How does a house famous for its leather cope with a changing climate? Nadège Vanhée, Hermès’ artistic director of women’s ready-to-wear, has a few solutions. Over the past year the designer has been traveling the world, and feeling the heat, in Los Angeles, Asia and Europe, which had a brutally hot summer.
She designed the collection around a simple idea, air. “Air can be perceptible, but also imperceptible, and I wanted to convert that idea into a very pragmatic silhouette,” said the designer, who worked denim, calfskin and silk into the lightest of clothing.
She started with the parka, a functional piece that doesn’t exactly scream “Hermès,” but still fed her imagination. Vanhée transformed it into airy dresses and skirts with sheer panels, some of which were fitted with little zips to make them shorter, or longer. They came in a palette of sunflower yellow, chocolate, and signature Hermès orange.
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Vanhée had more cool tricks up her sleeve. Inspired by the long, rectangular blades on ceiling fans, she added swooshing pleats to a black leather blazer; a chocolate suede skirt backed with yellow silk, and an orange dress that was cinched with a double-buckle belt. Other sporty dresses were made from thin strips of leather applied to silk mesh.
Air also flowed freely through perforated suede jackets, and open knit dresses that resembled fishing nets. The latter were worn over statement bra tops and underwear. Wide-leg trousers and jackets made from ultra-lightweight denim and printed silk were light and breezy.
Accessories, too, were fit for the heat — and boy was it hot at the show. Flat leather boots had delicate stitching at the sides, while sandals were capri-style, strappy and barely-there. Bags included small buckets, some with fishnet details; cross-body styles, and slim leather clutches.
Many of the models wore stacks of thick leather bracelets, which looked chic — but hot given the temperature in the room. Even before the first model stepped onto the vast, square runway, celebrities including Sofia Vergara were fanning themselves with the show notes.
Next time, Hermès, please turn up the air con, and let the air flow freely.
