Dive deep into past interviews that Véronique Nichanian, now-former artistic director of the Hermès men’s universe, has ever given and you’d notice something consistent: she had complete freedom at the Maison. Whatever and however she conjured up the seasonal menswear collections to be, Nichanian was able to execute them without restriction. The non-existent boundaries kept her open to staying with a distinct Hermès look while constantly expanding and stretching it.

Spring/Summer 2026 sees Nichanian inviting men to escape. But not to any summer clichés, the likes of the countryside or a tropical island. Reflective of the mirrored set of the runway show, the escape is introspective—looking inward to reinvent in unexpected ways yet seemingly naturally so. What you think you know of the Hermès men’s wardrobe is twisted and blurred while keeping a sense of French elegance at the forefront. It’s an alternate sartorial dimension, one that’s manipulated the Hermès way.

A constant trick of the eye takes precedence in almost every piece of the collection. Casually tied fringed bandanas in a slate of calming hues—bluish greys to fresh mint green—give the impression of the Maison’s signature silk creations. In reality, a number of them are cut from thin calfskin or suede and imprinted with the Éperon d’or motif. A butter yellow overshirt is decorated with the same motif and crafted with a studied weightlessness that defies its leather composition. Shirts adopt the cut of suit jackets with notched lapels, and are worn tucked into trousers to form a deep V-neck silhouette that feels more insouciant than intentionally done to look sexy.

Speaking of sexy, the idea (or at least, we’d like to think) manifests in a craft-centric manner. Openwork techniques have been applied to ready-to-wear pieces as a way of playfully injecting an air of casual sexiness while showcasing craft. A mint green knit vest appears chunky but is designed with geometric openwork to allow extra breathability, and at the same time, shows hints of skin. A similar knit pattern is translated onto a V-neck pullover in a sublime sheen of grey that exudes a devil-may-care attitude consistent with the rest of the collection.

Most impressive are the openwork elements on leather ready-to-wear. A blouson and overshirt are entirely crafted from the interweaving of strips of lambskin, forming a supple lattice that hardly looks like fabric from afar. A pair of trousers is done in the same way, filtering light with every movement. Hermès levels up in technical difficulty with several leather pieces that feature only panels of openwork weaving. The leathers are precisely cut only at the beginnings and ends of the weave for a seamless transition between the openwork and the rest of the piece.

So much attention is commanded by the ready-to-wear pieces that one might overlook the footwear. And that would be a shame. Boots are de rigueur for the season, but this time, they’re supplemented by Hermès leather thongs trimmed with rope. The latter may be an offbeat choice, yet every outfit-footwear pairing is cleverly interchangeable between the two—each exuding a different vibe that remain polished and refined at the same.

The Hermès Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection may seem familiar with Nichanian’s signature cuts and silhouettes. But one only needs to pay closer attention and apply scrutiny to the pieces to discover their subtleties, all pointing to evolving while staying true to oneself.

The Hermès Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection is now available in boutiques and online.