Light Work

Inside the menswear universe of Hermès' Véronique Nichanian, where fashion is both fun and a pleasure to wear

- By Jack Moss

During her 35 years as artistic director of Hermès’ men’s universe – the longest tenure of any current creative director in Paris – Véronique Nichanian has entered the house’s historic archive only twice. She is steadfast that her vision is one of forward movement – each collection, she insists, is about looking ahead, never back. ‘We don’t have the same materials, we don’t have the same life,’ she says. ‘So we are always thinking: what is the classic of tomorrow?’

It has made Nichanian an undeniable force with an innate understanding of Hermès and a fastidious approach to creating a garment, which can hinge on centimetres of cloth (‘a centimetre can change the entire cut of a pair of trousers’). At the centre of her approach is the assertion that Hermès, while synonymous with Parisian luxury and craft, should nonetheless retain a feeling of joie de vivre – never stuffy, and always a pleasure to wear. ‘I think fashion should be light and fun,’ she says. ‘I want to bring happiness to people – in the sensuality of the fabric, or the colour, or something that makes you say “wow”.’