Sound into objects;
crafting dreams
into reality

Axel de Beaufort

Creative director of Ateliers Horizons

In February, Ginza Maison Hermès transforms into a jukebox, with live musicians and pop tunes played on a jukebox to set your heart beating. The jukebox is made by Ateliers Horizons, an atelier handling special orders, and were produced by Horizons creative director, Axel de Beaufort.

Taking a step into the world of sound.

―Bonjour, Axel

Welcome to Ateliers Horizons. I’m Axel de Beaufort, the creative director. Ateliers Horizons is like a dream atelier, creating collections and undertaking special projects that stand out even within Hermès.

―Into the world of sound

We opened the doors to the world of sound, making jukeboxes and boomboxes. Our boombox is a portable record player. After beginning development six years ago, Hermès can now deliver cutting-edge audio equipment. The portable speaker we’re producing right now is the size of your palm, but when you put this small speaker inside a box, it becomes a big speaker. The handle is familiar from Hermès bags and has a modern leather touch sensor that responds to touch like a smartphone. We’re getting ready to launch these speakers to customers in stores.

―Craftsmanship around sound

The DJ table is a wooden structure made by French furniture craftsmen using mahogany and cowskin. The turntables were manufactured in Japan. It was developed in collaboration with a British DJ called Prince Charles, so it’s fully DJ-ready.

Our jukebox is also a magnificent creation. It was manufactured in our special studio, Ateliers Horizons, using the unique leather skills of Hermès’ artisans. We made the leather touch-sensitive like a smartphone screen, and the stand is Murano glass from Venice. This is a jukebox made for listening to LP records and was born of pursuing new possibilities.

―What kind of music would you play?

I’d play the album Psycho Tropical Berlin by the French band La Femme. This album comes to my mind whenever I think of a jukebox.

Click here to check out Axel de Beaufort’s jukebox-inspired playlist >

―Attention to details

The inside surface of the jukebox features a design by Anamorphée called “Cavalier Perspectives”, using an artisanal technique of marquetry that combines leather patchwork into motifs.

Furthermore, we worked with Elias Kafouros, the Chevaloscope Neon scarf design graphics creator, to make a special version of his design. It was a fun experience searching for neon tubes that would work well with Elias’s design. So far, we’ve made about 50 jukeboxes. At first, we were only planning to make one or two pieces, but we could make this many because our customers have shown a strong appreciation for this object (jukebox), which embodies the Hermès craftsmanship DNA. This extends not only to jukeboxes but also boomboxes, DJ tables, and the upcoming speakers. We've taken the first steps in an epic story that will continue for a long time. Currently, we're producing jukeboxes for Japan.

―Thinking of Japan

I love visiting Tokyo. I always have a great time and meet fascinating people. Music bars have a certain energy that you don’t find in France. Being surrounded by beautiful things and listening to music at a relaxed pace stimulate creative drive, and at Horizons, we’ve been greatly inspired by it. One time, I saw a long, narrow bicycle with small wheels in Tokyo, and it inspired me to carve a wooden bicycle. There’s something fascinating about the way Japanese people perceive things. There’s incredible attention to detail, high precision and accuracy. I find it to be quite similar to our approach at Hermès.

Axel de Beaufort

Ateliers Horizons Creative Director. After working as a yacht designer, he became creative director of Ateliers Horizons, a workshop specialising in custom orders, including joint developments with specialist manufacturers.

Photo credit: Alexis Armanet