Style Edit: Hermès autumn/winter 2024 ready-to-wear went long on leather and equestrian detailing, harking back to the brand’s centuries of horsey heritage
- Hermès’ take on quiet luxury is to bring select modern touches to its timeless designs inspired by a life in the saddle – swapping it for a motorbike seat, say
- Biker boots and riding leathers easily make the segue, while blanket coats and bomber jackets, jodhpurs and cardigans, are tweaked to meet today’s demands for versatility as well as style
French maison Hermès pioneered quiet luxury long before it became a trend, with its exquisite collections that celebrate timeless style and exceptional craftsmanship. Its autumn/winter 2024 women’s ready-to-wear collection continues to embrace these enduring codes while revisiting the brand’s equestrian heritage, albeit with a modern spirit.
The main protagonist is an equestrian rider who has swapped her beloved horse saddle for a motorbike seat. The urban, adventurous energy of the city has inspired her sleek wardrobe where shiny leathers contrast with metallic details, and fabrics include robust twills, subtle cashmere and rich corduroys.
Classics such as the trench coat take on a fresh form in new lengths and materials. Other covetable staples include leather riding jackets decorated with contoured zips, studded lambskin separates, fitted bomber jackets, biker-inspired jumpsuits, boot-cut pants and biker boots, all of which offer a chic and protective layer for pounding the streets and braving the elements.
Her equestrian-inspired wardrobe is equally thrilling, including a smocked waist dress stitched from scarves, jodhpurs reinvented as leather long johns, a blanket coat that doubles as a real blanket, and a saddle pad transformed into a quilted leather biker jacket.
The collection comes to life with a painterly palette and vibrant accents of earthy browns, ink blacks, buttery beige, étoupe grey, and deep and luscious reds.
The men’s ready-to-wear collection, meanwhile, is a lesson in the power of paradox and versatility. Beneath its casual appearance, a sophistication breaks free.
The construction of each piece is reinvented with cuts, cut-outs and graphic signatures, while sharp and generous volumes add a sense of playful pop effervescence.