Being in the Palais Brongniart for Hermès Men’s Fall/Winter 2026 was one of those rare fashion moments where you could feel the weight of history in the room. This wasn’t just about the clothes on the runway; it was an end of an era. After 37 years shaping menswear with a steady vision and quiet authority, Véronique Nichanian presented her final collection, and the atmosphere was reverent in a way that few shows ever manage to be. The Palais was a buzz with a star studded front row including Sir Paul Smith, Travis Scott, Russell Tovey, Usher, Ed Westwick, Michael Shannon and others in attendance.
Nichanian’s work has always balanced precision and ease: soft leathers, layered knits, tailored outerwear, and a quiet luxury that feels lived-in rather than performative. The FW26 collection carried that language forward in a grounded palette of deep neutrals and muted tones, lifted by subtle intentional sparks of colour. This season her collection bore subtle nods to her past which felt like the perfect way to close out the chapter ahead of Grace Wales Bonner’s highly anticipated arrival.
The collection wasn’t a retrospective, but rather quietly referencing past work in material and form. An incredible hand-knit cashmere sweater bering the iconic Chaîne d’ancre motif harkened back to Fall 2011 while an almost retro feeling calfskin suit with topstitch pinstripe suite closed the show nodding back to Spring-Summer 2003. Textures were also revisited in new forms via a flannel chalkstripe jacket lined with orange stretch neoprene as seen in fall winter 2010 and an étrivière jacket in lambskin featuring a striking contrasting Brides de Gala motif lining originally seen on the Spring-Summer 2002 runway.
These nods weren’t nostalgic; they were alive, woven seamlessly into the present, a subtle reminder of Nichanian’s magnificent impact on menswear and how adept she is at seeing the cyclical cycles of style through the years.
The final looks maintained that balance of restraint and authority, culminating in a sleek statement jacket crafted from an incredible mirrored crocodile. Nichanian took her final bow to a standing ovation with sustained and heartfelt applause acknowledging the monumental moment in her career defining contemporary masculine style.
Hermès Men’s FW26 wasn’t about spectacle. It reaffirmed what Nichanian has built over nearly four decades: menswear rooted in craft, clarity, and continuity. Being there wasn’t just about witnessing a legacy in motion, but rather a celebration of Nichanian’s mark on the heritage of the house and the wider landscape of menswear for years to come.