Out Of The Box

For over three decades, Véronique Nichanian has been at the helm of the Hermès men’s universe. Kissa Castañeda speaks to the artistic director on how she sparks joy at work as well as in the lives and wardrobes of men.

- Kissa Castaneda

BEHIND EVERY WELL-DRESSED man, I wouldn’t be surprised to find the same woman— Véronique Nichanian. The artistic director of the Hermès men’s universe has been clothing men with exacting standards since she joined the brand in 1988, and inspires fierce loyalty from a clientele that, it is safe to deduce, is not exactly short on resources to get what they want.

“I try to express how a man wants to dress today, but at the same time, I create clothes that they can keep for a long time,” said Nichanian when we met for tea at Chiltern Firehouse in London. “I try to seduce the men,” she said with a hint of a smile and a twinkle in her eye, offering a glimpse of her excitement about designing a comprehensive collection, a task she has done with characteristic finesse for over three decades.

Her passion was evident as we spoke, but was even more palpable at the annual Hermès men’s universe event, which unfolded on the first official day of spring in London. Unlike a run-of-the-mill runway show or cocktail party, this traveling exposition, which has stopped at Paris, Seoul and New York in previous years, was chock-full of interactive elements meant to lure guests deeper into the brand’s whimsical world. “It’s essentially a party for people to discover the expression of the Hermès men’s universe through a prism,” Nichanian shared when asked to describe her vision of the one-night-only event in March.