June 13, 2025 |
Hermès‘ Nadège Vanhée unveiled the second chapter of her AW25 women’s collection in spectacular style, on the banks of Shanghai’s North Bund. Guests were given a full-immersion Hermès experience, entering a huge show space lined in the same orange as the house’s shopping bags and gift boxes. As the sun set, a wall of louvres swung open to reveal modern Shanghai, across the Huangpu River, the futuristic skyline of the Lujiazui district blazing with coloured lights. It was a dazzling symbol of China’s modernity and aspiration.
The energy of the city was reflected in the collection, which picked up where the Paris show left off. The Hermès woman is never passive. She has places to go and things to do and demands a wardrobe that meets her needs. This Hermès collection was made for just such a strident, confident customer. Vanhée playfully titled it Au Galop! (Translation: At a gallop).
Horsey references are a given at Hermès. Vanhée used the Dressage Tressage-printed silks for detachable linings and on quilted jackets, she also fashioned equestrian blankets into coats. Models strode down the catwalk with pace and purpose. They wore modern, dynamic, multi-functional clothes, with many pieces designed to be worn a multitude of ways. Undo a zip on a leather dress and it became a pencil skirt and gilet: snap open the interior poppers on a leather coat and its Dressage Tressage-printed lining detached to be worn on its own. A sense of freedom and possibility was designed into every look.
For Vanhée, versatility equals longevity. “You can actually transform your clothes, so you can have it all the day long, all the season long, but all life long too,” she said. Craft and innovation sit side by side in her universe.
Wearing knits tied around their waists, layered-up looks and sturdy shoes built for striding down city streets, the mood was urban but rooted in the finest natural fabrics: silk, leather cashmere. The big accessories story? Alongside braided leather belts, inspired by equestrian plaiting) and sturdy riding boots, how about a pair of leather-lined Hermès headphones, the latest creation from Hermès Atelier Horizons. And if you are looking for a new way to wear the Mini Kelly, try slinging it high, cross-body, so that it functions almost as a necklace. Don’t mind if we do.
Photography courtesy of Hermès.
