Hermès and the Glorious Tradition of Leatherwork

To meet Sussy Cazalet, even briefly, is to fully experience her work. The talented British artist - who swapped interior design for textile design - is as warm and expressive as her woven masterpieces, each of which takes on a new dimension in her presence.

Jewel-tone dyes, glossy mountain wool and endlessly varying designs make south Caucasian rugs some of the most highly coveted and widely collected weavings. Despite the region’s small size – modern-day Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia – it has one of the richest and most diverse weaving traditions in the world.

Wicker lovers Antonella Varoli Piazza and Camilla Mocenni bought too many baskets at markets before discovering they could make them. After an apprenticeship with an old Sicilian basket-maker who passed her ancient secrets to them, Antonella and Camilla gave themselves the name Dintreccio (‘made by weaving’) and converted their attic into an atelier in the centre of Rome.

Delhi-based fashion designer Ashdeen Lilaowala has been a pioneering figure in the revival of Parsi embroidery, known as Gara. Having arrived in India from Persia in the 18th century, the Parsi community developed this unique style due to their frequent trade with the imperial courts of China. Traditionally revelling in oriental motifs such as pagodas, flying cranes, dragons and ornamental flowers, this rich, and until recently endangered art form, is enjoying a renaissance.

It was in China's small country villages that Chiara Enrico first discovered an almost forgotten painting tradition, the Gongbi, of which she became so fond that she created a reinterpretation for the western market. The resulting design is timeless and magically exotic.

Tangier-based textile designer Pin Affleck is a force of nature. A familiar sight in the lanes of the city, with her capacious basket and infectious curiosity, Pin set up Made In Tangier, a studio creating handwoven textiles for the home, in 2020. She has since found recognition and a cult following around the world for her sustainable and elegant designs, in the purest cotton

Taller Manos Que Ven (translated “Workshop Hands That See”) is a ceramics studio in San Antonio Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca, led by master clay artisan Maestro José García Antonio. José began sculpting as a young boy, and despite losing his vision at the age of fifty five, he continued his craft, demonstrating a remarkable degree of skill and imagination.

For Hermès, saddlery and leatherwork are integral, exceptional traditions, to the point of defining the Maison's identity. Yet, until this year, their soft, extraordinary leathers had never been used for a home collection. Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry explain why, while discussing the Maison's style and why it is based on a solid key-pillar: quality. This cannot exist without the industriousness and ingenuity of the world's best craftsmen.

US-born India-based artist and textile designer Peter D’Ascoli established Talianna Studio after years practicing the crafts of weaving, printing and embroidery. Today, the long-time Cabana collaborator heads up the 35-strong studio, which now has several departments including hand embroidery and block printing. Peter shares the inspirational story of his craft.

Italian-born and London-based, globemaker Leonardo Frigo trained in Venice as a restorer. The discovery of a 17th century manual for making maps of the world, however, led him in another, unexplored direction: creating sophisticated globes according to the ancient technique. The multiple steps involved are so intricate, as are the forgotten ingredients - rediscovered through alchemical experiments and trial and error - that a single job can take years. But it's worth it; Leonardo's creations are astonishing, and bring back to the present a past that once had little hope of revival.

The quest to make something simple, everyday and humble, led Blaise Cayol to create singular baskets in his native Tavel, south west France. Abandoning his career as a graphic designer, Blaise sought out the three dimensionality and touch of the material world, to discover the beauty of willow, the handmade, and an interest in the universality of baskets.

Amid the centuries-old arboretum at Hemelrijk, Daniel de Belder transforms salvaged timber into distinctive wooden artworks. On the Belgian-Dutch border, his atelier celebrates nature’s organic bounty, rooted in a deep connection to his family’s land and the trees that flourish there. Daniel reflects on his creative process, respect for natural forms, and the inspiration he draws from wood's intricate grain.