The last three days of the just-concluded Paris Men’s Fashion Week continued with immersive design language and bold creative statements. From Hermès’s quiet luxury take on summer-in-the-city dressing to Kenzo’s playful global mash-up, the runway delivered both depth and delight. Jacquemus returned to his roots with a heartfelt ode to the French countryside. Across rooftops, courtyards, and mirrored installations, these shows proved that menswear is embracing intimacy, identity, and intentionality like never before.
Hermès — Summer in the City
Design Narrative
Veronique Nichanian’s SS 26 menswear collection for Hermès was a breath of fresh, city air. Titled around the idea ‘Summer in The City’, the show embraced flowy fabrics, sunlit ease, and a new technical feat — breathable leather. Models stepped out from behind mirrored panels, which gave the illusion of people emerging from dreamlike scenes, blurred and almost surreal. It was a subtle play on perception and reflection, but grounded in the tangible, tailored jackets, easy trousers, and relaxed shirting. It was polished but not pretentious, refined but quietly escapist.
Fashion Industry Relevance
This season, Hermès doubled down on its identity as the cornerstone of quiet luxury. In an era that is dominated by theatrical over-the-top algorithm-chasing fashion, Nichanian’s vision was a reminder of what enduring luxury looks like. Simplicity, craft, and confidence, with a consistent emphasis on longevity and hand-finished quality. Hermès reinforced the movement towards slow fashion and investment dressing. It did not try to be viral, rather it focused on being valuable. In many ways, it affirmed that luxury is not what shouts the loudest, but what lasts the longest. Craft and comfort, human hands, and human pace.
Kenzo by Nigo — Summer Fling to Street Statement
Design Narrative
The Kenzo SS26 collection unfolded like a summer love story, carefree, playful, and unexpectedly meaningful. The clothes evoked the feeling of a casual encounter at a club that turns into something more lasting. Bright Italian style dinner jackets reimagined as a bold daytime piece added spontaneous, romantic flair. A rose motif ran through the collection as a tribute to Kenzo Takada, while the bunny iconography from the 2025 women’s line made a return, tying past and present together. The set, styled like a bustling restaurant, brought the city social rhythm into the show’s storytelling.
Fashion Industry Relevance
Kenzo has emerged as a cultural case study in ‘East meet West’ fashion. The SS26 line stitched together Japanese tailoring, retro French Maritime styles, and American workwear. Thus, creating a globally conscious, locally rooted aesthetic. It also reinforced Kenzo’s place in accessible luxury, where streetwear intersects with thoughtful design. The collection reflected GenZ values of storytelling, cultural authenticity, gender fluidity along with real-world functionality. Making Kenzo a go-to brand for a new generation of luxury buyers.
Jacquemus SS26 — Le Paysan
Design Narrative
Jacquemus returned to his roots, quite literally, with Le Paysan, which means ‘The Peasant’. The collection was a heartfelt tribute to his rural upbringing in the south of France, blending rustic elegance with skills and craftsmanship. The garments evoked countryside memories with a fashion-forward twist. Think linen tailoring, exaggerated hats, twisted bustier, and softly draped peasant skirts, inspired by family photo albums, grandma’s dressing-up habits, and seasonal harvest. The collection exploded with bourbon tones, striped shirting, and delicate embroidery. The clothes told a story that felt intimate, tactile, and personal, like a homecoming wrapped in sunlight.
Fashion Industry Relevance
Le Paysan is a masterclass in founder-led branding. Without the theatrical maximalism often in fashion, Simon Porte Jacquemus relied on intention, emotion, and atmosphere. His design language of rural romanticism and sensual simplicity appeals to a generation seeking authenticity and emotional connection. With a mature colour palette and sculpted silhouettes, he positioned the Jacquemus brand not just as an Internet sensation but as a serious player in modern luxury. It showed that independent fashion houses can lead cultural conversation with storytelling, not spectacle.
Pictures courtesy: Instagram page of Hermes and Jacquemus
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