The Hermès menswear Winter 2026 show was monumental for the house, marking the final runway show by Véronique Nichanian and closing a 37-year tenure defined by her elegant take on menswear, a focus on materials, and a near-devotional commitment to the Hermès aesthetic.
The display took place in the maison’s home city, Paris, on January 24, and that long-held view was very much evident as the show unfolded.
“Everything fits together, but everything is mobile, alive, enduring, seamlessly, continuously, through a season made for a lifetime,” was the design principle followed, as the house describes it.
As models strutted down the runway to a 1970s-inspired soundtrack, the collection featured a full-grain lambskin jacket, a reversible cashmere and wool travel coat, and a double-breasted suit in pinstriped leather, then developed into a wardrobe that optimises comfort without compromising on an overall sharp take on men’s dressing.
The interesting bit is how “normal” it looks until you get up close. The outerwear includes shearling lined with Toilovent. Meanwhile, other pieces feature deer grain turned inside out. Bouclette, a textured fabric made from looped yarns, is also incorporated, but kept light. And the best parts are the ones you only notice once you’re wearing the looks, for instance, the étrivière stitching, off-centre bellows pockets, those small details that give the pieces the “if you know, you know” moment.
Meanwhile, the shade palette is subdued, with inky blue, prunoir, peat, and burnt grey making the most occurrences. But the occasional pops of colour, such as flashes of orange lining, described as “a gale of laughter in the night”, alongside the addition of a contrasting Neoprene and a Plume Fourre-Tout “On Radio” bag, remind us that Hermès can be sharp yet playful.
As already established, this in particular was a special show marking an era for Véronique, which makes pulls from the archives inevitable. The notes name the exact seasons and pieces, from a moka calfskin jumpsuit tied to AW1991, to the reversible “Quick” blouson from AW2000, and a greige washed silk straight shirt with pintucks traced to AW2018.
What’s next for the house is that the baton passes from Véronique Nichanian to Grace Wales Bonner, with her first Hermès menswear collection scheduled for January 2027, according to Reuters. And we’re making a calendar entry…