Just as Hermès debuts its massive renovation on Oak Street this October, the French design house is offering an inside peek into the work of the artisans who turn their artistry into art. Hermès in the Making, a free exhibition that takes over Union Station from October 27 to November 1, brings the brand’s leatherworkers, porcelain artists, silk experts, and fine jewelers into one space, where they’ll explain their techniques as they create pieces in real time. “Our skilled craftspeople take pride in sharing their know-how and the beauty of their work,” says Diane Mahady, president of the U.S. division of Hermès. Here are some highlights.

1. A piece of silk turned into a collectible scarf
The current Carnets d’Equateur collection, designed by artist Robert Dallet, celebrates nature’s beauty. You’ll see patterns get screen-printed and applied by hand using 24-karat gold thread, a technique that takes three years to master.

2. Pieces of leather transformed into a Kelly bag
In the 1930s, house designer Robert Dumas created a women’s handbag shaped like a trapezoid with a rounded handle and a swivel clasp. Hollywood-star-turned-princess Grace Kelly was photographed frequently with hers, elevating this radical design to icon status.

3. The saddle stitch being made
Even better than watching someone sew leather? Learning to do it yourself. You’ll see how Hermès’s signature stitch is created using a single piece of thread, needles attached on either end, and a diamond-point awl to help make the holes along the way.

4. Porcelain plates decorated before your eyes
Craftspeople will paint on classic and new patterns, perhaps including the recent Soleil d’Hermès, meant to evoke the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.

5. Raw metal worked into a piece of fine jewelry
Stone setters delicately solder precious gems onto gold bands that eventually become bangles, rings, and other fine pieces.