For the new FW24 collection, the Hermès Equestrian Bikeuse builds her outfits from the ground up: pointed-toe cowboy boots are paired with short and flared stretch leather pants, and flat-knee biker boots with side zippers accompany midi skirts and dresses. Leather, studs, slits, red, black, zippers, and more leather; The outerwear – rubies, greens, blacks, grays, and cream – accompany the runway from start to finish: cabans with shawl collar in shaved shearling, fitted equestrian jackets and others with rounded shoulders and sleeves, and, exceptionally, a jacket embroidered with shiny ostrich feathers. The boldest pieces highlight ribbed leather leggings and vinyl pencil skirts with side or front center slits, including one with small metallic inserts arranged to adorn the edges. This new Hermès collection focuses on several key silhouettes, including a precisely laser-cut riding jacket, cinched at the waist with a hidden leather belt and without external frills. Accessories with ultra-defined shapes complement leather pencil skirts or rust-colored leggings. Followed by an elegant brown coat with fur trim worn with matching pants and cowboy boots, alongside a snug black biker jacket subtly studded in silver. Nadège Vanhee-Cybulsk willingly explores but always with sophisticated refinement a openly sexual territory that deviates from a typically decorous space, playing with more explicit pieces mixed with soft printed silk dresses and delicately studded Hermès to wear on horseback or motorcycle.
And so it becomes clear that this time Hermès has decided to further strengthen its arsenal with a lot of sex appeal, and it does so here with short ribbed cashmere sweaters over high-waisted velvet jodhpur pants, bateau wardrobe with studded leather details, semi-shrunken bomber jackets and leggings made with tight ribs comparable to those used on sports socks. Under a wall of pouring rain, the clothes seem, but are not, an afterthought in the Maison’s collection, and those of this season are ultra discreet, embellished only by subtle prints and silk or jacquard scarves. Continuing in the runway, that equestrian style brand identity evolves and transforms into an even more daring biker style. Two in one. Knitwear, soft dresses with snug silhouettes, but also suits, raincoats, and tailored jackets. The bags – the quintessential code of the French House – are worn close to the chest, almost as if to communicate essentiality, while the palette boots are among the collection’s protagonists. The characteristic savoir-faire finds space in sharp cuts, short zippers, étrivière belts, and diamond patterns. To accompany these cuts, stretch materials embrace composure and balance, comfort and sophistication. Completing the looks are new Birkins tone-on-tone expertly matched to the cohesive style of the French Maison, with a focus on iconic Hermès designs.
“The idea was to rethink the concept of horse riding, moving from a traditional approach to a more bold and rebellious one”.
