Christophe Lemaire's final collection for Hermes was a show of strength, albeit it a subtle one. Then again, that's the story of this storied house: impressive might genteely enforced.
Taking the desert as inspiration - the catwalk was covered with sand, and back dropped with a glowing orb of a sun - Lemaire's presented a sumptuously luxurious collection of loose and la guid summer looks.
There was a broderie chemise picked out with a khanga-style pattern that recurred as print on loose linen shirt dresses and a full-length shift. And there were nods to tuareg wraps in coats and shifts that came with an integrated scarf to frame casually over one shoulder.
Cocoonish in shape, the coats were made from the butteriest leather that on first inspection was easily mistaken for cotton or jersey, so fine and light was the hide.
That's where the genteel comes in. On the one hand, these pieces fairly screamed luxury thanks to their ineffable construction and fabrication. On the other, you'd be hard pushed to identify them as Hermes immediately should you pass them in the street. Bar a nod to the label's logo in the whisper of a geometric print on one dress, there's no branding. The distinguishing feature is their fabulousness - and that is something Lemaire has done very well to establish during his tenure at the house.
