HERMÈS

HERMÈS
Autumn/Winter 2026 Collection

SHANGHAI

Against the shimmering dusk of Shanghai’s North Bund, Hermès unveiled a spectacle that was as much a tribute to craft as it was a celebration of motion, elegance, and cosmopolitan femininity. The French maison brought its Fall/Winter 2025 collection — the second chapter of “Au Galop!” — to life within a custom-built pavilion, where orange panels opened like cinematic shutters to frame the illuminated skyline of Lujiazui. A poetic clash of tradition and velocity, it was Hermès galloping confidently into China’s cultural heart.

Artistic director Nadège Vanhée delivered a wardrobe that felt instinctively urban yet emotionally tactile. Structured coats with removable linings, convertible dresses layered over leather culottes, and sculpted silhouettes in quilted cashmere declared a vision not of extravagance, but intelligent elegance. Each garment was a living system — adaptable, resilient, and wholly modern.

Central to this Shanghai chapter was the braid — not merely as motif, but as message. Inspired by the Dressage Tressage carré, braids were stitched into the seams of coats, wrapped around waists, and even woven into the models’ hair. It was equestrian, yes, but also deeply human: a coded emblem of interconnection, of tradition reintegrated into contemporary life with a distinctly global touch.

Styled as urbane adventurers, models moved with a grounded sophistication. Mini Kelly bags hung over shoulders like gear for a digital-age nomad, while thigh-high riding boots gleamed in midnight leather. Softly tailored suiting in oxblood, orange, ink blue and camel conveyed both warmth and presence. Each look whispered of Paris, yet pulsed with Shanghai’s dynamic rhythm.

Shanghai is no stranger to spectacle, but Hermès gave it resonance. This was only the maison’s second-ever show outside France — a deliberate act of cultural attunement. Here, fashion became dialogue. Through texture, form, and poise, Hermès bridged continents not with trend, but with timeless tact. As the city glowed and the river flowed, the message was clear: the world is moving, and Hermès is riding forward — au galop.

In a world of increasing flux, the Hermès woman remains unmistakable — grounded in craftsmanship, sculpted by function, and always in motion. Shanghai was not just a backdrop. It was the pulse — a mirror to the maison’s evolving soul. With this show, Hermès affirms its legacy not only in artistry, but in its ability to listen, adapt, and lead across time and culture.