Hermès Fall 2023 Menswear Collection

“I like the idea to play with the vestiaire masculin. After Covid, when we used to dress in the light comfortable jogging, now we want to be dressed more sexy for the evening. Wearing some earrings and something sexy like that—and I like the idea of doing the same in the daylight.” Al fresco sexiness? This was a frisky position to take—especially considering we were at Hermès, the epitome of civilized savoir faire. And yet Véronique Nichanian is not the longest-standing creative director in all of fashion for nothing.

Leather, the core metier of Hermès, is a sexy substance to wear and sometimes even touch: a second skin warmed by the person within it. Here Nichanian unleashed a gallery of pulsating pieces: wide-legged black calfskin pants, calfskin jackets, half-zip sweatshirts and overshirts, deerskin blousons, and a devastatingly gorgeous black cardigan top in lamb shearling. To raise the temperature a notch more, there was also some role play: the opening gray leather overcoat featured a gleaming fireman’s jacket fastening (as did some short equivalents later). There were naval pea coats patched with calfskin, full-throttle aviators in sheepskin, and even a black zippered blouson or two that had a vibe and attitude that conjured a hint of punk.

The models wore slightly stacked triple monk strap boots or sneakers, and carried a selection of bags designed to drive any Hermès fan to ecstasy. There was portage sized for every persuasion, but the hottest hand-candy was undoubtedly plus-sized: the HAC (Haut à courroies) bags that were the original basis of the house’s Birkin. Featuring a side pocket and chunky hardware, these came in a variety of seductive fabrications: Barénia Faubourg calfskin, mat crocodile, Fjord cowhide and Togo calfskin. As advertised by Nichanian, many of the models did indeed wear earrings and chains in white gold and diamond named Chaos Fancy. There were also leather necklaces from which dangled gleaming metal dice.

Other persuasive daywear pieces included folkish knits whose patterns transitioned from all-cream to color half way around the body and short-sleeved versions of the Guernsey. Many of the pieces featured little sections of braided leather inserted into the garments to resemble patches, a conceit Nichanian said spoke to her love of those who stay true to their most beloved garments by giving them therapeutic repair. By night she leant to black in a selection whose highlights included fitted knits cut into pale foulards, and a regal lambskin topcoat framed at the top by an ebony foulard cravat. All the way through, the silhouette and line kept inhaling and exhaling, in and out, from bulked up to slim, rigid to soft, smooth to textured. This was the hottest Hermès for some time.