By Helen Reid
PARIS, March 7 (Reuters) – Hermes designer Nadege Vanhee took inspiration from the ambience of twilight for a fall/winter collection featuring fluid leather coats, zip-front mini dresses, and biker shorts.
Guests entering the Garde Republicaine, the sprawling barracks of Paris’ mounted gendarmes, stepped onto a floor of thick moss extending across the show space.
Models emerged from a luminous circular opening in the far wall evoking the moon and marched along a winding raised catwalk, above the vegetation.
The looks came in dusky blue and green tones, with pops of orange, oxblood and yellow.
Tight dresses in dark leather had asymmetrical zips revealing a contrasting shirt underneath, while long brown overcoats featured huge sheepskin collars.
Aviator jackets and trench coats were paired with glossy cycle shorts made out of lambskin.
Ostrich leather was used throughout for jackets, jodhpurs, and an orange biker-inspired jumpsuit that was zipped up the front and belted at the waist.
Tailoring featured double-breasted jackets and cigarette trousers in browns and iridescent burgundy.
Vanhee has been womenswear creative director since 2014 for Hermes, which caters to the ultra-wealthy and tightly controls access to its products, with years-long waiting lists for its most exclusive handbags.
Hermes is one of many major luxury brands showing at Paris Fashion Week, which started on Monday and runs through March 11, with Chanel and Louis Vuitton catwalks still to come.
(Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Jan Harvey)
