Alonso designed Kanmi, inspired by the ritual of sharing sake and the drink’s delicate, layered character.

Spanish designer Tomás Alonso is the latest creative tapped to enrich Puiforcat’s modern design language.

Puiforcat was founded in 1820 as a silversmith house and has been part of Hermès since 1993. Over the decades it evolved into an “art of living” firm, culminating in fame during the Art Deco era.

With this latest collection, Alonso designed Kanmi, a contemporary sake set inspired by the ritual of sharing sake and the drink’s delicate, layered character, which translates Puiforcat’s silversmithing heritage into a contemporary context with simple geometric forms.

“For this sake set collaboration, I do not think I was seeking tension or contrast so much as an element of surprise: the discovery of something additional within the cup as one brings it closer to drink from it, but also simply to appreciate it,” he told WWD.

The set comprises a carafe and four cups, each fashioned with a distinct silhouette — curved or rectilinear and juxtaposed with primary colored resin base.

“It is a quality often found in Japan, where beverages are frequently served in vessels that reveal a special detail upon closer inspection,” Alonso continued.

Kanmi, which means sweet flavor in Japanese, also underscores how globalization is inspiring new tablescapes and evolving the manner in which people come together.

Alonso, a modern proponent of functional design, has also collaborated with the house of Hermès . In 2019 he designed Coulisse lamps, inspired by paper dioramas and in 2025, the Pivot side tables were unveiled with Hermès at Milan Design Week.

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