Italian Artistry Meets French Luxury In This Innovative Collaboration
Stamps are tools that allow me to draw and compose endlessly,” explains Italian artist Gianpaolo Pagni, who uses the age-old printing implements to arrange punchy patterns. “First I create a personal, graphic vocabulary made up of shapes, lines, and materials. Then these elements are turned into stamps.” Over the years, with the help of French luxury brand Hermès, his compositions have been splashed across beach towels, blankets, scarves, and wallpapers. Now he and his longtime collaborator have transformed his art into rugs. Titled Escalator and Tremplin, the two new designs (part of Hermès’s Cordélie collection, available this month) feature architectural motifs that nod to escalators and diving boards. Hermès realized Pagni’s designs using a technique never before applied to rugs, in which fine cotton cords are embroidered atop a strong linen backing, requiring thousands of hours of work by hand for a single floor covering. The labor-intensive process, which lends itself to curved lines and wide swaths of color, was a perfect match for Pagni’s work—and for Hermès. “Gianpaolo enjoys, like us, telling stories,” says Florence Lafarge, the brand’s creative director for home textiles. “He knows how to enrich our archives without ever taking them too seriously.” hermes.com
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
