The fashion crowd often herds itself to far flung locations during September and February fashion weeks — but in the middle of May? Not so much. So last night’s long commute to Wall Street for Hermès’s lavish show proved challenging for a few uptown editors who didn’t realize that, despite the party’s call time for cocktail hour, they’d be attending a gorgeously produced, full-on runway show.
In light of said timing, the minute a tardy Anna Wintour finally swanned up the grand staircase of the old JP Morgan building and into her seat at 8:35 p.m. (and, after a the sound of a Champagne glass breaking was followed by genial applause) the show — an adaptation of the house’s fall/winter 2014 collection — commenced. Models with perfectly straight hair came streaming out in voluminous silhouettes, supple cashmeres, and leather dresses that shimmered under the warm spotlights. Muted greens, caramels, browns, and cream coats felt simultaneously luxurious and completely cozy. One wide-leg white suit (worn with nothing but a gold chain underneath) and perfectly simple, brown leather loafers made a compelling case for androgynous dressing next fall.
When the show wrapped, a linen-clad Christophe Lemaire walked the runway and smiled at the over 200 guests (including VIP clients from the brand’s stores around the world, in their rainbow of alligator Birkins). But the fun was not over. Downstairs a veritable Hermès carnival went into full-on Instagram-able swing, including a horse-race arcade game, pinball machines, bacon covered in maple syrup (served unironically with perfectly pressed white linen napkins), and an entirely white “scent” room, where nymphs in white dresses handed out dried flowers soaked in the house’s delicious new perfume, Jour D’Hermès Absolu.
Everywhere you turned there was something to look at. Eight dancers frolicked around a pool to show off the swimwear collection. A fortune-teller predicted guests’ futures based on patterns in silk scarves. And in another room, artists sketched portraits of guests. It was somewhere in between the Chanel Does Dallas bonanza and the banquet at the capital in The Hunger Games — all with that very chic, always playful, uniquely Hermès spin. Click through our slideshow to see highlights from the night, including the Hermès swimmers and Martha Stewart on horseback.