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At the Garde Républicaine in Paris, France’s oldest fashion house presented its Spring/Summer 2024 collection amongst a field of rustic flowers. Since taking on the reigns at Hermès, Nadège Vanhée has been playing the long game. And as she inches towards a decade at the helm, a tenure that has been universally praised, the Belgian designer continues to find her own dynamic interpretations of Hermès’ 186-year-old DNA. Take the viral clog shoe that had the fashion world crawling over each other to get their own. While we’re used to hearing about waiting lists for the famed Birkin bag, the demand for the clog, with its bucolic nature and elegant Kelly buckle, proved Vanhée’s instincts for modern design.
For this collection, just like with her Fall/Winter 2023 show earlier this year, a smooth and timeless colour palette flowed organically. As the show went on, a rich burgundy evolved into taupey neutrals, black, navy and vivid red before concluding in a deep plum. An array of monochromatic looks were broken up by texture and levels created with clever cuts.
Bare midriffs were aplenty within the collection in a fun twist for the heritage label. Modular knit dresses with halter necks and cut-outs boasted brazen amounts of negative space, while modest separates were balanced with bralette tops. Vanhée’s penchant for paperbag waistlines came through in ultra mini shorts, and even rigid tailoring got a little sexed-up with asymmetrical wrap and buckle silhouettes.
Leather, a founding staple of the house, was refreshed by way of contrasts. It showed up with raffia in handbags, the lapels of nylon coats, and the top halves of cotton shorts.
Accessories were naturally well represented in the collection. Oversized trapeze totes were charmingly stuffed with straw and wildflowers, while spacious circular shoulder bags teased a new season must-have. A Birkin in a cool-toned brown made its debut, but smaller boxy top-handle bags make for a fun offering from the notoriously hard-to-get label. Will one of these be the next clog? Only time will tell. But if we’ve learned anything from Vanhée’s work, it’s that she’s always onto something.
