Hermes at Hermès Maison Shanghai — Tale of Two Cities Autumn Windows (2020)

Hermès Maison Shanghai hosted a two-sided autumn window display contrasting Paris and Shanghai, created with artist Victor Cord'homme.

The venue

Hermès Maison Shanghai is a luxury maison and flagship store in Shanghai, housed in a standalone building with street-facing display windows. The venue is normally used for retail across its floors, while its exterior windows serve as a public-facing interface between the store and the surrounding commercial district. The windows are changed seasonally and can be viewed from the street without entering the store.

How the space was used

For the September 2020 windows, the display was divided into two sides. One side referenced Paris through Morris columns, traditional buildings and a railway station; the other presented a futuristic Shanghai with an artichoke tower, spacecraft and aerial tram. Hermès products were integrated across both scenes, linking the two city narratives within the window envelope.

Why it works here

Street-facing windows suit this venue because they turn the store's exterior into a free, continuously visible display for passers-by. Seasonal installations give returning customers and district foot traffic a new reason to stop, while a two-city theme fits a luxury maison operating within an international retail context.