artiste et la finesse de son trait. »

Hermès Passiofolia, étymologie et représentation

Le nom de la collection fait référence au nom latin de la plante Passiflora incarnata. La Passiflore tire quant à elle son nom du terme religieux flos passionis ou « fleur de la passion ». Selon les missionnaires jésuites d’Amérique du Sud, elle était « précisément faite pour représenter la Passion du Christ ». Enfin, son pistil, les dessins de sa corolle et diverses pièces florales évoquent la couronne d’épines, le marteau et les clous de la Crucifixion.

Les secrets d’un objet

« La pluie résonne sur le galbe des palmes. Le vent bourdonne sur la frange des pétales. Les sons cisèlent la chlorophylle, font vibrer les verts menthol, sauge, céladon. Le fuchsia floral, le corail, le grenat éclatent dans le blanc de l’été. La nature compose dans la brume tropicale une suite luxuriante. Hommage au feuillage qui protège la terre, aux couleurs qui jaillissent des airs. A la puissance de la flore, sa passion, sa folie et ses feuilles qui bruissent dans un mot, Passifolia. »

BeLOWZERO Special Edition: Hamilton is back on the big screen

Passion and creativity are at the heart of the Hamilton creations that have been appearing in Hollywood blockbusters for over 80 years. With its rich legacy of cinema watches, Hamilton unveils its latest collaboration with TENET, Christopher Nolan’s new film.

Watchmaking made a splash in the world of cinema in 2014. In the popular film Interstellar, a timepiece became a character in its own right. Meanwhile, this year, the Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO takes centre stage with its extraordinary features coupled with one-of-a-kind knowhow.

BeLOWZERO Special Edition

In his latest film, which is halfway between an action film and a sci-fi flick, the British-American filmmaker focuses on the concept of time. John David Washington, the main character, fights to save the world by travelling through a dark universe of international espionage.

For the film, Hamilton worked side by side with the design team to develop the Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO. The watch, which was designed exclusively as a film prop, is equipped with amazing features to perfectly meet the film’s needs.

Taking its cues from the model used in TENET, the BeLOWZERO Special Edition celebrates this outstanding partnership. The black titanium case paired with a red- or blue-tipped seconds hand is a reference to the colour variants in the film. The piece comes in a limited edition of 888 units, a palindrome, like TENET, that reads the same forward and backward.

The BeLOWZERO is driven by a self-winding H-10 movement and has a power reserve of 80 hours. The model is watertight to 100 bar, or approximately 1,000 metres.

It is set on a black rubber strap with a pin buckle and delivered in a special box. The box was created by TENET's production designer Nathan Crowley and comes in colours inspired by the film’s design elements.

“This project was one of the most challenging and exciting collaborations I’ve been a part of. It was truly a partnership of creativity that transformed ideas into a reality we’ll get to see on movie screens around the world.” Hamilton CEO Sylvain Dolla.