Hermès in intimate detail 

On a humid Friday night in Shanghai, as the city’s neon arteries pulsed along the Huangpu River, Hermès – never one to whisper when it can command – unfurled its second chapter of autumn/winter 2025. A purpose-built, Hermès-orange container erected on North Bund Bay was not so much a fortress as a cocoon. It was a statement, yes, but also a gently glowing assertion of Hermès’ singular way of doing things – intimately, thoughtfully, and generously.

In a city of high drama and vast scale, Hermès chose the intimacy of only a few hundred spectators: actors, press and (mainly) VIP clients. The orange container, lit up softly against the Shanghai skyline, felt less like a billboard and more like a carefully wrapped gift – an invitation to step inside and experience the brand’s world in its own words. Yet while the structure’s panels opened and pivoted to frame the city’s futuristic towers, the real focus was directly inward, on the models who strode along the runway in delicately gem-set boots. It was an ode to detail against the backdrop of Shanghai’s humming, electric spectacle.

Photo by Armando Grillo

Photo by Armando Grillo

Nadège Vanhée’s Fall-Winter 2025 collection continued Hermès’ tradition of weaving heritage into the fabric of modern life. Here, the protagonist is a woman who values both function and poetry – a cosmopolitan adventurer with a taste for the idiosyncratic. Double-faced cashmere ponchos, modular coats, and tactile leathers were designed not just to be seen, but to be lived in. The Dressage Tressage panels, removable at a whim, offered adaptability – an acknowledgment that the Hermès customer is not one to be dictated to, but rather invited to participate in the creation of her own narrative. Bags were slung cross-body or nonchalantly over the shoulder, and earphones rested around necks.

The braid motif, a subtle nod to the brand’s equestrian roots, ran through the collection like a secret code. Cord embellishments, quilted leathers, and contrast braiding on knits spoke to the tactile pleasures of everyday life, details that only the wearer may truly appreciate. The models’ hair too, was tightly braided or wrapped to explode into a pouffe of ponytail, both styles reflecting Olympic-level dressage grooming. Never has the idea of horse-inspired hairstyling seemed so appealing.

The colour story was warm and personal – earthy browns, vibrant oranges, and deep reds, balanced by soft lilac, clay white, and inky blue. These were delicious colours with an umami-like effect – not statement but layered, and constructed with expertise. There is always a sense with Hermes pieces that each was designed not for the crowd, but for the individual, in all her complexity.

For what set this show apart was not its scale, but its spirit. In a city known for its relentless pace and appetite for novelty, Hermès chose to slow things down, to create a space where guests could engage with the collection on a profoundly personal level. After the show, the container transformed into an intimate party space, complete with a surprise musical performance from Saint Vincent who roared her way through her set, though perhaps much of the local audience was unaware of her iconic feminist reputation in the West.

Photo by Mengxiang Wang

Photo by Armando Grillo 

In the end, Hermès’ Shanghai show was a celebration of the brand’s confidence, and the transmission of that confidence to the wearer. The orange container, ephemeral yet inviting, housed not just a collection but a philosophy: Hermès' luxury is found in the personal, the thoughtful, and the quietly extraordinary. In a city defined by its contradictions, Hermès offered a gentle reminder that the most powerful statements are not often the loudest – and that for the brand, the singularity of the individual will always be at the heart of the brand. ◉