In his last show for Hermès, creative director Christophe Lemaire continued on his four year pursuit of clean, luxurious sportswear. His well-chosen colours were the muted tones of sandy dunes and chalky whites, punched up with the occasional hit of bright ochre and mixed in with a shade of camel that is currently ringing the bell of summer. But this is Hermès, after all, a company that doesn't do trends and does not even like to be referred to as a luxury brand. They are all about the craft. And though silhouettes seemed deceivingly simple, even with their folded shapes, their construct told a more complex story. A terrific colour-blocked stripe coat was crafted from micro woven silk and leather, cardigans came cut from water snakeskin, while a pair of Bermuda shorts were fashioned from crocodile. While we admired the broderie anglaise and open ladder-work embroideries, our favourite fabric handiwork occurred on the silk knit sweaters slashed with crocodile marquetry that made them look like wooden cabinet fronts. It was the season's best implosion of fashion and furniture.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
