Véronique Nichanian was in a nostalgic — and generous — mood, reworking wardrobe classics with comfort, warmth and practicality top of mind.
She said it was a collection about men who are going places. “It’s about long lines, long legs, men striding forward. This man knows where he’s going and he feels optimistic,” said Nichanian, adding that the designs were inspired, in part, by the modernity of the show’s backdrop.
Saturday’s venue was Maison de l’Unesco, which was built in 1958 and which is home to works by Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder and Henry Moore.
For fall, those modern Hermès men also cast off their patterned ties, swapping them for luxe turtlenecks and twinsets; blouson shirts with high collars, or printed scarves that added flourish and protection from the icy winter winds.
The knitwear was practical and it also told a story. Nichanian added bits of contrast leather stitching to pieces, including a pistachio twinset and a chocolate turtleneck. The pattern, she said, was meant to mimic a patch, or repair done at home, to preserve a beloved piece of clothing.
“The act of repairing is poetic for me,” said the designer. She also added soft leather panels to the backs of a navy or camel peacoat, and adorned chunky turtlenecks with intarsia images of chains, flowers and plants, treating her knitwear almost like a mood board.
She paired those colorful tops with white denim jeans, lean leather trousers and chunky-soled boots that were built for forward marching.
It was a lesson in everyday chic. “Clothes need to feel beautiful against the skin and they need to be practical,” said Nichanian, who pointed to a navy blue topcoat with oversized patch pockets — ideal, she said, for carrying life’s necessities, like a mobile phone.
For evening, Nichanian swapped traditional ties for the high necks of poets’ blouses and decorated them with many delicate chains because she thought it looked sexy. “It gives it a bit of a dandy feel,” said Nichanian, whose clients will thank her for enabling them to reveal their softer, more bohemian side.
