A journey of infinite creativity

My name is William Waterhouse, and I make kinetic art in the form of mobiles powered by motors.

Hermès’s annual theme, “Venture beyond”, resonates deeply with the artworks I make. While thinking about how to translate that concept into a window display, I thought about the founder, Thierry Hermès, and the journey he took as he left his hometown for Paris. There is an inherent joy to movement, but more than that, I wanted to examine his internal journey and the excitement he must have felt. I started looking at navigational tools for a journey into the unknown, like telescopes and compasses. From there, what suddenly came to mind was a kaleidoscope.

In the main window display, twirling mobiles dance above a mirrored floor. The colourful shapes at the ends of the mobile’s arms match the colour scheme of the Brides de Gala carré, which hangs suspended from a wire. A blue bottle of the Un Jardin sous la Mer eau de toilette floats nearby. To watch these elements reflected in the mirrors is to feel as though you have stepped into a kaleidoscopic world where images extend into infinity. The mirrored floor is representative of the ocean where Thierry stands at the water’s edge. He faces a world ripe for discovery, and beyond that, the vastness of the universe.

The interiors of several of the 16 small windows are composed of prismatic mirrors. Passersby looking into the windows may feel that sense of hypnosis you get when you look inside a kaleidoscope.

I installed large displays not just in the windows, but also across three floors of the store—so don’t miss those! On the 2nd floor, for example, you’ll find a massive 4-metre-wide mobile hung with a pair of Cabriole baby shoes and a leather change tray, all surrounded by spinning coloured pieces.

It was quite a challenge to balance the products from thin guide wires like this. I hope that visitors to the store will enjoy the unexpected play of colours created by its simple rotation.