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 the close of an era. After 37 years shaping Hermès menswear with steady vision and quiet authority, Véronique Nichanian presented her final collection, and the atmosphere was reverent in a way that few shows manage.
Nichanian’s work has always balanced precision and ease: soft leathers, layered knits, tailored coats, 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 sparks of colour. What gave it depth was the way she threaded her own history into the present.
The collection wasn’t a retrospective, but it quietly referenced past work in its materials and details. Hand-stitched knits hinted at earlier seasons, pinstripe tailoring recalled Hermès motifs she has explored over decades, and embroidered leathers suggested textures revisited in new forms. These nods weren’t nostalgic; they were alive, woven seamlessly into the present, a subtle reminder of how long Nichanian has been shaping menswear and how adept she is at seeing the cycles of style come, go, and return.
The final looks maintained that balance of restraint and authority, culminating in a sleek statement suit that landed with calm certainty. When Nichanian took her bow, the applause was sustained and heartfelt, a quiet acknowledgment not just of the collection, but of a career that has quietly defined 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 witnessing a collection; it was witnessing a legacy in motion, one that will ripple through the house and the wider landscape of style for years to come.