SimplyAbuDhabi X

1 4 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I H ermes’ take on Spring Summer 2013 could’ve been designed with Abu Dhabi’s mid-year sweltering temperatures in mind. The look says, ‘at-ease cosmopolitan traveller’, the type that takes a left on the plane and luxuriates through long haul in First Class – withmatching hand stitched leather luggage safely stowed. If your thing is punchy and confident prints that get you instantly noticed as you glide through a five star hotel lobby (which is definitely Simply Abu Dhabi’s thing) then the house of Hermes had you in mind. The prints are bold re- workings of classics and all utterly wearable; the crocodile print is an instant go to, as are the tropical flowers, Japanese themes and strong geometric lines. That said, this look doesn’t go all out for ‘pretty pretty’, far from it. Hermes has gone for a defined silhouette across the collection, playing with the angles of each to keep it clean but not predictable. Trousers are loosely flared, dresses give a nod to the kimono and skirts ripple into a neat trapeze. The fabrics are light but luxe, incorporating cashmere, satin, cotton and leather, while all the embellishments are underplayed with a pared down simplicity. Straps are kept light but utilitarian and the styling cue from on the catwalk was limited to leather cuffs and skinny belts. There’s a clever balance here; Hermes knows the prints do all the talking, so why make the look too complex and try too hard? The palate takes its cue from a base of neutrals such as cream, sand, brick and caramel, but cuts through the calm with bold seams of midnight blue, chocolate, orange, mustard and lemon. This is a lifestyle collection for a woman that Hermes has imagined to be constantly on the move, with a wardrobe that needs to take her from airport terminal, to meeting, to gallery opening, to candlelit table and back to check-in again. Funnily enough, exactly the kind of woman that Simply Abu Dhabi knows fills the UAE’s boardrooms and boutiques. No prizes for guessing which design house they’ll have on speed dial when the mercury starts to rise.