One Monday morning, the Rotterdam-based artist Simone Post presents Drifting Through Textiles, a dreamlike installation constructed entirely from upcycled fabrics, transforming the Hermès windows into a layered, almost cinematic environment. During the opening speech, Post refers to Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak as an important source of inspiration. The reference remains present without becoming literal. The installation carries a comparable emotional narrative, where imagination, nostalgia and visual play coexist.
The colourful installation features a house positioned high in a mountainous landscape, subtly referencing Max’s world, complete with a spiralling slide. The longer one observes, the more narrative details begin to appear. The scenography gradually reveals itself as storytelling, forming a seamless whole alongside selected Hermès designs, including leather accessories and beauty objects. The environment feels simultaneously playful and contemplative, echoing the concept of Homo Ludens, the playful human. Standing in front of the windows immediately raises questions about the unseen labour behind the work. How many studio hours live within this installation? How many metres of material are folded, coiled and pleated?
Installation Drifting Through Textiles by Simone Post, images courtesy of Hermès
Across three separate windows, distinct landscapes emerge. Narrow, vertical mountain formations transition into wave-like sculptural structures, alongside a monumental tree installation rising several metres high. Art historical echoes move quietly through the installation. The rhythmic movement of the waves recalls the atmospheric energy of Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, not through direct quotation, but through gesture and motion. The layered colour transitions and textured surfaces also suggest painterly qualities reminiscent of Van Gogh.
While contributing to a series for FD Persoonlijk on Dutch designers working across fashion and product design, I featured Floris Wubben, Sabine Marcelis and Simone Post. Post’s ability to transform textile into sculptural landscapes, where material becomes both structure and storytelling, continues to impress.
Details of the installation by Simone Post
Hermès maintains a longstanding relationship with craftsmanship. Making and collaboration remain central values within the house. The windows on Amsterdam’s P.C. Hooftstraat regularly transform into temporary stages where contemporary makers and artists translate storytelling into material form. One of the most compelling aspects of this collaboration is how naturally it reflects a shared devotion to craftsmanship. It feels less like a partnership and more like a dialogue, shaped by material knowledge and artistic curiosity.
Working with repurposed fabrics, Post transforms textiles into immersive installations with a personal character.
More information:
www.hermes.com
www.simonepost.nl
Images courtesy of Hermès. Additional photography by the author.
