Rooted in the French Camargue, where wild horses, sand, and sea inspire a raw kind of elegance, the Hermès Spring-Summer 2026 collection offered a vision of liberation. Nadège Vanhée drew inspiration from this region of untamed beauty to reinterpret the house’s equestrian heritage through a more liberated lens.
She envisioned women not in controlled riding gear, but in clothing that allows them to move and breathe freely. The collection opened with patchwork cotton coats, slightly cinched at the waist yet relaxed. Next came supple leather pieces, polished by hand with wax typically used for saddles and catching the light with quiet luxury. The sand – and seashell-strewn runway felt like a meeting point between nature and refinement – a landscape turned fashion stage.
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Leather remained central to the collection, yet it never felt heavy. Minidresses with corset lacing in the back, tiny leather shorts, and halter tops exuded confident sensuality. One could feel the warmth of the sun in the caramel and cognac tones while the deep reds and blacks added strength. A red leather set – a strappy top and trousers – exuded both discipline and allure. Meanwhile, a white trench coat worn open over a harness revealed a boldness that surprised even regular followers of the brand.
This season’s Hermès Spring-Summer 2026 collection spoke of control loosened, not lost. The designer’s use of harnesses, originally inspired by a Camargue saddle preserved in Hermès’s archives, added structure to softness. Worn over bandeaus or silk twill jackets, the harnesses highlighted the body without restraint. A scarf from the 1980s reappeared, reinterpreted in printed piqué and reimagined as shirts, bustiers, and skirts. It was the kind of quiet continuity that Hermès does best – tradition evolving with grace.
An unmistakable sensual energy was in the air, yet it never overwhelmed the elegance. Vanhée described it as “the language of the skin” and explained that it emerged not through excess, but through suggestion: a bare shoulder, a glimpse of waist, and a hint of freedom. The show celebrated women who know their power yet choose subtlety over spectacle.
Amid the allure, practicality returned in the form of quilted silk jackets and new, saddle-inspired bags in warm, toasty shades. These are the wardrobe pieces that remind women why Hermès is timeless: contemporary yet rooted in craftsmanship and calm strength.
