First looks make statements and Hermès menswear designer Veronique Nichanian led with a suit that said a lot about the Hermès man.
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A cool, dark granite cotton finished with a sheen, this season’s Hermés suit is a two-button, four pocket number with a slim (not skinny) leg and medium lapel. Shoes were black, leather and minimal with a buckle placed neatly to one side. All Hermés menswear and accessories possesses a clean, uncluttered structure. The design was all about understatement; the Hermès man is a very unflustered customer because to choose Hermès is to choose the highest grade materials and wear the best leather in the world, so once you’ve got it on, everything glides. A highlight in the opening segue of granite colours was a leather macintosh modelled by Casey Taylor. The long line made by the leather, fastened by three large buttons, juxtaposed smartly with a matching smiley panel that closed across the neck and the single pocket that sloped across the chest. With minimalistic design millimetres and angles turn into big talking points, it should be a pleasure for the eye to be drawn naturally towards details and Veronique Nichanian is extremely deft at what she does. We caught up with her for a few words backstage:
Tell us about the textures and textiles in this collection, for example the shine on the opening suits… I love shiny woollen mohair suits, I find it so chic and classic, the fit is so precise so I wanted to open the show with this fabric. Put with a white shirt with a white pocket square you can see the cut of the suit.
Do you spend a lot of time researching fabrics? Yes I do love fabrics, I travel a lot, go to all the factories to make fabrics that are exclusive, we work a lot on fabrics because for me fabrics are really the first step of the menswear collection.
Your style of design is so clean and minimal, tell us about your choices to accessorise… For me accessories simply emphasise shape and colour or give something fun. It’s all new for me to play with accessories but I’m finding it exciting and fun.
Text: Sarah Hay
Photography: Mitchell Sams
Click here to see our AW12 Menswear coverage in full.
