At Hermès, woven leather and quiet confidence set the tone for Paris menswear
PARIS (AP) — While much of Paris Fashion Week chased spectacle, Hermès chose a different path.
On Saturday, artistic director Véronique Nichanian unveiled a Summer 2026 men's collection that spoke in a language of quiet strength, deep craft and calm luxury.
Models walked beneath soaring mirrors in sharply cut jackets, high-waisted woven leather trousers, and sleeveless tops — pieces that fused house tradition with a modern, easy sensuality.
Nichanian's colors were cool and exact: coffee, slate, taupe and beige, each one a lesson in subtlety. There was no shouting here, only precision.
What made the collection powerful was its restraint. Where others go wide, Hermès goes narrow —offering tailored silhouettes and a sense of order when the rest of fashion is busy making noise. Fine leather, featherlight silks, and bandanas with a whisper of fringe reminded the crowd that true luxury is about touch, not flash.
Nichanian's playful touches — zigzag motifs, the wink of an unbuttoned shirt, a glint of silver hardware — kept things human, not stiff. It was a masterclass in how to make classic codes feel new, even radical, simply by refusing to chase trends.
In a season marked by designer shake-ups and economic jitters, Hermès stood alone: confident, focused, and unwilling to compromise. As Nichanian took her bow to cheers, she sent a clear message — at Hermès, luxury is about the pleasure of the wearer, not the applause of the crowd.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Beyoncé Seasons Her White Pantsuit With a Dash of Turmeric, Fashion's Next Food-Inspired Color Trend
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It's tough to steal attention away from the glitz and glam of Paris Fashion Week, but a Beyoncé sighting will do it every time. After the curtain closed on the European leg of her Cowboy Carter Tour, Beyoncé wasted no time getting back out in these streets. On day one of the PFW's Menswear Spring 2026 shows, the Grammy winner made a surprise appearance at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris. Debuting her first off-stage 'fit of the month, Queen Bey chose an all-white pantsuit, presumably to view Pharrell Williams's June 24 fashion show from the front-row. Always on-board for a menswear moment, the pop star wore a double-breasted blazer and oversize trousers to match. Pointy white pumps peeked out from underneath her floor-grazing pants, in lieu of cowboy boots. Beyoncé's stark Stella McCartney suit acted as a blank canvas, allowing her turmeric clutch to take center stage. Summer's buzziest new food-flavored trend, turmeric evokes the same sunshine-y aura as its sibling butter yellow, but with a subtle '70s feel. It's unclear which designer is behind Beyoncé's jolt of color, but it's likely a custom creation from Louis Vuitton. View Deal View Deal No Beyoncé look would be complete without a 10-gallon cowboy hat, so the singer accessorized with a complementary ivory style. (Likely, the same Stetson hat she wore on-stage in London and Paris.) As a final note, she added mixed-metal hoop earrings made of geometric shapes. View Deal View Deal Beyoncé's saturated accessory cemented turmeric's stance as the underdog shade of the summer. Her look debuted just one week after Hunter Schafer was spotted carrying Prada's $4,500 Etude Buckle Leather Shoulder Bag in a strikingly similar hue. Months before that, Fall 2025 runways laid a foundation for the ugly-cute color. Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, and Prada all got in on the foodie-inspired fun, with various golden creations. With Beyoncé's stamp of approval, soon enough everyone will want a taste of the turmeric trend. View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Beyoncé Becomes the First to Wear Louis Vuitton's New Speedy Bandoulière 25 Bag Minutes after Its Runway Debut
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Whenever Beyoncé attends a fashion week show, it immediately becomes the most talked-about event of the season (that's a give-in). And on the first day of Paris Men's Fashion Week, Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton claimed the highest honor, welcoming the pop star to their A-list front row. Mere minutes before lights dimmed and the first model emerged, Beyoncé snuck into the venue wearing a custom denim jumpsuit created for her by the luxury label. The dark indigo number felt decidedly Cowboy Carter-coded, with its plunging neckline, bootcut hem, and rodeo-ready belt. Inspired by her Cowboy Carter tour costumes, Beyoncé layered a burgundy fur coat atop her shoulders, courtesy of LaQuan Smith's Spring 2025 collection. The trick is one stylist Shiona Turini utilizes regularly in Beyoncé's on-stage wardrobe. She has dressed the pop star in numerous shearling coats, capes, hats, and boots throughout her global performances. Beyoncé then finished her cowgirl 'fit with a brown 10-gallon cowboy hat, which sat atop voluminous bombshell curls. The chocolate-hued hat matched her paisley-studded Louis Vuitton top-handle bag. The one-of-a-kind piece drew inspiration from the brand's luxe luggage. As always, the pop star's jewelry was top-tier. She sported Messika's rare Fragment of Time Necklace, which boasts a 36-carat yellow diamond and another 33-carat white diamond. According to Messika's website, the sparkler features 232 diamonds, reaching a total of 129 carats. Its price tag is a mystery, but these stats suggest it's falls somewhere in the six-figure range. After the show's final walk, Williams took the runway himself and made a beeline beyline to the singer. He presented Beyoncé with a caramel-striped Speedy Bandoulière 20 right there on the runway. The micro duffel made its debut only minutes earlier, making Bey the first person to ever carry it (apart from the model, of course). Something tells me this bag is about to have a major moment. View Deal View Deal View Deal View Deal
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Colour and ease lift Paris Men's Fashion Week
Colours ran wild and silhouettes softened at Paris Men's Fashion Week, which ends Sunday, as designers brought a rare breath of fresh air to a gloomy fashion climate. Despite the heavy news cycle and economic turbulence affecting the luxury sector, this Fashion Week was a "shot of creativity that felt incredibly good", Alice Feillard, men's buying director at Galeries Lafayette, told AFP. The spring-summer 2026 season "is much more creative than the previous ones, which were a bit duller", said Adrien Communier, the fashion editor at GQ France. Both experts observed a more relaxed vibe, with Feillard pointing to "good humour" and "optimism", while Communier noted a "lighter mood". "With so many debuts, there was a sense of renewal. And so, I found that people were more curious," he added. After a notable women's show in March, Julian Klausner made waves Thursday with his first menswear show for Dries Van Noten, while Jonathan Anderson's long-awaited debut at Dior drew applause on Friday. A renewed burst of creativity lit up the runways, most visibly through bold colour choices. Brown tones and pastels made way for a richer, more saturated palette for next summer. Saint Laurent opened the week with violet, navy, orange and moss green, while Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton channelled Indian motifs and hues. Dries Van Noten made a splash with bold fuchsia and blood red, while Kenzo exploded with candy pink, aquatic blue and chick yellow. - 'nonchalant elegance' - Dior Homme took a more restrained approach, showcasing rich tones like a deep forest green on structured pieces. The tones sometimes appeared as prints -- tiger at Kenzo, childlike safari at Louis Vuitton and floral at Dior. At Comme des Garcons Plus, prints leaned into pop-style 1970s geometry -- a look also seen at Amiri, Saint Laurent and Junya Watanabe, who embraced flared trousers. Stripes were ubiquitous but subtle, adding detail without overwhelming. Designers leaned into fluidity with flared trousers, long jackets, open shirts and an ongoing pyjama trend. "There's a sort of nonchalant elegance in having a very fluid yet thoughtfully designed silhouette," Communier said. Last season's neo-dandy look is now much more relaxed. "Tailoring is still omnipresent in the collections, but it's becoming more fluid. There's still formality, but it's far more relaxed and remains very elegant," said Feillard. Bags were omnipresent, from clutch to shoulder, styled for both casual outings and evening occasions. Finally, flip-flops made a major comeback, seen at Officine Generale, Auralee and even Hermes, "worn in an almost formal way", said Communier. A perfect example of relaxed chic. mdv/srg/gv/tc
