Hermès Wows with a SS20 Collection That Is Both Luxe and Subversive

Having recently given birth to a daughter, Hermès Creative Director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski has a strong grasp of the type of functional but fashion-forward pieces that a modern woman wants to wear. In order to execute the concept for Spring/Summer 2020, she went straight to the talents of Hermès leather workshops and picked up a few key ideas along the way, like the apron worn by craftspeople as they toil at cutting, stitching, and skiving leather. It was a smart way to fuse the house’s heritage with its fashion offerings.

One of the collection’s most successful motifs was taking traditional leather pieces and reworking them by stitching them together in sections and letting the seams show, which made the looks feel a bit more raw and less polished. This allowed for an edgier version of the typically discreet, but charming, bourgeoise woman associated with Hermès. It was subtly subversive.

With the complex made simple and the ultra-luxurious made easeful, Vanhee-Cybulski achieved one of her most sublime collections to date.

Many of the looks (in both suede and leather) were spliced with bibs, straps, buckles, and other liminal saddlery details, speaking to the brand’s equestrian legacy – but without being too literal about it. Other utilitarian pieces like safari jumpsuits, tailored jackets, and tunic length outerwear with funnel-neck details progressed the collection’s pragmatic-luxe message. Our favorite aspect was the pair of achingly cool perforated leather trousers that were paired with either simple tanks or buckled jackets. With the complex made simple and the ultra-luxurious made easeful, Vanhee-Cybulski achieved one of her most sublime collections for Hermès to date. And that’s saying something.