At Hermes, Woven Leather and Quiet Confidence Set the Tone for Paris Menswear

 A model wears a creation as part of the men's Hermes Spring-Summer 2026 collection, that was presented in Paris Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP)
A model wears a creation as part of the men's Hermes Spring-Summer 2026 collection, that was presented in Paris Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP)
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At Hermes, Woven Leather and Quiet Confidence Set the Tone for Paris Menswear

 A model wears a creation as part of the men's Hermes Spring-Summer 2026 collection, that was presented in Paris Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP)
A model wears a creation as part of the men's Hermes Spring-Summer 2026 collection, that was presented in Paris Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP)

While much of Paris Fashion Week chased spectacle, Hermes chose a different path.

On Saturday, artistic director Véronique Nichanian unveiled a Summer 2026 men’s collection that spoke in a language of quiet strength, deep craft and calm luxury.

Models walked beneath soaring mirrors in sharply cut jackets, high-waisted woven leather trousers, and sleeveless tops — pieces that fused house tradition with a modern, easy sensuality.

Nichanian’s colors were cool and exact: coffee, slate, taupe and beige, each one a lesson in subtlety. There was no shouting here, only precision.

What made the collection powerful was its restraint. Where others go wide, Hermes goes narrow, offering tailored silhouettes and a sense of order when the rest of fashion is busy making noise. Fine leather, featherlight silks, and bandanas with a whisper of fringe reminded the crowd that true luxury is about touch, not flash.

Nichanian’s playful touches — zigzag motifs, the wink of an unbuttoned shirt, a glint of silver hardware — kept things human, not stiff. It was a masterclass in how to make classic codes feel new, even radical, simply by refusing to chase trends.

In a season marked by designer shake-ups and economic jitters, Hermes stood alone: confident, focused, and unwilling to compromise. As Nichanian took her bow to cheers, she sent a clear message — at Hermes, luxury is about the pleasure of the wearer, not the applause of the crowd.



China's HongShan Reportedly Eyes $2.9 Billion Golden Goose Deal by Christmas

People walk in a commercial street at the historical Shichahai district in Beijing, China, December 3, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
People walk in a commercial street at the historical Shichahai district in Beijing, China, December 3, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
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China's HongShan Reportedly Eyes $2.9 Billion Golden Goose Deal by Christmas

People walk in a commercial street at the historical Shichahai district in Beijing, China, December 3, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
People walk in a commercial street at the historical Shichahai district in Beijing, China, December 3, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

China's HongShan Capital Group (HSG) has sent a 2.5 billion euro ($2.91 billion) offer to private equity Permira to buy Italian luxury sneaker maker Golden Goose, with the aim of signing the deal by Christmas, daily la Repubblica reported on Friday.

Details still need to be defined but the offer gives the luxury group an enterprise value of 10 times the core profit expected by the end of the year, debt included, the newspaper said.

Golden Goose's revenues totaled 655 million euros in 2024, with an adjusted core profit of 227 million euros.

HSG has asked veteran fashion industry executive Marco Bizzarri to become Golden Goose's future chairman, la Repubblica said, adding that the Chinese private equity aims to expand Golden Goose's directly-managed stores, particularly in Asia, and plans to list the group in the medium-term.

Last year the Venice-based company, which sells sneakers for more than 500 euros a pair, shelved plans for an initial public offering on the Milan Bourse, citing market volatility caused by political uncertainty in Europe.


Debenhams' New Pay Plan Without Vote 'Disgraceful', Says Top Investor Frasers

Debenhams logo is seen on smartphone in front of a displayed Boohoo logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2021. (Reuters)
Debenhams logo is seen on smartphone in front of a displayed Boohoo logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2021. (Reuters)
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Debenhams' New Pay Plan Without Vote 'Disgraceful', Says Top Investor Frasers

Debenhams logo is seen on smartphone in front of a displayed Boohoo logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2021. (Reuters)
Debenhams logo is seen on smartphone in front of a displayed Boohoo logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2021. (Reuters)

A move by struggling British online fashion retailer Debenhams to push ahead with a new executive pay scheme without seeking approval from investors was "utterly disgraceful", the finance chief of rival Frasers said on Thursday.

Frasers is Debenhams' biggest investor with a 29.7% stake.

Last week, Debenhams said that one of the reasons it was not asking for a shareholder vote on the new pay scheme worth up to 222 million pounds ($296 million) was because a "major competitor" investor, which it did not name, had tried to block previous resolutions.

Debenhams has been locked in a long-running tussle with Frasers, majority-owned by British retail tycoon Mike Ashley, which unsuccessfully attempted to block its rebrand and oust its co-founder.

Frasers' chief financial officer Chris Wootton said Debenhams' latest move, which could see CEO Dan Finley earn up to 148 million pounds if Debenhams' share price hits 3 pounds over the next five years, was "typical corporate governance from them, utterly disgraceful".

However, he told Reuters that if Debenhams achieved a share price of 3 pounds "shareholders will be happy."

Debenhams shares were trading at 22.25 pence on Thursday, down 3.3%.


Zara Owner Inditex Reports Strong Start to Winter Sales

FILE PHOTO: A person walks by a Zara store in Plaza de Espana in Madrid, Spain, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Ana Beltran/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A person walks by a Zara store in Plaza de Espana in Madrid, Spain, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Ana Beltran/File Photo
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Zara Owner Inditex Reports Strong Start to Winter Sales

FILE PHOTO: A person walks by a Zara store in Plaza de Espana in Madrid, Spain, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Ana Beltran/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A person walks by a Zara store in Plaza de Espana in Madrid, Spain, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Ana Beltran/File Photo

Zara owner Inditex said sales grew 10.6% in constant currency over the start of its fourth quarter, beating analysts' expectations for the November period that includes the crucial Black Friday sales.

The $178 billion fast fashion giant also reported on Wednesday sales of 9.8 billion euros ($11.41 billion) for its third quarter ending October 31, higher than the 9.69 billion euros expected by analysts according to an LSEG estimate.

The results from Inditex, seen as a bellwether for the global fast fashion sector, provide a first glimpse into how successful the key Black Friday sales weekend was for retailers.

The strong sales growth in the period from November 1 to December 1 compared to a year ago marked an acceleration from the nine-month currency-adjusted growth rate of 6.2%, an encouraging sign for the fourth quarter, its biggest in terms of revenues.