Hermes spring/summer 2021 menswear.

Even though the world is slowly beginning to open up again, travel still remains a distant dream. And with those border restrictions still in place, Paris Fashion Week – which starts on 9 July – is going fully digital. French luxury maison Hermes kicked things off with a stunning seven-minute filmic performance that was created in collaboration with French director Cyril Teste.

Instead of getting the models to walk down a runway and live-streaming it to the world, Hermes brought the viewer backstage, giving you a sneak peek into the controlled chaos that goes on during a fashion show. You can see artistic director Veronique Nichanian make slight adjustments to a model’s fit, hear a member of the crew calling two male models to get ready to walk the runway, and even witness a duo take a quick selfie of themselves before parting.

(Related: Hermes shows us how footwear should be done)

Hermes

It’s a choreographed performance, of course, but it allows the viewer to get up close and personal to the spring/summer 2021 menswear collection, including a lingering shot at what seems like an updated rendition of a Slim D’Hermes timepiece with a gorgeous coffee-coloured leather strap.

The spring/summer 2021 collection itself is classic Nichanian, and by extension, classic Hermes. Veronique Nichanian is the longest serving non-founding designer of a fashion house, having been in the position for 31 years – an anomaly in a world that regularly turns over creative directors every three years or so. The beauty of Hermes menswear is in its subtlety – pops of colour on fabrics that will make your skin sing with joy, rendered in silhouettes that never strays too far into extremes. Nichanian is not a fan of overt branding and prefers to let her clothes do the talking.

(Related: Hermes wants men to be nonchalant for spring/summer 2020)

Artistic director Veronique Nichanian (left) with Cyril Teste.
Artistic director Veronique Nichanian (left) with Cyril Teste.

The spring/summer 2021 menswear collection doesn’t shout, unlike a number of other luxury brands that have eschewed minimalism for excess. But the clothes are beautiful, well-constructed and most importantly, can be worn five years from now and still look as timeless as when they first appeared.

If you have 7 minutes to spare, we recommend re-watching the Hermes filmic performance below.