Simply Abu Dhabi XXII

HERMÈS SS 2016 MENSWEAR I t was Jean-Louis Dumas, the former chairman and artistic director of Hermès, who, in 1988, gave Véronique Nichanian carte blanche to set up her own little business creating men’s clothing and accessories for the company where she has worked for the past 27 years. It’s safe to say he made the right choice. Nichanian is now based in Paris and continues to create hugely successful collections year on year for the luxury fashion house, propelled by her keen understanding and interest in the fashion tastes of the opposite sex. “I like men's mannerisms, the way they can be driven by refinement,” she says. “Details say a lot about a man’s choices: watches are a masculine take on jewellery. Like shoes, they are signs of elegance,” she continues. For spring 2016 Véronique Nichanian presents an elegant and considered collection of her own for Hermès, one that brings the charm that we have come to expect from her. “I like to make clothes that can exist by themselves. They are like objects, and Hermès is a house of objects after all,” said the designer. "It's the definition of something very modern, which I have be doing for 25 years." The attention to detail throughout her latest collection is, as always, exquisite. A summer jacket features just a slice of elastic at the waist to ensure a flattering fit; the house's signature silk scarves surface as belts, a number of jackets are reversible, and horizontally-ribbed sweaters carry easy button-up necklines. Nichanian has a very clear understanding of her role in fashion: to give men clothing staples that will stand the test of time and changing styles. Her offerings are all about subtle changes, designs that will fold easily into an existing wardrobe, that ‘play nicely with others’. It would be interesting to know if the ultra-successful Nichanian constantly wonders what she can do that she hasn't already done… There is a fabric in this collection – a goatskin imprinted with silk twill – that counted as a conceptual, as well as technical, breakthrough. It brings together the two big Hermès signatures – skin and silk – in one material. And it seems utterly typical of Nichanian that she would then use this signal achievement on a t-shirt – just like she elasticated the waist of vibrant green suede pants or included a striped mint green blouson jacket crafted out of water snake or a reversible two-button jacquard blazer covered in flowers and stripes. So many casual details defy the notion of the way the haute bourgeoisie in France would dress whilst conveying the conventional image of Hermès. The rolled pants, knotted kerchiefs, t-shirts and the slightly undone mood are all part of the microclimate for menswear that she has created within Hermès. “Clothes speak to me and I try to give this confidence tomen and a newelegance,” said Nichanian. Mission accomplished, we say. 2 8 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I