Today, Hermès strengthens its presence in the United States with the opening of its first store in Nashville. This also marks the first in the State and forty-third in the country. This new destination is located in the evolving Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood as it becomes Nashville’s newest “Address”. According to the release from the house’s International Press Director, the new store, “reimagines the architectural codes of the house’s craftsmanship in dialogue with the city’s eclectic soundtrack.”
Situated just 5 minutes from downtown, the new boutique is located in the May Hosiery Mills Building at 501 Houston Street.
Set across two floors of the former hosiery factory, the store façade maintains its original twentieth-century industrial charm, with the name of the house discreetly painted on the red brick and awnings added to the top-floor windows. The row of industrial windows on both sides of the building floods the interiors with natural light, complemented by an open floor plan that provides through-views, transparency and a seamless flow.
The house promises to transport visitors on a rhythmic journey through the creativity of the sixteen Hermès métier, as each universe vibrates in harmony with the other.
From the main entrance, visitors step inside the silk universe, fashion jewelry, and perfume and beauty areas, which open on the left toward the home universe and on the right toward the equestrian and leather goods areas. Bespoke materials, finishes and tonal effects define each realm, creating a distinctive framework that fosters a sense of intimacy for each experience.
Upstairs is the showcase of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and shoes, as well as a jewelry and watches salon. Throughout the space, visitors will discover special-edition pieces inspired by the capital of Tennessee, including an electric guitar crafted by the petit h métier, in ebony, walnut and leather, alongside a selection of Arceau watches featuring a vivid, music-inspired On Air carré illustration by French artist Carine Brancowitz.
Created by the Paris-based architectural agency RDAI, the store design celebrates the city and its musical heritage, from blues to R&B, and nods to its legendary recording studios and country bars. Familiar architectural vocabulary, such as the signature Grecques lighting and Faubourg mosaic, is arranged in a gradient of “joyful tones”, capturing the unbridled creativity of the boutique’s design.
Cherrywood is present throughout, punctuated with dark, book-matched maple veneer – the type used in guitar making – against a shade palette of warm wooden hues and deep electric blue accents. Curved forms are intensified in the carpet motifs, as well as in the recessed ceilings, reminiscent of the spherical ripples of sound waves.
References to musical instruments and equipment are integrated throughout the design. Behind the silks, multicolored metal panels evoke the buttons of a mixing desk, while the leather goods are framed by lacquered wood paneling fashioned like the bellows of an accordion. Meanwhile, the steps of the terrazzo staircase mirror the white keys of a piano, while the jewelry area features a metal mesh backdrop, reminiscent of the comb on the mouthpiece of a harmonica.
A hand-picked selection of artworks from the Émile Hermès collection and the Hermès Collection of Contemporary Photographs sparks a meaningful conversation between the equestrian soul of the house and the vibrant energy of the city. Each piece resonates with rhythm, music and color – from the high-contrast photography of Larry Fink’s Flute Player, to the quiet gestures in a stable captured in an oil painting, to the vivid neon lights of French artist Jean-Baptiste Petit’s late-night scene in Camel, from the 1984 series.
To mark the opening, Nashville-based artist Herb Williams has created a site-specific work for the windows, employing his celebrated sculpture practice – uniquely textured 3D objects meticulously constructed from colorful crayons. The display features a larger-than-life horse sculpture trotting through birch trees; a closer inspection reveals the trees are crafted from the keys of a piano.
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