Veronique Nichanian Bows Out After 37 Years Defining Luxury at Hermes

"The quiet master of French menswear is a woman - Véronique Nichanian, the longest-serving artistic director of any fashion house, who heads the men's universe at Hermès. Until today. After 37 years at Hermès, she's bowing out - "I quit," she said, backstage a few hours before her show on Saturday evening. Although j'ai quitté is far softer in French, simply translating as "I left". She hasn't even really left - "I didn't quitté the house," she maintains. She will be artistic director of men's leathers and silks. "Axel and Pierre-Alexis want me to stay. They did not want me to stop," she smiles. "But I said, I think it's the right time. You know, when you feel it? I'm not sad, I'm happy.""

"Nichanian has every reason to be happy. She's set now, she says, to spend six months in Japan with her husband, to have time to herself. Meanwhile, her legacy is intact: across four decades, her clothes have established both a new standard and a new language for luxury within menswear. Even if she doesn't much care for the word herself. "What luxury is? I cannot say," she comments. She's ensconced in a room in the Palais Brongniart, the city's former stock exchange built under Napoleon. "Nice, non?" It was indeed - and it's a fitting echo of the security of the always-in-demand Hermès. But Nichanian is still thinking about luxury - what it is, what it isn't, what it really means. Which, perhaps, is nothing. "Everybody says they're doing luxury," she said. "For us at Hermès, we do things with attention, with our heart. With the hand of the artisan, it's a craftsman but"

Véronique Nichanian departs from her role after 37 years as Hermès men's artistic director while retaining responsibility for men's leathers and silks. She plans an extended personal break, including six months in Japan with her husband. Her tenure established new standards and a distinct language for luxury menswear grounded in craftsmanship and attention. Nichanian questions the definition of luxury while affirming Hermès’ commitment to artisanal care and heart-led making. The Palais Brongniart setting underscored Hermès’ enduring desirability and security. The transition reflects a deliberate, contented step toward personal time and continued creative stewardship in select areas.

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