Hermès S/S 2009
Hooray! I’m finally getting around to blogging about the Paris shows!
I was never a big fan of Martin Margiela’s ready-to-wear collection for Hermès. I didn’t understand why the brainy Belgian was hired to front the house, and his designs didn’t do anything to make me understand. All I could do was say “What were they thinking?”
Then Hermès branched out. They bought a big chunk of Jean Paul Gaultier’s business and eventually installed the designer in the position of creative director. Despite some growing pains, Hermès ready-to-wear started to become relevant again.
Still, the collections of Gaultier never really merged with the brand identity — until now, that is. Hermès is back in the saddle again, and I can’t believe how much I loved this kitschy collection!
Of course, kitsch is right up my alley, and with nothing but financial doom and gloom on the horizon, this is the kind of show I needed to see. Watching Gaultier’s upscale cowgirls (including Stephanie Seymour, Naomi Campell and Yasmine Warsame) strutting down the catwalk put a huge smile on my face. The show reminded me of the glory days of Franco Moschino. Take away the comical styling, though, and there were dozens of gorgeous, wearable pieces worth the ridiculously high prices that the label commands.
In a way, it reminded me of Bottega Veneta– my other favorite brand-of-the-moment. If I was a fabulously wealthy woman who was going to drop six-figures in a boutique, I wouldn’t be spending my money on clothing that someone else could make. The best thing about Gaultier is that he understands how to make garments precious, through both design and manufacture. The value attached to his name is apparent in the clothes he sells.
I once saw Allure’s Linda Wells on Fashion File or Fashion Television (I can’t remember which one) remarking that she wasn’t sure if women were willing to spend $1000 on a white shirt. That’s a concept that seems to be lost on some designers when they move into the big leagues. There are a few, however, that understand that the cachet associated with their name depends upon delivering a superior product.
Hermès, a company with standards so high that their signature scarves can take years to manufacture, made an exceptionally wise move by installing a genuine couturier as their ready-to-wear designer. Sure, Gaultier might present a dress like the one in the photo in a manner that is reminiscent of a serape worn by a bandito, but once that dress hits the red carpet, no one is going to be thinking of the wild, wild west. His fringed Birkin bag will likely end up in clutches of some Texas billionaire who likes the way it looks with her beat-up, old jeans.
There were dozens and dozens of precious pieces on the runway. The show might not have had the directional impact of a Prada presentation, but it also didn’t have a lot of pieces that would be knocked off by the fast-fashion retailers next week. Gaultier not only succeeded in creating a collection that will separate the Hermès client from the H&M shopper, but he also made me want to put on a cowboy hat for the first time in my gorgeous life, and for that I’m grateful.
