Would you please introduce yourself?

My name is Alice Charbin. I have been an illustrator in Paris for more than 30 years now. I work on books for both children and adults, as well as projects for the press and the theatre. And I of course also create illustrations for Hermès. Jean-Louis Dumas, the fifth chairman of Hermès, was a wonderful storyteller who was always funny, curious, and inventive, and he was kind enough to entrust me with drawing sketches at Hermès workshops when I had only barely graduated from art school. And of course, I have been influenced by Philippe Dumas, who is an outstanding designer and a guardian of the spirit and memories of Hermès. As a result, I have been able to build a long relationship with Hermès that is both rich and stimulating.

What does drawing mean to you?

To draw is to look at and pay attention to the outside world and the inner self. It is understanding with the eye and transcribing with the hand. Drawing is a form of writing that can be read by speakers of any language.

How long have you been drawing?

I’ve been drawing since I was little. I would often draw in my father’s studio, crouching by his desk or sitting on his lap. Whenever we told him about our dreams and adventures, he would fold a sheet of paper into a little booklet and encourage us to recount what we had told him in drawings and text.

Tell us about the drawing you made for Lanterne Hermès.

My drawing echoes the theme of telling stories, which is so inherent to drawing. I take great joy in reading, listening to, and telling stories. I love that we can share adventures, sensations, emotions, and colours through words.

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the opening of Ginza Maison Hermès upon its completion in 2001. It was my first time in Japan, and I was struck by the kindness of the people and the civility and delicacy with which they treated others. Everything was fascinating—the subway, the parks, the streets, the objects, the food, the markets. The Ginza Maison Hermès building has a poetic beauty, warm and mysterious at the same time. I remember the rooftop terrace, as well as the glass blocks that made the whole building seem like a lantern with a gentle fire blazing inside. What could be better than telling stories by the fire, under the stars, with those you love? Even in a big city, you can dream! That sense—that’s what I tried to capture.

I drew everything by hand because I’m old-fashioned. I used pen and coloured pencils for the bonfire and the stars, and a paintbrush for the night. This is my way of being an artisan, and it’s also about using the beautiful tools that Hermès has always respected and protected.

This year’s Hermès theme is “Drawn to Craft”. Why do you think drawing is so deeply rooted in Hermès’s DNA?

Hermès is a family—a group of people who share an interest in objects and stories. Even if we are different in personality, we are connected by the things we do: making, dreaming, looking, creating, telling, preserving, transmitting. Drawing is how we first engage with an idea. It is a tool that can help materialize that idea and express the worldview it embodies through lines and colours. It is an integral part of the Hermès family.