The Hermès Icosahedron
Dungeons & Dragons goes designer.
It’s not a scene typically associated with luxury fashion. Dungeons & Dragons is often depicted as a pastime for basement-dwelling misfits posing as magicians and bards. Amid scribbled character sheets and maps of mystical lands, participants decide their fate by rolling a variety of dice—none of which is more iconic than the multi-faceted d20, named as such for its number of sides. While many cannot fathom the appeal of essentially playing make-believe for hours on end, those in the know can attest that costume-clad quests of a lifetime are to be had. And Hermès, it seems, has begun to see the light.
Spotted amongst the brand’s Équilibre collection of lifestyle and office accessories, unveiled at Salone Del Mobile 2016 in April, was one item unmistakable to rogues and druids alike: a calfskin-covered resin icosahedron, or, the most exquisite d20 to grace the world of tabletop gaming. The icosahedron features miniscule gold numerals hot stamped into each leather-bound side, meticulously hand-sewed and seamed in a process mastered by only the finest of Hermès craftsmen. It truly takes “geek chic” to a whole new level.
While Hermès presents the icosahedron as a paperweight, or simply a “curiosity object,” the glinting numbers don’t lie. In the meantime, it will certainly do to hold the map of Wave Echo Cave in place while one rolls a knowledge check to determine its use and carries on campaigns in style.
