Fashion

The End of an Era: Véronique Nichanian’s Last Hermès Show

BYYassine Hariss

January 27, 2026

It has to be a strange kind of pressure stepping away from a job — not just any job, but creative directorship of Hermès — after 37-years at the helm. That’s the position Véronique Nichanian found herself in this weekend, turning the page on one of the most defining chapters of her life, offering one final collection in the midst of the Spring 2026 Menswear season before bidding farewell to an industry whose very notion of elegance has been, in no small part, shaped by her hand.

Under a low, grey sky and a light, persistent drizzle, the fashion world assembled to witness— for the last time— the work of one of its most enduring figures. Nichanian assumed the helm in 1988, at just 34 and never once relinquished it, in an industry where longevity is rare and constancy even rarer. Inside Palais Brongniart, the setup was pared back to its essentials with a handful of large screens replaying moments from her long stewardship, from past shows, presentations and other iconic chapters of her tenure.

The occasion brought together the world’s crème de la crème, including British grime artist and actor Kano, Egyptian singer Bayou, RnB star Usher, streamer Kai Cenat, rapper Travis Scott, among countless others; all of whom braved the weather with the same determination, simply to see how the designer would bring it all to an end.

And for about half an hour, guests were treated to a showcase of what the now ex-creative director knows how to do best through a coherent winter wardrobe, articulated through a palette of taupe, charcoal, off-white, and black colors. Outerwear dominated; coats with a certain architectural gravitas, trousers that were allowed some volume, shoulders kept firm and deliberate. Leather appeared sparingly, not as theatre but as a measured accent. The overall atmosphere was sober, insulated, nearly monastic: elegance reduced to its functional core. No bravado, no trend-driven detours. Instead, an authority rooted in old-world refinement, its bourgeois restraint pared down and recalibrated for sharper, more modern silhouettes.

To close the evening, the house dispensed with formalities altogether, unfurling a reception that felt more like a party than an industry obligation— an easy drift of apéritifs, flutes in hand, and a room settling into its own loosened elegance. Then, almost imperceptibly, the runway dissolved into a stage, the austere geometry of the set giving way to something far more electric. In a gesture both nostalgic and knowingly theatrical, the brand summoned British rock outfit The Jam, turning the hall into a concert chamber where heritage, irreverence, and celebration briefly coexisted.

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The End of an Era: Véronique Nichanian’s Last Hermès Show

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