Staying warm, sleek, chic in Hermes
Models at the Hermes Men’s Winter 2025 show in Paris earlier this week were dressed for frigid temperatures. Wearing a selection of chicly cut outerwear, they strode down the zigzagging runway at the Palais d’Iena.
Long-time creative director Veronique Nichanian instinctively knows what looks good and works well together. She showed a selection of zippered jackets, hoodies and blanket-weave parkas worn under leather trenches, shiny belted coats or heavy, fur-lined ones. These were paired with narrow trousers. The neutral palette of tonal black and bluish gray was elegant but she also showed a couple of patterns to shake things up a bit. There was a stylized crosshatch design as well as a simplified chevron print that cropped up on jackets and scarves. For a pop of color, Nichanian showed a hoodie in Hermes orange.
All the models, save for a few, were warmly bundled up. Balaclavas kept ears toasty while necks were protected with jackets and sweaters zipped up to the chin. Layering was considered and deliberate: even with three layers, the looks were still sleek.
Play of textures
There was also a play of textures with the fabrics. Nichanian paired matte with shiny, thin with something heftier.
This season, the bags included huge, structured ones with minimal tooling as well as a number of totes with thin leather straps. A couple of the models held slim envelope clutches that could carry a phone, wallet and a pair of glasses.
Toward the end of the show came several looks that were less about bundling up and more about having fun. These included a smoking jacket, a thin jacket worn over a sheer cardi, and a beautifully-cut tuxedo jacket with a flap-like detail in front. Instead of covering the throat, Hermes scarves were rolled thin and tied loosely twice around the neck.
In the Instagram account of the French luxury goods brand, it says the collection was created by Nichanian “to inhabit time … to enter a garment as you would a house, to dress with the feeling of being welcomed.”
