Hermès pays a poetic homage to summer

HERMÉS HAS a thing for poetry. From its show notes, written with whimsy and delicate language, to the clothing itself; the French house has crafted a universe in which the artists and creative thinkers of the world would feel most at home.

Throughout her 35-year tenure as the artistic director of Hermès, Véronique Nichanian has honed founder Thierry Hermès’ original vision for a House rooted in simplicity and lightness (see, even its founding principals are poetic), giving heritage a home in the modern age.

For Hermès Men’s spring 2024, Nichanian’s vision for what contemporary menswear should be was brought into sharp focus. Having debuted in Paris on June 24, the collection presented a Parnassian approach to summer style, constructed with, as the show notes state, “the weightlessness of daylight.”

When you think of what you want from summer, it’s really a simple ask: a season filled with joy and serenity — and hopefully some good weather. It was these notions on which the collection was built, with Véronique bringing a tender, almost feminine quality to a Paris Fashion Week that’s felt otherwise overtly masculine.

From the outset, bodies were liberated, with skin cloaked in translucent fabrics, daringly-short shorts and slim trousers. Trench coats were cut shorter and thin knitwear layered, with cardigans, zipped jumpers and vests aplenty. Shirting was loose and breezy, worn with wrinkled piqué two-button jackets and beach blazers constructed from technical, iridescent fabric. And then, of course, there was silk, designed for those cooler summer nights. To echo the theme of warmth, the collection was crafted in a palette of sage, steam, ice and terracotta, as well as the obligatory summer neutrals. Above all, it was simplistic without being ‘simple’, a truly whimsical summer wardrobe that proved fashion doesn’t need to be complicated in order to be good.

It would be remiss of us to exclude the opening line from the show notes, which describe the collection — in total accuracy — as, “soft and sweet as a summer breeze, stirred by a tender strength.” Pure, pure poetry.