Romance and utility. Rarely do the two meet. But both were on Nadej Vanhey’s mind when she designed her new collection for Hermès. She said she was thinking about twilight, the “realm of hadith” between day and night, or vice versa, and the possibilities it holds. “This is a moment of change, of movement,” he said. This influenced his palette, which begins with warm sunset colors before shading into deep reds, glowing greens as the giant orb sinks below the horizon, and finally dark blues and gray-blacks. And it also shaped the silhouette, which was narrow and aerodynamic, accented with pockets and zippers, allowing for ease as well as control.
Vanhee said the collection was “entirely about modernism and how you can infuse modernity with a sense of fluidity or sexuality, and also the question of female agency.” Naturally, all the zips could be adjusted as the wearer desired, and there were stretch shorts to slip under the A-line miniskirt so a woman could really hit her stride (although the shorts themselves would be more difficult to pull off). The people of Jodhpur gave a nod to the horse heritage of the house in place of the traditional tailored trousers and kept the lines long and lean. On the theme of agency, Vanhée created his winter jackets and coats with removable collars, and a pair of leather coats designed with zippers that went around the torso and hips. “You can cover up and be totally sexy,” she noted. “It’s about revealing and hiding. And it’s not a dichotomy. It’s definitely a tandem.”
The collection’s only print, a zip-front shirt dress with knitted sleeves, was created from a design by Art Deco-era artist and poster maker AM Cassandre. Perspective reveals a cloud-dotted sky beyond an abstract tower. Seeing it is like looking into the future. Opening in front of it, Vanhée has launched Hermès haute couture next year. Another reason to be heartened.
