Sleek Silhouettes, Flowers and a Protest Mark Hermes Show in Paris

TOPSHOT - Models present creations for Hermes during a show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 in Paris on September 30, 2023. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
TOPSHOT - Models present creations for Hermes during a show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 in Paris on September 30, 2023. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
TT

Sleek Silhouettes, Flowers and a Protest Mark Hermes Show in Paris

TOPSHOT - Models present creations for Hermes during a show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 in Paris on September 30, 2023. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
TOPSHOT - Models present creations for Hermes during a show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 in Paris on September 30, 2023. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)

Hermes artistic director Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski evoked a country garden for her spring show at Paris Fashion Week on Saturday, seating the audience among wildflowers and grassy borders as she showed sleek coats, silk skirts and slim, skin-baring dresses.
Models marched down a runway strewn with vegetation, wearing monochrome looks mostly in taupe or crimson, including fitted leather dresses that molded to the body. Coats were also tailored in leather, or cashmere.
The show was briefly interrupted when, about halfway through, a protestor jumped from the audience onto the runway, holding up a sign that called for the label to stop using exotic skins such as crocodile or ostrich hides.
Audience member Bryanboy, a digital creator whose real name is Bryan Yambao and who regularly attends runway shows, leapt out of his seat and snatched the banner away from the protester.
"It's rude to disrupt a show that people have been working on for months," he told Reuters after the show.
"I love an Hermes exotic," he said, gesturing towards his leather bag.
There have been several incidents involving protesters disrupting catwalk shows this season, including at a Coach show in New York.



Shein, Temu Gear Up for 2026 UK Trial over Copyright and Competition Claims

FILE PHOTO: A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
TT

Shein, Temu Gear Up for 2026 UK Trial over Copyright and Competition Claims

FILE PHOTO: A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Online fast-fashion platforms Shein and Temu are gearing up for a 2026 trial at London's High Court, with the rivals trading allegations of copyright infringement and anti-competitive behavior in competing lawsuits.
Shein sued Temu in Britain last year, accusing Whaleco UK Limited – whose ultimate parent is Temu's owner PDD Holdings – of breach of copyright in relation to photos of some products available on the Temu platform.
Temu hit back with a counterclaim in February, accusing Shein of breaking British competition law by tying suppliers of fast-fashion products to exclusive agreements, a claim it values at 4.2 million pounds ($5.5 million) and which Shein denies.
Temu's lawyers said in court documents for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday that Shein is "flooding Temu with unwarranted notices of copyright infringement, disrupting the sale of products".
Their cases at London's High Court are expected to come to trial towards the end of 2026, Shein's lawyers said in court documents.
The London lawsuit is one leg of a global legal battle between the two rivals. Temu sued Shein in the US in December, with Shein filing its own case against Temu in August.
Both Shein and Temu have rapidly expanded in international markets with low-cost clothing, accessories and gadgets, though they have come under increased scrutiny.
Shein has faced questions over its treatment of workers and environmental record, particularly ahead of a potential London listing. It has previously said it is committed to respecting human rights and has a zero-tolerance policy for forced labor.
Temu, meanwhile, is facing an investigation from the European Commission over whether it may have breached rules aimed at preventing the sale of illegal products. Temu has said it will cooperate with regulators.