I have now for a long time been in love with Henri d’Origny’s L’Instruction du Roy Hermès Carré.
No-one else, in my opinion, can arrange, bits, bridles, gourmette chains and reigns as masterfully as Henri d’Origny.
In his scarves these ordinary objects take on extraordinary qualities. With a single brushstroke d’Origny transforms a simple bit into a stunning piece of jewelry.
Henri d’Origny’s legacy at Hermès is nothing short of extraordinary. Joining the maison in 1958, he embarked on a creative journey that has shaped the very essence of Hermès style. Initially, d’Origny’s focus was on ties. Over a thousand designs later, including the iconic Elephant tie, his impact on menswear is undeniable. But his creative genius didn’t stop there. He also designed over 40 iconic Hermes carrés.
Beyond textiles, he seamlessly transitioned into the world of horology, crafting over twenty watch designs, many of which have become icons in their own right. His ability to translate Hermes’ elegance and sophistication into both fabric and form is a testament to his unparalleled talent.
“When I do my designs, it is like writing music,” he says. “My vocabulary is graphic, repetitive, geometric, with the base of equestrian elements.” It is exactly this graphic, repetitive and geometric quality that speaks to me.
Other examples of d’Origny’s designs include classics such as Mors et Gourmettes, Le Mors a la Conetable, Grand Manege, Grand Tenue, Eperon d’Or and a more recent design, his Projets Carres.
But now back to his L’Instruction du Roy carre, which takes its inspiration from a book written by Antoine de Pluvinel, titled L’instruction Du Roy: En L’exercice De Monter a Cheval, Royal Instruction: In The Exercise Of Riding A Horse.
Almost four hundred years later, Pluvinel’s work is still considered one of the most important books ever written about the art of horsemanship.
Many of Henri d’Origny’s designs have equestrian elements in them, and perhaps it is their repetitive, geometric symmetry that makes them both exquisite and timeless and therefore True Hermès Classics!
