Véronique Nichanian Departs Hermès After 37 Years

After nearly four decades at the helm of Hermès menswear, Véronique Nichanian is stepping away from the brand. This January at Paris Men’s Week, she will showcase her final runway for the French maison, closing a tenure that stands as the longest creative leadership in luxury fashion today.

Nichanian’s journey in menswear began in 1976 at Cerruti, where she trained under the legendary Nino Cerruti and developed a deep command of tailoring and textile nuance. By 1988, she was hand-picked by then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas to reinvent the brand’s men’s ready-to-wear universe: a pivotal appointment that would go on to shape the maison’s masculine identity for nearly four decades.

Her vision was never loud, but it was truly unmistakable. She elevated everyday elegance with exquisite materials, honest craftsmanship and a softness that redefined what luxury menswear could feel like. Tailoring became lighter, sensuality subtler, refinement more natural. For 37 years, she wrote a language of luxury that didn’t need to raise its voice.

Over the years, she crafted a distinct vocabulary rooted in meticulous craftsmanship and quiet sophistication. Her signatures were leather rendered unexpectedly light, silk bandanas worn with insouciance, sculptural ribbed knits, and colour pairings that felt surprising yet timeless.

Far from the churn of trends and spectacle, Nichanian championed longevity. Here clothes were designed to be lived in, not merely ‘photographed’. Under her direction, Hermès menswear became a study in enduring luxury, maintaining steady cultural influence while the rest of fashion pursued louder highs.

Her most recent Spring/Summer 2026 show was full of breezy silks, playful prints and effortless ease; felt like a signature sign-off, a reminder that innovation can still be gentle. She will now pursue personal passions, including a long-dreamed stay in Japan.

As Hermès continues to defy market volatility with strong growth and creativity rooted in heritage, the question now becomes: who will inherit this legacy of quiet confidence and immaculate restraint? The successor has not yet been revealed.. but the bar has been set impeccably high. For the industry, it is the end of an era; for Hermès, perhaps the beginning of a new one.

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