In Beijing for Hermès’ “The View From Her”, Dana Koh speaks to Women’s Universe Artistic Director Bali Barret on intuition, fluidity and artistic freedom— all the elements that have fuelled her 13-year career at the luxury maison.
In Beijing for Hermès’ “The View From Her”, Dana Koh speaks to Women’s Universe Artistic Director Bali Barret on intuition, fluidity and artistic freedom— all the elements that have fuelled her 13-year career at the luxury maison.
What made you want to bring fashion and dance together?
For me, it is most important for clothes to be shown on a human body. My inspiration board happened to be filled with images of Lucinda Childs’ work, which I’ve been obsessed with since seeing her show in Paris two years ago. It was a mixture of film and reality, a very modern take on dance and performance art. We quickly connected with her, brought her to Paris to watch the fall/winter 2016 show and discuss our collaboration, and she agreed to create an original production for us.
How did the idea come about?
The main idea of the event was to reveal more about Nadege’s [Vanhee-Cybulski, Hermès’ Women’s Ready-to-Wear Artistic Director] designs. So I imagined the task of dressing a woman in ready-to-wear, and specifically picking what would be interesting for her. “The View From Her” is about the women dressed in Hermès, wearing the bags they like, the shoes they are comfortable in, and decked [out] in the jewellery and accessories they love.
What is the view from Bali Barret?
My view is that I’m happy to be at Hermès. This is a company that appreciates a community of thought and a community of aesthetics—it spans a much wider spectrum beyond fashion, which is very interesting to me. It is not only about the product or marketing at Hermès; it is about a universe, a spirit; meeting people, and getting to express creativity through the eyes of other creative individuals.
As the creative director across different departments, how do you ensure the various elements come together cohesively?
A lot of it is intuition, trust and sensitivity. I don’t take notes much; I listen, watch and think. It can be difficult adapting to each designer’s personality, but spending a lot of time with them eventually creates that link.
What has kept you at Hermes for over 13 years?
Freedom. The freedom of creation, of thinking, and of action. In a world that is all about marketing and strategy, it’s rare to be in a company that is deeply invested in the concept of creativity as the beginning of everything; and everything else then follows, evolves and adapts from that creation.
Is there a particular experience, or creation of yours, that talks about this freedom?
When I first started working at Hermès, I was creating a scarf collection. Pierre-Alexis Dumas (Hermes’ Artistic Director) told me not to speak to anybody, just him and this lady who would help me with anything I needed. He wanted me to go ahead and do what I wanted, to not be influenced. So I did a laser-cut scarf with dots, and it shocked quite a few people. I remember I was in one of our boutiques and a woman I didn’t know came up to me and asked, “Are you the woman doing holes in scarves?”
In a world that’s getting faster and more competitive, how does Hermes remain steadfast?
I’ve learned to be patient here. Even if I want to go fast, they say no. You have to accept that the process, and the craft, take time. It’s the same with people’s consumption patterns—at first, they want to buy, buy, buy. But after a while, you find that what you bought wasn’t right or doesn’t last. Then you become more mature about your consumption and opt for more quality pieces. So you have to accept that there are different types and generations of consumers. But no matter how the world changes, it seems people always come towards us more than go away [from us], it’s a natural process.
