A coveted Parisian label, Hermes has, through its almost two-century long history, epitomized leather luxury that cossets the highest lifestyle echelons. Its latest men’s show attests to its refined – even, at times, haughty – legacy. It is a brand – and a collection – that hails its own musings and aesthetics, irreverent of what the rest preach.
Set against the marble shimmer of a Paris’ courtyard, and streamed online, Hermes’ spring/summer 2017 menswear line is anything but trendy. Although far from outlandish, the 44 looks break the season’s dull outline in a manner that is gentle yet assertive. If Veronique Nichanian’s grand title – artistic director of the Hermes Men’s Universe – charts her creative leeway in honoring an immense heritage, her latest ensembles cue to her decades-proven sensibilities, fittingly.
And a fit collection it is. Trim bomber jackets, slim trousers and lean coats strut against the season’s dominant baggy silhouettes. Oversized might have offered the definitive – and now, overused – epithet at the majority of runways, but not at Hermes. The straight, conventional cuts may not feel revolutionary, but are a welcome breeze of change.
So is the fete of colors. In a dusk, largely monochromatic company, Hermes’ spring/summer 2017 garments come in bright – somewhat bold – hues. Starting with a clean canvas of cotton and silk, wool and lambskin, Ms Nichanian has swung broad strokes of limonchello yellow, imperial purple and chocolate brown. Her tie and dye experimentation adds an additional, catchy twist to button-down shirts and papery jackets.
Light and youthful, Ms Nichanian’s creations, finished with shiny loafers and open-toe sandals, are also distinctly urban, straying away from the march into the great outdoors that a legion of maisons have set on. With relaxed suits and simple overalls, athleisure outfits and casual dress-ups, Hermes allows for a seamless drift from the office to the gym to the club.
A constant in that morning-to-night change – and, perhaps, the one accessory that unites Hermes with its kin this season – is the manbag. In shapes and tinges that quote the clothes, Ms Nichanian’s interpretations vary from high-end rucksacks to totes to satchels. It is their uncluttered sophistication and appeal that could easily turn them into ladies’ favorites, as well.
Quite straightforward in any other circumstance, Hermes latest men’s collection, nevertheless, entices with its peculiar mix of levity and gravity that stands out on the backdrop of a predictable, play-it-safe season.
