Véronique Nichanian Departs Hermès After 37 Years Crafting the Modern Man
After a remarkable 37-year tenure, Véronique Nichanian, the longest-running creative director of a major fashion house, is set to depart from Hermès. The Paris-based luxury brand confirmed her exit, which comes as a significant surprise to the industry. Nichanian's final collection for Hermès, her 76th, will be showcased in January 2026 during the next menswear season in Paris.
In a release, Nichanian expressed immense pleasure and pride in her journey with Hermès, a "big family" where she enjoyed total creative freedom since 1988. She reflected on her continuous pursuit to reinvent the "vêtement-objet," focusing on developing a contemporary wardrobe where materials and techniques blend, and innovation meets heritage. Her enduring philosophy has been to craft "clothes of today for the long term," emphasizing that "there is not an Hermès man; there are Hermès men." She extended her gratitude to Jean-Louis Dumas, Axel and Pierre-Alexis Dumas, all the teams, and warmly thanked her studio for their shared years and adventures.
Hermès, in turn, offered a heartfelt tribute to Nichanian, acknowledging her "eye, her vision, her generosity, her energy and her curiosity." The house credited her talent, conviction, and whimsy for guiding the destiny of the Hermès man, affirming that "the success of the men’s universe owes much to her." They praised her ability to strike "the right tone, never compromising on rigor, quality or humor," and highlighted her pivotal role in writing the story of men's ready-to-wear at Hermès since her invitation by Jean-Louis Dumas.
Nichanian joined Hermès in 1988, establishing a legacy of twice-yearly fashion shows that many regard as the ultimate expression of quiet luxury, influencing both men's and women's fashion aesthetics, despite her exclusive focus on menswear. The petite, polished, and famously polite artistic director, now 71 and of Armenian origin, began her career at Nino Cerruti before her distinguished move to Hermès. This period saw Hermès grow into a financial powerhouse, reporting annual revenues of €15.2 billion in 2024, remaining publicly-quoted yet controlled by the extended Hermès/Dumas family.
Her distinctive vision was vividly demonstrated in her latest—and penultimate—collection, staged on June 28 in Paris. This dashing and chic summer offering, presented inside the Conseil de Surveillance, a temple to French 1930s Rationalist architecture, showcased her mastery of unexpected and revolutionary materials. Trousers were fashioned from leather lattice, cardigans from knitted leather, and shirts featured openings, inserts, or "little fabric windows, latticed with light and air." The collection also playfully featured an array of large bags, totes, and weekenders, with Nichanian humorously noting, "I love a great big bag, since I am a tiny one."
Véronique Nichanian's profound influence transcended the runway; she famously liberated men from dark woolen suits, dressing patricians in the lightest nylon and celebrating life with dramatic printed Hermès silk shirts. She instilled nonchalance as a key leitmotif for Hermès, contributing significantly to its status as the single most valuable luxury brand on the planet. Her upcoming 76th show in January will mark the end of an era, and while the house has not yet announced her successor, an announcement is anticipated in the coming days. Curiously, despite the Hermès family being a predominantly Protestant clan in France, Nichanian's one granted interview was with Le Figaro, a Parisian daily known for its pro-Catholic leanings.
