Hermes designer Nichanian: a woman in a man’s world
That she has been doing it for 26 years is another rarity.
« I always feel the same anxiety, » she admitted ahead of her catwalk show Saturday in Paris. « But the enthusiasm is always solid, » she told AFP with a smile.
She says Hermes’s then boss Jean-Louis Dumas told her when he tapped her in 1988: « Manage this like your little enterprise. You have carte blanche. »
Nichanian was previously with Nino Cerruti, who had hired her straight out of design school.
The diminutive designer says she had to « work harder » and « be determined » as a woman in a man’s world and was « pretty proud » of her longevity.
« It was a pretty macho milieu and the men didn’t expect a woman to tell them what to do, » she recalls.
Nichanian came into the work « by chance, at first. Then I discovered a rigour in men’s fashion, as a person who is not a fan of unnecessary details. »
The 50-something designer said she had wanted to work in fashion since she was an adolescent, noting that while her parents were not in the business they were « very elegant people ».
She described the « discreet chic » of her father of Armenian origin, and how her mother and grandmother had Hermes handbags and scarves.
The elegant brunette with sparkling eyes said she draws inspiration from myriad sources — « in the street… in what I read… at shows. »
But with Hermes, whose sales of men’s ready-to-wear enjoyed double-digit growth last year, « it’s a continuing story ».
While there are not radical changes from one show to the next, « the wardrobe gets richer from collection to collection, » she says.
« Some cuts don’t change at all, or only by millimetres. »
And since Hermes clothes tend to be pricy, men will not stop wearing them after the season is up, she said.
« I’ve looked at collections from 20 years ago and am ashamed of none of them… You could still wear them (today). »
No ‘ego problems’
When Nichanian, who rose to artistic director for all of Hermes’s menswear in 2008, starts work on a new collection, she first considers the colours and the fabrics.
Because Hermes is a luxury house, « we can afford the most beautiful materials » whether from France, Italy or Japan, she said, describing her style as a blend of fabrics with attention to detail, as well as the line.
Nichanian coquettishly described how she might line coat pockets with lambskin « whose sensuality will be felt only by the man wearing the coat » — like a « secret » between designer and customer.
When she visits Hermes stores, she says, of course there are wealthy customers, but also « young men who save money » in the long run by buying stylish, durable clothes.
If Nichanian had to name two essential items in a man’s wardrobe, they would be « a beautiful navy blue flannel jacket » and anything in leather.
She said she was not considering setting up her own fashion house.
« That would not do more for my creativity. … Here it is truly Veronique Nichanian. And I don’t have ego problems. »
