There’s nothing like lockdowns and travel restrictions to make us appreciate liminal spaces — ‘non-places’ that are the fulcrums of change from one place to another: train stations, hotel lobbies, ticket booths, and of course, the airport. In view of the reopening of borders, Hermes’ creative director for womenswear Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski chooses a Parisian airport hangar as the location of the Hermes’ spring/summer show.
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For many seasons, Vanhee-Cybulski has been formulating a uniform for women built on lessons learned from the disruption of the pandemic, and the collection for spring 2022 seems to be a culmination of this journey. First, there’s the buttery leather that feels at once easy and simple, and intricately constructed. There are also comfortable separates such as cropped T-shirts, varsity jackets and oversized shirts worn unbuttoned over matching bustiers, lending an air of nonchalance and relaxed sexiness. The trousers and shorts, jumpsuits, and lambskin trench coats are just as fluid and soft. As for accessories, there were soft platform sandals that are also imagined in the form of boots.
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The collection’s colour palette is one of sunshine and optimism, which is also reflected in the set design. Though it rained — as it always does during Paris Fashion Week — the space felt bright and cheery, all thanks to the vibrant landscapes by artist Flora Moscovici that covered the walls. At the finale, the hangar door was lifted to reveal the sky, and planes landed as if on cue.
