Paris Fashion Week A/W 2011: Womenswear

Hermès

All change at Hermès as Christophe Lemaire makes his mark on the women's ready to wear. And what a change it was - gone was the huge venue, replaced by the intimacy of the brand’s new Rue de Sèvres store, the booming soundtrack was toned down with a solo live set by Chinese vocalist and Guzheng performer Wu Fei, and models walked the modestly proportioned mosaic floor instead of pacing a runway the length of a stadium. Lemaire's choice of presentation was discreet and intimate - in keeping with this week’s mood shift, yes, but this also felt right for Hermès, who after all don't really make 'showy' clothes. The collection flowed, with long lines, low waists and ample sleeves, allowing the silk, cashmere and all those fabulous Hermes precious skins to freely move and speak for themselves. He brought plenty of his signature style, interplaying this with a unique interpretation of the house codes. Detailing was pared down but nevertheless seen in essential essential adornments such as a single ‘H’ button to fasten a cashmere cape, a bib on a dress shirt in delicately-punched glove leather, or the gathered cuff of a cropped deerskin-pleated trouser.