With an all-day swim in Paris on Saturday, Hermès didn't need much rain inside for the show.
But it did serve as a photogenic backdrop for the riding-inspired collection (both on horseback and motorcycle), even if it wasn't the wet, black asphalt of Hollywood movies, but rather a rain pouring through the bars in the center of the court.
So which path does creative director Nadège Vanhee prefer?
“I prefer the bicycle more,” he said backstage, a family event where Hermès CEO Axel Dumas stopped by to say hello and the designer gave his five-year-old daughter a kiss before she sat down to experience her first parade. .
“The idea was to think about going from traditional to smart and rebellious,” Vanhee said.
In other words, take the horse house codes on a wild ride for the next-generation Hermès customer who might have their own horses, but who also wouldn't hesitate to throw their Birkin on the back of a Harley and head out to road.
While the collections may not change much, Vanhee deserves credit for transforming the house's fashion offering into something younger and more desirable. In that sense this collection was another winning lap.
He focused on several key silhouettes, including a perfect riding jacket cut with laser precision, anchored at the waist with a wide leather belt hidden inside and no other exterior closures. It had a great shape and looked sophisticated in brown stripes over a matching pencil skirt, or in russet leather over ribbed tights.
In a season where almost every designer has had leather on the catwalk, Hermès is still in a league of its own in terms of quality, and there was a leather style to suit every taste, from a chic brown leather peacoat with fur trim worn with matching pants and cowboy boots (Hermès cowboy boots!), to a fitted and subtly silver black biker jacket with silver studs and skinny leather pants.
Vanhee has been powering Hermès knitwear with plenty of sex appeal, and continues to do so here with ribbed cashmere cropped sweaters over high-waisted corduroy pants, boat styles with studded leather harness details, shrunken bomber jackets, and sculpted leggings made from a tight rib. she compared it to the one in sports socks.
Dresses always seem a bit of an afterthought at Hermès, and this season's were even more understated with subtle silk scarf prints or molded jacquards with ruching. But they really showed off the shiny new must-have boot, a tall equestrian style that opens up to transform into a looser-cut biker style. A double.
Quiet luxury isn't a trend for Hermès, but Vanhee manages to change things up season after season, to keep the brand's fashion engine running.
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