Hermès - Pattern Is Back.SuzyPFW...Fashionweekly..On Fow24news.com

With a flourish of print and richness of colour, designer Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski changed the pace at the illustrious house.Time was that Hermès was known primarily for its patterned scarves and neckties - unless you were buying a saddle or other horsey elements on which the French house was founded....
Nadège was the first female designer at the house in 20 years when she was appointed in 2015, and had kept to muted shades in fine fabrics to express the upscale, double-face-cashmere spirit of the house. Vulgarity, in this populist era, is unknown at Hermès.So it was good to see Nadège's increasing confidence in taking prints of keys (the kind that go with historic country houses) and elegant gloves to give an edgy modernity to graceful clothes. Both patterns date from the Sixties and the names of the three designers were scrupulously noted in the programme.

That’s coming from the archives" Nadège said backstage, referring to the prints. "What is the beauty of the house is that there is such a massive collaboration with different illustrators and (there are) stacks and stacks of sketches and they were so eclectic. There’s a connection but beyond that I just felt that I really wanted to bring something unexpected."

The patterns joined another crucial element that is helping Hermès to move forward in its own smooth, slow-paced way: colour. The show began with long, elegantly cut coats - Nadège called them "horse blanket" drapes. Those outfits opened to show a brighter side: a pink lining and orange hose or a red lining and soft pink trousers. Some of the colouring was subtle, as in a faint squiggle pattern on navy blue, but the designer had definitely moved away from minimalist style.

Since the bags and shoes were shown separately earlier in the week, Nadège had the opportunity to enhance the fashion offering, which has sometimes looked like an adjunct to accessories. This time, the extras were defined as that: a wide belt here, a woolly hat there, discreet bags and some horsey-looking necklaces and other classic pieces in rose gold. Leather aprons were transformed into clothing.

The designer, now in her fifth season at Hermès, is moving forward quietly but firmly towards a position that menswear, created by a different long-term designer, reached some time ago. The clothes have to be appealing, perfectly made, but above all relevant to women of today. Nadège is approaching that goal.