Hermès Spring 2016 RTW Collection

In her second season as Hermès’ women’s creative director, Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski made strides in establishing a more piquant attitude for the house of infallible luxury. Her first effort for fall upheld the Hermès standard of impeccable taste, but its commitment to the idea of timelessness ran a bit cold and, paradoxically, dated.

Spring had more of an edge, even if it was the edge of a silver spoon. The show began and ended with sharp, spare silhouettes, mostly stripped of adornment to let the fabric quality bask in purity of form. A group of midnight blue/black double-faced cashmere, cotton and silk blend, was cut into minimal separates with a smart, top-of-the-corporate-ladder polish. A long waistcoat and matching pants were worn over a white and navy swimsuit with a V-shaped strap down the center that made all the difference between plain and subtle style. The closing looks were equally clean but more casual in off-white double-faced linen cotton and silk that had a dense parchment look on a pert tennis shift and a long, racer-back tank dress worn with white sneakers.

That urban sportiness infused the majority of the lineup, modernizing the Hermès essentials as they came. A streamlined black leather zip-up bodice worn with a black-and-white windowpane plaid skirt and sneakers made modern use of the house’s leather as ready-to-wear. Scarves took on a nautical ease as the navy and white Quadri scarf, with its large-scale abstract geometry, was used on a simple dress that looked like two pieces – a square top and straight skirt. The same pattern also appeared on a loose caftan dress.

Overall, the mood was polished yet pleasantly relaxed and organic, two points hammered home via accessories – the trainers and oversize crystalline resin bracelets, necklaces and belts inlaid with geode-like minerals.

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