For centuries, hair has been represented in literature, fairytales, Greek mythology, and art. From Rapunzel to Samson, hair has long been a symbol of beauty, seduction, power, and glory. During Paris Fashion Week, it served as the starting point for Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski’s Fall 2023 ready-to-wear collection for Hermès.
The idea of hair as a tremendous historical and social symbol was translated into a bag made of horse hair, braided knit sweaters, and shearling coats in a painterly color palette of copper, burgundy, chestnut, ash, and ink that transitioned like a Mark Rothko painting and evoked the hues of box dyes found in the aisles of your local drugstore. Chunky scarves were thrown over the backs of jackets and fastened with metallic bands, resembling ponytails.
Unlike many design houses who often rely on gimmicks or manufacturing a moment to stand out during the chaos of Fashion Month, Vanhee-Cybulski allows the value of the clothing to speak for itself, focusing on technique, pattern-cutting, exquisite tailoring, and luxurious fabrics. Plisse dresses, knits with integrated scarves, cashmere skirts, and high-waisted leather trousers were worn underneath quilted trench coats belted in the back, cropped shearlings, and puffer-coats. Column dress with chiton-style draped sleeves made for striking eveningwear options.
When it came to accessories, suede knee-high boots, chokers with Kelly straps, and a cross-body Birkin were undoubtedly standouts. Of course, Vanhee-Cybulski upheld the luxury label’s outdoor-sporty culture with thoughtful details found in an over shirt and pair of modular trousers made out of water-repellent technical wool serge and a technical padded jacket that unzipped into an actual sleeping bag.
There was, in short, not a hair out of place in the Fall 2023 collection.
