Véronique Nichanian Steps Down After 37 Years at Hermès Men’s

Paris, France – Hermès’ menswear division concluded its era under Véronique Nichanian with a standing ovation and an outpouring of emotion Saturday evening in Paris. Nichanian, who has led the men’s line for 37 years, presented a collection she herself described as “a collection like any other.”

“It’s incredibly emotional, because it’s not a retrospective, it’s not at all nostalgic, but to see everyone who loves me, who embraces me, who tells me it touches them… all that affection, that love, it’s powerful,” the 71-year-old designer told the French news agency AFP following the show at the Palais Brongniart.

Backstage, a lineup of celebrities waited to congratulate her, including British designer Paul Smith, American singer Usher, and “Gossip Girl” star Ed Westwick.

Nichanian announced her departure in October, stating, “It’s my decision to stop, to do something else.” That “something else” includes dedicating more time to personal pursuits, specifically fulfilling a long-held dream of spending several months in Japan, as she told Le Figaro at the time.

While stepping down from the artistic direction of the menswear collections, Nichanian will not entirely sever ties with Hermès. “I will remain responsible for silk and leather for men, but I am stopping the ready-to-wear, and that is a whole chapter of my life,” she explained.

‘Winks’ to the Brand’s History

For this final presentation, Nichanian remained true to her established design approach. “This last collection was a collection like any other,” she stated.

“But as a wink, I added passages from different collections, with outfits from 1991, 2001, 2010… to prove how timeless Hermès clothing is. They are made for today and for always.”

The new wardrobe features straight leather trousers, shearling-hooded parkas, straight wool felt jackets, crocodile leather jackets, cashmere sweaters, and flannel suits. The enduring appeal of luxury brands like Hermès often lies in their ability to blend tradition with contemporary style.

The collection’s palette was largely monochromatic – black, gray, beige, or taupe – occasionally punctuated by color accents, such as mustard yellow on a parka or bright pink lining a jacket.

Following the finale, the designer took a final lap of honor, cheered by the hundreds of guests in attendance, while giant screens displayed highlights from her previous shows.

‘Not Difficult’ Navigating Menswear

As one of the few women to achieve prominence in the menswear world, Nichanian said it “wasn’t difficult.”

She credited figures like Nino Cerruti, who hired her immediately after her education, and Jean-Louis Dumas, who brought her to Hermès in 1988, as “intelligent men who saw a designer rather than thinking ‘it’s a woman or it’s a man.’”

Grace Wales Bonner, a British designer of Jamaican descent, was named as Nichanian’s successor just days after the announcement of her departure. Bonner will present her first collection in January 2027. The June collection will be created by the fashion house’s internal design studios.

“I wish her all the best for the future,” Nichanian said, adding that they had not yet met.

Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski will continue to lead the Hermès women’s collections, a role she has held since 2014.

This transition occurs amid a broader reshuffling of artistic directors at Chanel, Dior, and Gucci, as the luxury market faces economic and commercial challenges. Hermès, however, appears resilient. The fashion house is expected to publish its annual results on February 12th, and reported a 6.3 percent revenue increase to €11.9 billion in the first nine months of 2025.

Last year, the luxury group invested over one billion euros, notably in the opening of a 25th leather goods workshop in France, in the Charente region. Hermès plans to open three more workshops in the country over the next three years.

Against this backdrop, CFO Eric du Halgouët confirmed in October that the project to launch haute couture is “certainly in preparation,” but “not before 2027 at the earliest.”