Hermès does not do fad diets or make New Year’s resolutions; it just enjoys life for its simple and delicious pleasures. After all, what is there to change about a house that strives for perfection in everything it produces? It’s a testament to the French house’s menswear designer Véronique Nichanian’s skills that she is one of fashion’s longest-serving creative directors, and yet still finds a way to make menswear feel engaging without relying on gimmicks; totally timeless without ever being boring. Put simply, her AW23 collection was all about intricately crafted, highly desirable clothes, all of which were layered in a way that was both boyish yet grown-up; playful yet timeless. From a practical point of view, the layers of turtlenecks under shirts and jackets — sometimes three or four layers of clothing in one look — resonated with an audience who was experiencing the biting frost of sub-zero temperatures in Paris.
Leather, the stable fabric of the brand began life as a luxury equestrian saddle-maker almost 200 years ago (and once described by Helmut Newton as the “world’s greatest sex shop”), formed the backbone of the collection: calfskin overcoats with utilitarian metal hardware, several versions of wide-leg leather trousers, patches of shearling on panelled flight jackets, Haut à Courroies bags in grained Barénia Faubourg calfskin and matte crocodile, zip-up pullovers and leather-braided sweaters, glossy monk-strap boots with chunky rubber soles, unexpected whispers of leather beneath the lapel of a peacoat. There were even leather necklaces with metal dice pendants dangling at the chest. Of course, leather is what people have come to expect from Hermès — the house is the subject of more than 3 billion views on #Hermès-related content on TikTok. But is is also the epitome of “investment dressing” as we head into uncertain times. They will get better with age, more precious and beautiful with the patina of time. In other words, more bang for your buck.
Not that price is an issue for the Hermès customer, even if the clothes are hardly flashy status pieces. Where others shout, Hermès whispers quietly self-assured expressions of good taste in a timeless (and delicious) palette of charcoal, gravel, caramel, chocolates, coffee, camel, navy, ivory, and the deepest, darkest shade of velvety black shaved shearling. What Véronique’s clothes are loud with is craftsmanship — you can spot it from a mile off. And as many shows this season have amped up the volume around shows, ramping up productions and celebrity ambassadors with the result of huge crowds showing up, Hermès, by contrast, feels like the ultimate detox from fashion’s dancing on the lip of the volcano. Its emphasis on the one thing we’re often being distracted from — clothes! — is what makes it feel radical. In times like this, where the marketing and excess around the clothes can often feel deafening, it’s that simple approach to making beautiful objects that really cuts through the noise.
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Images courtesy of Spotlight