For over a century, Hermès has embraced and promoted every permutation of the stripe.
The pattern debuted on the Rocabar blanket, made in 1903 by Scottish artisans who called it the "rug à barres". Fine bands of colour were also painted on horse-drawn carriages as another example of how stripes appeared in the equestrian world.
In the 1920s, the Hermès stripe characterising emblematic motifs of jockey silks was taken to the seaside. The joyful and sunny stripes marked the return of summer days, and echoed the vibrations and waves of the ocean.
Notable pieces from its archives include a beach bag, a jacket and parasols in striped canvas evoking the work of Sonia Delaunay.
Now, the Rouge Hermès spring/summer limited edition lipsticks celebrate the spirit of beach holidays with stripes on the tubes.
Creative director of Hermès shoes and jewellery Pierre Hardy also designs the beauty objects. The stripes contrast with the more intense shades of the lacquered band in a polychrome palette of bright, summery colours that embody a seaside atmosphere.
The tubes house limited-edition colours by Gregoris Pyrpylis, creative director for Hermès Beauty, who defines them as "three soft, warm, sunkissed tones".
Beige Croisette is a natural, slightly pink-toned beige that leaves a veil of delicate colour on the lips.
"The pinky-beige elevates the lips as the daylight starts to fade into the summer night," said Pyrpylis.
Like shimmering reflections on the waves, multicoloured mother-of-pearl brings lustre to an orangey-pink named Corail Parasol.
"A reddish-brown for lips flushed with colour by the hot Sun," Pyrpylis said of the third colour, Brun Yachting.
The three objects are refillable with any other shade from the Rouge Hermès permanent collection.
