Leather Forever by Hermès Exhibition travels to Singapore

You’d be familiar with Hermès Kelly bag, having modelled after Hollywood’s most precious princess, Grace Kelly, who has been the not-so-unofficial muse behind the bag. In fact, you’d probably even count the Birkin bag as your perfect carry-all bag, while pairing the smaller-sized Constance bag with your stylish weekend ensembles. 

Whether you’re looking for trendy or classic styles, functional or a refined number in dyed, tanned, polished or stitched bespoke edits, these bags made from the finest leather are without a doubt testaments to French house Hermès‘s long-standing brand heritage. 

In celebration of the savoir faire in leather, Hermès brought its travelling exhibition, Leather Forever to the sunny shores in Singapore, which runs from 25 October to 13 December 2015. 

Held in the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, alongside the private collection assembled by Émile Hermès in Little Room of Wanders at the Asian Civilisation Museum lawn, the language of leather is being transposed into twelve dedicated rooms, namely Savoir-Faire, which features a treasure-trove cave called the “Leather Reserve”, unveiling the painstaking effort of cutting, assembling and stitching, as well as the tools and skills required in the beautiful craft of leather construction. 

Time Savers explores the relationship between time and leather while the other rooms such as The Horse, The First Client and The Spirit of the Nomad showcases the character and artisanship of leather in the world of Hermès. 

Rooms such as Discretion and Simplicity, Fasteners or Beauty Spots? and On the Beltway focuses on the history behind the intrinsic details of Hermès’s range of leather wares while Variations on Kellys and Birkins  shone light on the inspiration and muses behind these notable names, as well as the poetries and artistries that are responsible for their endless incarnations.

When Dreams Become Reality and The Patina of Time take on storyteller roles, enticing the audience into a world where the leather pieces are carefully sculpted into winged mythical horses, alongside the transcendence of a gentlemen’s finesse and nobility in the passage of time. 

Last but not least, Star Bags lives up to its name by conjuring up a fun and vibrant showcase of five versions of the leather goods inspired by the Kellydoll, a cartoon bag conceived in 1999 by Jean-Louis Dumas, which features the twinkling eyes and nose of a miniature doll. The specially-designed pieces were created to commemorate Singapore’s 50th birthday. 

The thematic and carefully-curated exhibition certainly lives up to expectations by providing an eyeopening and enriching experience for its visitors.

The Leather Forever by Hermès exhibition at the ArtScience Museum is open to public from 25 October to 13 December 2015, and is open from 10am to 7pm daily (except Fridays which run from 10am to 9pm). Admission is free.

For more information, visit www.marinabaysands.com/museum/exhibitions-and-events/hermes-leather-forever.html

Photos by Felly Loi