Paris Fashion Week: Hermès Fall/Winter 2026 Menswear By Véronique Nichanian
Paris – Hermès presented its Fall/Winter 2026 menswear collection during Paris Fashion Week in a moment that was as historic as it was heartfelt. Marking the end of an era, the show was Véronique Nichanian’s final runway for the House after an extraordinary 37-year tenure as artistic director of menswear.
The closing look passed in a flash of mirrored crocodile: a long, dark coat layered over slim black silk trousers and a high-neck sweater—quietly spectacular, impeccably cut, and unmistakably Hermès. As the models completed their finale, screens surrounding the runway played archival footage of Nichanian’s many bows over the decades. When she emerged for her own final walk, dressed with the same understated elegance that has long defined her work, the audience rose instantly to its feet. Applause filled the space—earned, emotional, and deeply deserved.
Backstage, Nichanian celebrated with her visibly moved team before offering a final post-show reflection. “I’m happy,” she said. “And I’m proud of myself. I work very hard, with passion, and I make the style of the Hermès man—a simple line. I never change my mind. I’m straight to the point.” When asked why she chose that crocodile coat as her last-ever look for the House, her answer was characteristically direct: “Because it’s fun.”
That sense of fun—balanced by restraint, craftsmanship, and longevity—has been the cornerstone of Nichanian’s work, not only this season but throughout her career. In a poignant gesture, she revisited archival designs to underscore the timelessness of her vision. “Just to prove how it lasts,” she said. “I love the idea that you mix things with old collections.”
Several pieces returned from the Hermès menswear archive: the biker-collared leather jumpsuit from Fall 1991; a shearling-lined calfskin blouson first shown in 2004; a suede deerskin aviator jacket from 2001; and a stitched pinstripe leather suit originally designed in 2003. A playful nod to her early years came via a square, suitcase-style leather bag sculpted to resemble a boombox—an echo of the late 1980s, when Nichanian first joined the House.
Still, this was no retrospective alone. Nichanian introduced future classics as she took her final bow, including coral-dyed shearling coats and stripe-embroidered shearling overshirts. The orange-soled ankle boots grounding the collection are already poised to become cult favorites.
With her departure, Nichanian leaves behind one of the longest creative tenures in luxury fashion history—second only to Karl Lagerfeld’s time at Fendi. Despite being asked by Hermès CEO Axel Dumas to remain longer, she chose to step away on her own terms. “I took the decision for myself,” she said. “I want to travel, to live somewhere else. There are many things to do in life.”
Asked for one final piece of advice to the fashion industry, Nichanian answered as she always has—simply, clearly, and without excess: “Slow down.”
And with that, a chapter closed—quietly, beautifully, and with enduring impact.
Photos Credit: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
