Hermes’ house landed in Shanghai on a night in June, introducing the second chapter of its fall 2025 collection. It’s hard to name a brand that has been doing big things in China recently to cater to the country’s health needs for fashion (although luxury slows down in 2024). But, given the way artistic director Nadège Vanhée explains the aesthetic tradition of the house in the modern vein, Hermes’ arrival is poetic. The line between modern and traditional blur is easy here.
“The only two people are in another city, she is in Shanghai,” Vanhée explained backstage before the show. The theme of “Exploration” found itself in a faraway place, but Vanhée expressed this classic theme in a very clever way. The show was conducted on a stylish orange suit built along the Huangpu River. Guests are served with champagne with rice wine, some white cereals at the bottom of the glass, while delicate white wild flowers float on the top. The lights began to dim down like the sun set in the darkness, and then the paneled walls began to hang open to expose the river and the skyline of the lujiazui. As the model moved from the runway, a ship with neon lights sailed past, and the Oriental Pearl Tower glowed red in the background.
The name given to the series by vanhée is called “Au Galop!”. This is not only a nod to Hermes’ equestrian roots and house decoration, but also a concept for weaving different chains – traditional and modern, Paris and Shanghai. The series is noteworthy for its highly modular nature, as Vanhée wants to express the concept of timelessness. “So you can actually change your clothes so you can have a whole day of seasons all day, but it can also be a lifetime,” she said.
There is a fur jacket, in good wine colors and double-sided cashmere lined with a dressage printer panel. This look is inspired by the young and smooth spirit of Shanghai Street’s stylish, namely the needle and button-down shirts tied to the waist, only these shirts are cut from exquisite stock and leather. Mini Kellys crossed the breasts or tied to the backpack like a backpack and with the help of a Sonys scarf or two. The scarf also adorned the head and was cleverly bound by the Hermes ring. Some models redefine “quiet luxury” with luxury new Hermes leather headphones from Atelier Horizon around their necks.
These pieces all take a number of different ways, adding utilities to make them actually worth the investment – a wise claim given the slowdown in luxury goods. Vanhée prompts viewers to explore the set and identify the blocks it can build. See: Zippered leather dress, cut into a smooth pencil skirt and Gillette. A long leather jacket with the dressage print lining can be worn apart and separate, while the upper half of the jacket converts into a smart little jacket without obvious fasteners. In this way, the modern and playful nature of the collection still retains the Hermes brand’s discreet elegance, never on your face or overly gorgeous. If you know, you know.
