As luxury brands increasingly tailor their approaches to local markets, French luxury house Hermès has once again exemplified its deep commitment to blending fashion with culture and artistry. The brand, renowned for its equestrian heritage, continues to drive a convergence of high fashion and craftsmanship with its captivating artistic window displays. The latest installation at Hermès’ newly inaugurated store in Mumbai’s Jio World Plaza luxury mall is a testament to the brand’s enduring patronage of the arts. Designed by Mumbai-based mosaic artist sisters, Aashika and Tanishaa Cunha, the installation is a tribute to the brand’s historical store at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris.
Aashika and Tanishaa Cunha are not new to the world of large-scale, immersive art. Their previous works include murals and figurines for the Ala Moana Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as contributions to the global Elephant Parade. This legacy of creative endeavors has seamlessly translated into their latest project for Hermès, which celebrates the Faubourg’s historical and architectural significance through a meticulously crafted mosaic installation.
The preparation for this artistic venture was nothing short of Herculean. Over 1,200 hours of painstaking effort went into assembling 36,000 glass tiles sourced both from India and Italy. The final installation sprawls across two store windows and invites passersby into a fantastical fairground-themed experience. One window features a ferris wheel attached to a stairway, alongside a gilded ironwork elevator. This intricate metal work extends into the next window, linked through a series of stairways and archways. A brightly lit carousel with seats inspired by horseshoes adds a nostalgic element, conjuring images of timeless fairgrounds but reimagined using Hermès objects.
“We transformed the gilded ironwork elevator and other metal work into whimsical rides to capture the magical energy of a fairground as well as the Faubourg,” said Tanishaa. Their aim was to create a joyful and imaginative setting, utilizing a complex interplay of geometric patterns and lines. This theme aligns closely with the labyrinth-like architecture of Hermès’ iconic Paris store.
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This mosaic masterpiece is not Hermès’ first venture into artist collaborations within India. The brand has previously engaged with well-known Indian artists such as Sumakshi Singh and Rooshad Shroff. Only a few months prior, in April, Hermès enlisted designer and filmmaker Aradhana Seth to create a window installation named ‘Faubourg in an Enchanted Forest,’ inspired by traditional Gond art, for the Jio World Plaza store launch.
The collaboration with the Cunha sisters is particularly significant due to the prevalent use of mosaic art in Hermès stores globally. “After several immersive conversations about stories of the house and the theme of the year, we wanted to create a joyful setting through a well-balanced geometric play of lines and patterns,” explained Aashika. She also lends her expertise to the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum. “The idea was to depict imaginary levels combined with connecting pathways made of stairs and archways, inspired by the labyrinth-like structure of the Faubourg store,” added Tanishaa.
The project commenced with digital explorations, drawings, and the selection of vitreous glass tile colors. The glass tiles were then hand-cut, an elaborate process that both sisters agree renders the pieces their unique beauty. “We both believe that beauty is in the curves, so the glass tiles were cut manually, and this process is very intricate,” Aashika elaborated. The design was sketched onto cement sheets, onto which the glass tiles were meticulously glued.
Hermès’ emblematic codes, like the Art Deco-inspired ‘H deco’ pattern and the ‘chaine d’ancre’ motif, commonly seen in their jewelry, were recreated using the mosaic tiles. “We are always in search of moments and opportunities that inspire us to further our passion, so it’s been thrilling to collaborate with a brand that has craftsmanship and creativity at the core of its DNA,” the sisters expressed.
The captivating windows crafted by Aashika and Tanishaa Cunha will be on display at Hermès in Jio World Plaza, Mumbai, until October 15. The installation not only enhances the store’s visual appeal but also enriches the cultural landscape, paying homage to Hermès’ ongoing celebration of Faubourg and its storied heritage. This initiative reinforces the brand’s commitment to local artistic talent, seamlessly blending global luxury with regional craftsmanship.
