For its Spring/Summer 2022 collection, French Maison Hermès has invited guests to an empty hanger located at Le Bourget airport in Paris. Creative director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski presented her designs on a panoramic flight runway. But before the finale (the unveiling of the flight runway) was revealed, the models donned Vanhee-Cybulski’s latest collection and strutted across mobile panels of sunshine yellow with a fresh attitude. The backdrop was hand-painted by the artist Flora Moscovici, whose deftly use of colours caught the attention of the designer.

Image: FilippoFior

“Her way of using color to transform public spaces in Paris meshed perfectly with the thought processes my teams and I had been engaged in since the pandemic,” Vanhee-Cybulski explained, “our aim being to renew the fashion show experience.” The colours were symbolic for Vanhee-Cybulski and formed the foundation for this collection. With the arrival of summer comes a rush of optimism and hope, which the designer tries to convey through her use of yellow and orange seen on some of the pieces. Besides delivering impeccable aesthetic through the sunny hues, Hermès has always been a house that stood for designs that are practical yet sensual. This is seen in many of the outfits such as the drawstring waists and structured bra tops to oversized coats of the right volume, athletic cutaway shoulders, and easy plissé bottoms.

Image: FilippoFior

Y2K styling has also crept its way into the stylistic codes of Hermès’ Spring Summer 2022 collection — crop top paired with baggy pants, a staple for many teenagers since 2020 have been given an ultra-sophisticated reimagining by Vanhee-Cybulski. When mentioning Hermès, one would be remiss if craftsmanship isn’t mentioned. And in this collection, the savoir-faire of the Maison is once again exemplified. Buttery leather pieces come in form of coats, overalls, pantsuits and bags. The silhouettes shown were more streamlined, not too form-fitting as it still allows movement.

“For me it’s really about clothes that enable you to move freely. I think it’s not about going to anything too casual—I think it’s about making an effort, but also the ability to move within your clothes,” says Vanhee-Cybulski. As much as the attention was on the beautiful clothes, the accessories certainly grabbed the attention of many. Drawing from its long horse-track heritage, the motif of the house’s association with horses were reimaged as eyelets, bracelets and new cylindrical bags with horse bit handles made its debut. Closing the runway show, Vanhee-Cybulski took her bow as a plane landed behind her and the tarmac is revealed for everyone. Be ready to conquer summer next year with this splendid Spring/Summer 2022 from Hermès.