Dandy dressing and other lessons from Hermès Men’s Ready-to-Wear AW22 show

The makings of a modern dandy man and his astute wardrobe via the Hermès Men’s Ready-to-Wear AW22 show in Paris last week.

In 2022, everything works on a hybrid model – an amalgamation of physical and digital. The backdrop of Hermès’s AW22 Men’s Show in Paris followed a similar suit. The backdrop of the show was Mobilier National’s collection of tapestries highlighted alongside digital screens showing blown-up sections of the tapestries. The result of this hybrid approach was an abstract wall of screens that change before our eyes and become a part of the landscape for the new collection. It also set the mood for the Hermès Men’s Ready-to-Wear AW22 show and the idea of a dandy man.

For the collection, Véronique Nichanian (the creative director for men’s at Hermès) builds on the notion of dandies. What exactly does a dandy man wear in 2022 is the question that’s on everyone’s minds and Nichanian answers it with a dose of sophistication and style.

Style lessons from the Hermès Men’s Ready-to-Wear AW22 show

Wear deconstructed silk shirts

Nichanian’s memo for 2022 is filled with deconstructed silk shirts with high necklines paired under twin sets. The aesthetic is unfussy, uncomplicated yet formal. It’s a hybrid approach to formal dressing that’s filled with optimism and lightness. This approach is followed throughout the Hermès Men’s Ready-to-Wear AW22 with clothes designed to be hybrid and reversible.

Always add colour

The effect of modern-day dandyism is most visible in the presence of colour in the collection. Nichanian changes the definition of what constitutes astute dressing with her use of colour in otherwise muted tones and monochrome wardrobes. The colour repository at Hermès constitutes luxuriant greens – coniferous green, lettuce green and verdigris alongside pops of signature Hermès orange, pale pink and red.

A manbag is a must-have

Touted as the Birkin for boys, Hermès introduced the Rock, a handbag from the Haut à courroies family, to the runway. Similar in appearance to the Birkin, it establishes the need for a large, sturdy bag in the wardrobe of a modern dandy gentleman. We love the addition of the zip detailing on the bags’ outer facade. While the collection was robust with Chelsea boots and other accessories, the man bag certainly found itself a convert.

All Images: Courtesy Hermès.