You know those people who keep saying how boring Singapore is? Shun them. Thumb your nose at these Negative Nancies (apologies to the regular Nancies) or point them towards this post. So what are you waiting for? Sit down, relax, and sip some wine from your cute 'grandma-aesthetic looking' mug (apologies to wine connoisseurs but it's a cool TikTok trend I promise) whilst I take you through this recommendation of fun shit to do this weekend.
With fond memories attached, we return to the place where we celebrated Esquire's Anniversary. Kicking this list off with an evening of Indie dance and melodic techno soundscapes starring two international heavyweights—Darlin Epsilon and Geminis.
Often hailed as a pioneer of Melodic House & Techno and Progressive House, Darin Epsilon will be taking the stage on level 61. Nominated for 'Best Progressive House Artist' in the annual Beatport Awards, Eplison is sure to deliver an unforgettable set.
Meanwhile, on level 62, you can catch the Geminis, an electronic music duo from Germany known for their strong techno grooves. With debut tracks 'Angel' and 'Shmetterling' reaching the Beatport Top 100 and number 11 on the Beatport Hype Chart, the Geminis have played in clubs worldwide.
To entice you even further, the first 100 guests arriving before midnight will receive a complimentary welcome drink.
When: 27 July 2024, 10PM-4AM
Where: HighHouse, 1 Raffles Place
Get your tickets here.
35A Market is back for round two, and this time it features its biggest line-up yet. Shop from independent creatives in the art, fashion, and design scenes. Treat yourself to clothes from @shrub.0128, while sipping wine from @glugglug.sg and finish it off by strutting the dance floor where Matty Judah and Sunat will be jamming out some tunes.
When: 28 July 2024, 1PM-9PM
Where: 35A Kampong Bahru Road, Singapore 169366
Alright, I hear you. Not in the mood to doomzi doomzi (a Singaporean slang to say partying) this weekend? How about a movie instead? Check out "Deadpool & Wolverine", starring Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Promise there aren't any spoilers: "Deadpool & Wolverine" takes place set six years after the events of 2018's "Deadpool 2" and follows a retired Deadpool, now living a normal life as Wade Wilson. Until the Time Variance Authority, responsible for maintaining all timelines, pulls him into a new mission.
When: 26 July 2024
Where: All theatres near you
Here's another booth and tune you won't to want miss out on. Two highly anticipated Singapore-based techno collectives—Degenerave and Ministry of Hard Techno, are making their return, along with local partners setting up booths to explore and support.
Don't worry, there's something for everyone in this exciting booth lineup: tattoo artists @oh.rainy.day and @eightball.ttt, tarot readings by @tarotxavenue, vintage fashion from @shutdown_store, and leather goods by @kultbespoke
When: 27 July 2024, 8PM-4AM
Where: 269 South Bridge Road 04-01, Singapore 058818
The iconic nightlife venue is launching a new happy hour offering and revamped music programming starting this month—GOOD TIMES. Every Wednesdays, you can enjoy a mix of drinks, bar bites, and groovy music featuring a mix of hip-hop and R&B by resident DJ FLAVA.
Additionally, Potato Head has introduced a new Friday night series-CANNED HEAT, showcasing afrobeats, baile funk and dancehall by resident DJs LI.A and Dee. Saturdays dedicated to NIGHT MOVES, with house and disco beats spun by Kevin Sy, Jamie Hall, and more.
When: Every Wednesday, Friday, and Weekend in July
Where: 36 Keong Saik Road
Experience Vacheron Constantin "From Geometry to Artistry" exhibition, featuring the latest novelties from Watches & Wonders 2024 alongside a stunning artistic installation in collaboration with Lanzavecchia + Wai.
Discover the Maison's newest innovations, demonstrating their dedication to excellence. This exhibition reveals the creation process, from initial sketches to the finishing touches, inspired by geometrical shapes and brought to life through the theme "From Geometry to Artistry".
When: 22-28 July 2024, 2PM-9PM
Where: 48 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore, 089859
Book your sessions here.
Starting off strong with some killer tunes, coming all the way to Pasir Panjang Power Station this Saturday, Boiler Room is back for another banger. With a lineup of international, regional and local talent—A/K/A, Natasha Hassan, Aya, Tashasan and Xiaolin.
When: 20th July 2024
Where: Boiler Room
Get your tickets here.
Rather than displaying Birkins, Kellys and Haut à Courroies bags, Hermès emphasises the art of craftsmanship in both fashion and beyond. For this outing, the French House opens the merging of cinema and performance art to the public, called On the Wing of Hermès it was the the most captivating thing that brought a smile to our ever-stoic EIC's face.
Belgian director Jaco Van Dormael and choreographer Michèle Anna De May, in collaboration with the Astragales dance company, crafted a unique art performance accompanied by a 35-minute film screening that the live performance is based on.
Where they blended dance, object theatre, cinema, and music to tell the story of the mythical winged horse Pegasus and his seven foals. Each feature has its own backdrop of Hermès objects and figurines with live dances performing choreography. And all were captured in real-time by image and lighting technicians, then projected onto a giant screen.
When: 19-28 July 2024
Where: Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre Level B2, 10 Bayfront Avenue
Book your sessions here.
Familiar with the house music scene hit '(It Goes Like) Nanana'? This Friday, Berlin-based South Korean DJ and record producer Peggy Gou will spin her popular and catchy tunes at Marquee Singapore
Gou has performed at renowned events worldwide, including the iconic Coachella music festival. Besides being a musical sensation, she's also celebrated as a "fashion icon", known for her exquisite taste in clothing and her enviable handbag collection.
Don't miss the chance to hear her latest album, I Hear You live. The album includes popular tracks like "I Go" and "(It Goes Like) Nanana", both of which have garnered millions of streams. Be sure to be there.
When: 19 July 2024
Where: Marquee Singapore
If you're in the mood for something more relaxed and laid-back, head to your nearest movie theatre and check out the new action film, Twisters. Featuring an exciting cast including Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Kiernan Shipka, it's sure to be a great watch.
Gist of the movie? Kate Cooper, played by Jones, is haunted by a past encounter with a tornado. Her friend Javi persuades her to return to the plains to test a new tracking system. There, she meets Tyler Owens, portrayed by Powell, a daring social media star known for his storm-chasing exploits. As storm season peaks, Kate, Tyler, and their rival teams must battle for survival as multiple systems converge over central Oklahoma.
When: Released on 17 July 2024
Where: All theatres near you
In addition to the Hermès exhibition, Dior is also in the spotlight, showcasing one of their most cherished bags. Dedicated to their iconic bag—the Lady Dior, they will be having a show titled Lady Dior House. A travelling exhibition featuring the past Dior Lady Art project, an initiative launched by the maison in 2016. Inviting artists from various backgrounds and disciplines to reinterpret the Lady Dior bags.
When: 18 July-11 August 2024
Where: 5 Jiak Kim Street, Singapore 169425
Book your sessions here.
More than the Birkins, Kellys, and Haut à Courroies bags, Hermès prides itself on the art of craftsmanship (fashion and beyond) and showcasing them to the public through unique experiences. We've had variations of them over the years in Singapore—from a literal display of the breadth of its artisanship, to an innovative wellness experience using Hermès leather goods and accessories. This year, Hermès combines the crafts of cinema and performance art with On the Wings of Hermès.
"This work metaphorically illustrates the lightness that is omnipresent at Hermès: in the delicate hands of our craftspeople sewing with two needles at once, in the elegance of materials and in the subtle notes of a perfume. It is an experience which sparks the imagination, designed by the artisans of dreams," says Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès.
On the Wings of Hermès is the collective effort of Belgian director Jaco Van Dormael and choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey, with the Astragales dance company. It had already made its run in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Singapore is the latest stop in its world tour.
Visitors will experience the entire performance within a film studio format where seven vignettes that blend dance, object theatre, music and cinema, come together to tell the story of the mythical winged horse Pegasus and his seven foals. Each of the seven parts are set against its own backdrop consisting of Hermès objects, and figurines gliding to choreography. Live dancers and choreographers work together with image and lighting technicians—they're captured in real time by Van Dormael and projected up onto a giant screen.
A screening of a 35-minute film of the same name (inspired by the performance) completes the entire experience of cinematic poetry in motion.
On the Wings of Hermès is scheduled to open on 19 July and will run until 28 July 2024. Bookings are now open and can be made online.
Given the increasingly intertwined realms of fashion and design, it's expected that major fashion labels continue to expand their design repertoire into furniture during Milan Design Week. As the world's largest furniture fair, the event showcases the latest in furniture and design, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Below, we take a closer look at a number of furniture collections and collaborations by fashion brands that were released and showcased during the week.
Titled the "MCM Wearable Casa Collection", the collection by MCM was created in collaboration with Atelier Biagetti and curated by Maria Cristina Didero. This was the MCM's first time taking part in Milan Design Week, yet the collection effortlessly showcased its authenticity. MCM is known for its rebellious spirit, and this collection reimagines the role of furniture through unconventional designs that fit into the avant-garde. The collection brings the audience out of this world with its portable and multifunctional pieces in thought-provoking designs.
Longchamp held an exhibition at its boutique on Via della Spiga from 15 to 21 April, spotlighting on studio högl borowski—headed by Viennese design duo Stefanie Högl and Matthias Borowski. Through the their careful selection of materials used, unique sensory experiences are constantly being explored. Ranging from furniture to sculptural objects, studio högl borowski’s innovative pieces create new dialogues between fashion, art and design. Borowski’s fascination for craftsmanship, shapes and proportions and Högl’s love for colour, materiality and telling stories often lead to their unique compositions in designs.
Saint Laurent Rive Droite teamed up with the Gio Ponti Archives, Ginori 1735 and the Fundación Anala y Armando Planchart to exhibit the Villa Planchart Segnaposto Plates collection. Originally designed by Gio Ponti, the collection is decorated with various symbols of the villa of Anala and Amando Planchart. These traditionally crafted decorative porcelain plates are painted by hand in Ginori 1735’s Italian Manifattura. The Gio Ponti-Villa Planchart exhibition was held during Milan Design Week at the Chiostri di San Simpliciano. The limited-edition plates are now available for sale online as well as at the Saint Laurent Rive Droite boutiques in Los Angeles and Paris.
Versace opened their doors to their original Milan home and design Atelier at Palazzo Versace, Via Gesù 12, to showcase the latest Versace Home collection. The collection's designs prominently feature iconic symbols like the Medusa, Barocco, and Greca, exuding luxury in true Versace style. Visitors immersed themselves in the rich history of Palazzo Versace through an audio experience titled "Versace Home: If These Walls Could Talk". It narrated stories of the Palazzo's significance in fashion and culture, including the historic Fendace fashion show that saw the coming together of Fendi and Versace.
Bottega Veneta collaborated with Cassina and Fondation Le Corbusier to present On the Rocks at Palazzo San Fedele, focusing on the LC14 Tabouret Cabanon. Le Corbusier originally designed the Tabouret for his cabin, and took inspiration from a washed-up whiskey box. It features masterful dovetail joints and oblong openings. The exhibition showcased custom editions of the Tabouret, including a new limited-edition tribute in signature Bottega Veneta's Intrecciato. The wooden editions feature a traditional Japanese charred-wood technique, providing natural protection to the wood while revealing the unique patterns of the wood grain. On the Rocks also offered a glimpse into Palazzo San Fedele, that's soon to become Bottega Veneta's headquarters.
Hermès presented a captivating blend of contemporary home collections with iconic heritage designs, showcasing their enduring commitment to craftsmanship and excellence. Inspired by vibrant jockey silk jersey motifs, leather goods and intricately crafted blankets in subtle shades take centrestage alongside luxurious cashmere bedspreads featuring intricate patterns. The new Diapason d’Hermès lounge chair in leather and hammered aluminium, along with ethereal lamps inspired by equestrian vaulting, reflected Hermès' innovative design approach. The showcase epitomises Hermès' spirit of merging artistic excellence with impeccable craftsmanship, creating timeless pieces imbued with sophistication and style.
Giorgio Armani reopened the doors of Palazzo Orsini, the brand's historic headquarters, to present the new Armani/Casa collection entitled "Echi dal mondo" ("Echoes from the World"). Each room in Palazzo Orsini corresponded to a geographical area that inspired Armani throughout his career, identifiable by nods to different aesthetics and fashion cultures. Inspired by atmospheres, colours and shapes encountered during Armani’s travels or research, the collection is presented in settings never been seen before, offering an intimate experience. It was seamlessly integrated with Armani’s personal memories and travel mementos, weaving a narrative that celebrated creativity, craftsmanship and diverse cultural influences.
Loewe engaged 24 different artists to create a new collection of lamps as part of its Milan Design Week effort titled, "Loewe Lamps". Utilising a wide range of mediums, the collection centres around the manipulation of light. The floor, table, and suspended lamps—presented in the Palazzo Citterio—were materialised using bamboo, paper, leather, and glass into innovative forms inspired by natural and man-made objects. Among the featured artists, Genta Ishizuka's suspended lamp stood out, reflecting an organic cell with glossy lacquer layers and gold finishing.
Gucci’s creative director Sabato De Sarno’s gravitation towards Rosso Ancora was further established in Design Ancora. Curated by Michela Pelizzari, Gucci exhibited its new furniture collection at its flagship store at via Monte Napoleone, 7. Five iconic Italian furniture pieces were reimagined and customised in Gucci’s signature Rosso Ancora, featuring works from Italian design masters including Mario Bellini and Tobia Scarpa. “Through Design Ancora, Gucci doesn’t simply celebrate old icons, it creates new ones,” explains Pelizzari. “The aura emanating from the brand spotlights five pieces by Italian masters that are perfect from a design standpoint but less known to the general public.”
Designed under the creative direction of Silvia Venturini Fendi, the new Fendi Casa 2024 collection introduced new products while maintaining iconic elements like the FF logo and Pequin pattern, showcased in luxurious materials and meticulous craftsmanship. Fendi further ventured into tableware and home textiles with its new home accessories collection, featuring elegant designs in French Limoges porcelain, artisanal woven leather, and blown glass. The collection intertwined Fendi's fashion universe with exquisite home decor, offering a luxurious and distinctive aesthetic.
Louis Vuitton unveils a range of exquisite offerings at its Garage Traversi store in Milan. The new Bed Trunk, a modern interpretation of Louis Vuitton's original design from 1865, combines tradition with innovation. The trunk features the iconic Monogram Canvas exterior and an interior crafted from aluminium and beechwood, and transforms effortlessly into a sturdy bedframe. Iconic Objets Nomades designs like the Cocoon and Bell Lamp were also showcased, blending Louis Vuitton's craftsmanship with contemporary design. Additionally, an expanded tableware collection introduced a new beige colourway, showcasing a fusion of classic and modern aesthetics.
Remember as a kid, jumping into puddles during the rain? Is the smell of a passing shower etched into your hippocampus? That seems to be the draw for Christine Nagel, director of creation and olfactory heritage for Hermès Parfums. Her latest olfactory concoction—H24 Herbes Vives—is all about the emotive qualities associated with the rain.
“I was inspired by the happy smell of nature after the rain, an aroma at once vegetal and earthy, fresh and musky," Nagel say, "That unique moment when nature and the city, still drenched with water, release new scents and take on new colours.”
After the cloudburst, the wet earth and damp vegetation... these are evocations that you can find with H24 Herbes Vives. A heady bouquet of fresh herbs, pear granita, and Physcool.
According to our style director, it's the addition of Physcool that cuts through the woody and musk-heaviness that present fragrances are known for. It stands out.
And its all contain in this seemingly simple falcon; a simpleness that belies a very difficult manufacturing process. The lines of the bottle fashioned from light. Light passes through the glass, diffused by foliage after rain. Designer Philippe Mouquet paints the bottle with an even brighter and more intense vegetal hue; the box is given in a green-tinted grey like vegetation after a rain.
The Hermés H24 Herbes Vives eau de parfum is out now.
We don’t need to tell you that your fragrance does say quite a bit about you. What you like, where your energy level is at, and even your personality might be discerned from the fragrances you gravitate towards. In the same manner, fragrances can be a tool of projection: you can use them quite effectively to communicate an initial visual impression—be it a sense of confidence, mystery or playfulness.
In the spirit of new beginnings for the new year, there’s absolutely no better time than the present to pause and reset your fragrance roster. While that may seem like we’re asking you to consider more mild-weight options, that’s absolutely not the case. This edit of fragrances—some perennial favourites with a few new releases thrown in—are meant to reintroduce a more refreshing scent profile that cuts right through headier bodies.
Think of this edit as the base on which to build on. The overall profile may be generally clean, but that really allows the opportunity to layer and mix to create ever more nuanced scents.
Istanbul-based perfume brand NISHANE has been around for only a decade, yet its growing presence in more than 120 countries is a mark of its niche extrait fragrances. A consistent top-selling fragrance across its entire repertoire, Hundred Silent Ways is part of a collection inspired by 13th-century poet Rumi. The fragrance starts with a citrus top note, which then settles into a vanilla body. The new Hundred Silent Ways X is a reworked version created as a celebration of the brand’s 10th anniversary and leans even more heavily on the original’s gourmand body, adding on leather to amplify the sensuality of the fragrance. The top notes remain prevalent, making this a thoroughly balanced scent.
L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Iris de Gris ranks top as the freshest fragrance in this edit. Part of the fragrance house’s Le Potager collection—a series dedicated to the use of vegetable notes in perfumery—Iris de Gris employs the use of a pea accord as the defining element of the fragrance. You smell it almost immediately, a crisp freshness that’s surprisingly reminiscent of a freshly picked and washed bag of peas. But of course, you won’t exactly be smelling like the vegetable. Iris and galbanum add refinement to the fragrance, with the mint (part of the concocted pea accord) lifting the fresh quality of Iris de Gris.
As classic as they come, English Pear & Freesia is a quintessential Jo Malone fragrance that is the perfect balance of sweet and sensual. It’s not cloyingly sweet in any way, thanks to the main King William Pear note that gives a juicy expression to the fragrance. As with many of Jo Malone scents, the patchouli base provides for the fragrance’s longevity—this one sticks to your skin for awhile despite being a lightweight cologne formulation. While English Pear & Freesia is categorised as a women’s perfume (but what exactly is the point of gender labels in the world of fragrances?), its floral notes lean on the lighter side and, if anything, add a touch of freshness to the overall scent.
Just like the previous fragrance on this list, H24 is created by Christine Nagel, the current in-house perfumer of Hermès. There’s a reason why Nagel is a celebrated perfumer and H24 is one of many examples of her refined take on perfumery. This eau de parfum formulation of H24 is headier than its eau de toilette predecessor but still retains a metallic note—thanks to the inclusion of sclarene—that’s signature to the fragrance. This metallic element cuts through to bring about a fragrance that perhaps isn’t for everyone. But the unique quality of it definitely sets the H24 apart from any other woody and musk-heavy fragrances out there.
The latest addition to Celine’s bath and body range—a range that was only introduced this year—is its first cologne. There’s an overall powdery radiance to Cologne Céleste brought about by notes of orris butter that ties it to the house’s refined haute parfumerie collection. Cologne Céleste, however, is designed to be an after-bath ritual meant to reinvigorate and soothe. The intended effect is brought about by the cologne’s more refreshing citrus and floral notes comprising neroli, orange blossom and sweet lemon essence. And as a way of bringing back old-school self-care gestures, Cologne Céleste can either be used as a splash (think Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone) or as a classic perfume with the removable metal pump included. Either way, the cologne is one you can easily incorporate as an everyday go-to.
Rather multi-faceted in essence, Gucci’s A Floral Verse is quite a journey, beginning with floral notes that then bring you to a green middle before settling down to a white musk base. A Floral Verse opens with Indian jasmine sambac that’s a splendid combination of floral, with semblances of warmth. The middle Sri Lankan black tea note provides a dry expression that counters the more floral elements of the Indian jasmine sambac, while at the same time infuses a dose of smokiness. The name may allude to a floral-heavy fragrance, but A Floral Verse is actually more green than floral, and layers easily with more robust fragrances.
Photography: Jayden Tan
Photography Assistant: Aisyah Hisham
Take a second and think about your favourite go-to scents. Chances are, you’re thinking about something that’s woody, musky and perhaps powdery—sensual notes that are typically at the base of some of the best-selling men’s fragrances out there. Dior Sauvage and Bleu de Chanel for example, contain base notes of vanilla and amber, and sandalwood respectively.
These grounded notes belong to the warmer side of the fragrance wheel where olfactive families the likes of amber, woody, and fougère (French for “fern”) reside. The latter of which is probably the most used olfactive family in masculine scents. In fact, both the aforementioned Dior Sauvage and Bleu de Chanel are classified as such.
A fragrance is more often than not, quite a subjective experience. While there tends to be a gendered approach to it—as with most things—there’s hardly any reason why a scent shouldn’t be used because it’s crafted and tagged to be worn by a specific gender. Having said that, there’s a common understanding that masculine fragrances favour a heavier overall feel. That’s totally fine, except in cases where humidity levels already weigh one down.
There’s a reason why warm-profile fragrances are typically worn in the colder months of the year. The rich and sometimes intense notes of warmer fragrances may be great for a lingering sillage, but in humid conditions, they’re often overpowering. Couple that with incessant sweating, and you’ve got yourself quite an uncomfortable combination.
Green fragrances are one of the more underrated scent profiles, especially in the men’s fragrance space. Green sits somewhere in between floral and aqua scent profiles. They’re meant to capture the feeling of being in the outdoors with natural notes of grass as well as the sharp freshness of cucumber-esque notes. An inherent lightness lies in the base notes exuding a typically subtle scent, but green formulations can be mixed with more full-bodied accords to create quite a well-balanced fragrance.
Consider a green fragrance like a much needed spritz of cool mist in the summer heat—inviting and thoroughly refreshing.
Because the great outdoors, in essence, comprise of a myriad of scents, it’s not exactly right to say that green fragrances have little aromatic impact. Take Guerlain’s Herbes Troublantes for example. The first whiff is immediately light and refreshing, brought about by essences of thyme, mint and rosemary. It then settles to a powdery body, but only just a tinge.
The same can be said of Jardin à Cythère by Hermès. Inspired by the Greek island of Kythira, the fragrance is a sublime combination of grasses and olive wood that is tied together with fresh pistachio. There’s a slight warmth that comes through but like a breath of fresh air, Jardin à Cythère gives off an overall feeling of brightness.
Citrus notes help to elevate both Acqua di Parma’s Fico di Amalfi and Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Aqua Media. While Italian lemon gives the former a distinct lemony accent, the latter gets its citrus inflections thanks to a verbena accord that heightens the citrusy aspects of verbena leaves. Both fragrances pack quite a punch at the start before smoothing out to a clean and natural finish.
For something slightly on the floral side, opt for Highgrove Bouquet by Penhaligon’s. Its deceptive in the sense that one wouldn’t probably expect a dose of sweet floral to cut through. Yet at the same time, it’s wonderfully light and airy.
If you’re hesitant about leaving behind the musk, there are a number of green fragrances that have been teamed up with musky accords. Start off with Creed’s Green Irish Tweed—one of the house’s best-selling fragrances—consisting of a familiar sandalwood base. It’s in the inclusion of Egyptian geranium, lavender, violet as well as bergamot that tips the fragrance to the green side of things.
Chanel’s Coco Noir bridge the olfactory space between amber and green quite beautifully. It’s an overall musky scent but is somewhat muted by the presence of bergamot and geranium rose leaf. And yes, it’s categorically a women’s fragrance but who could even tell?
Probably the most musky of the lot in this edit—at least in the initial whiff—Aesop’s Erémia remains vibrant and fresh. The top notes are mostly citrus-heavy with yuzu and grapefruit, and then balanced with bergamot. Its middle goes full green with green tea and mimosa, but it’s in the base that the green profile is further enhanced with galbanum. To tie it all down, patchouli affords Erèmia that distinct musky scent you’d easily be drawn to.
Photography: Jaya Khidir
Styling: Justin Neo
Walk into the Hermès flagship store in New York and you’ll think you’ve gate-crashed a Supermarket Sweep for millionaires. The well-turned-out shoppers seem primed to drag an arm across a shelf, gathering as many pieces as possible from one of luxury’s oldest brand names. Naturally, there are more restraints—and significantly fewer shopping carts—in this 20,000 square foot temple of tastefulness, which opened on the Upper East Side last October.
“The store is really a masterpiece,” says Véronique Nichanian, artistic director of the Hermès men’s universe since 2008. “For a big store, it feels really intimate.” it is a means to highlight Hermès' superb menswear, which Nichanian has been overseeing for a staggering 35 years, beginning in 1988 when she was appointed artistic director of men's ready-to-wear. In any industry, longevity like that is unusual. She is a unicorn in terms of style. Hermès men's has evolved under her leadership from the bougie bon chic, bon genre style of the late 1980s—all blazers, suits, and patterned city-boy ties—to relaxed, contemporary apparel and accessories fit for a hangout session that just so happens to take place on a private jet.
“For me, more and more, it’s about simplicity,” Nichanian says. “I’ve always loved working with materials, with cloth. I like simple shapes. But I find that men have really changed, too; they are more and more into clothing that is relaxed. Wearing a suit and a tie is no longer by obligation; now it’s a choice, a pleasure. So men are broadening and investing in their casual wardrobes like never before.”
It’s easy to believe, with a grand old name like Hermès—with its silk scarves and Birkin bags and iconic orange packaging—that you’re buying into a vision of permanent Frenchness here, something stuffy even. Not so. “I never really liked that traditional bourgeois view at all,” Nichanian explains. “I think it’s vital to move, inject colour, play, twist things to surprise people. We always do things at Hermès with a sense of humour, lightness, and charm.”
The men's summer 2023 collection, which was revealed in Paris in June, is a confirmation of the air of sophisticated, contemporary elegance that permeates Hermès under Nichanian's direction. The company, which is getting close to its bicentennial, sees itself as a conduit to modern excellent taste rather than fighting change. It is not trendy, but it is unquestionably in style.
Much of the appeal comes from the makeup of the clothes. For summer, there’s near-weightless construction, unimpeachable quality, and colours rarely associated with men’s fashion. Nichanian uses the word légèreté, or lightness, frequently in our conversation, which jumps between French and English. The concept matters just as much emotionally as physically. “I really wanted to give the collection a real sense of lightness, a feeling of escape,” she says. “The world feels heavy at the moment; I think men need summer clothes that feel less urban. There was a lot of inspiration in David Hockney’s art for me—all that California light, those swimming pools, things seen refracted through water—that provided a sense of fluidity, even a sense of humor.”
That playfulness is discreet. You may see an understated H embossed on a leather bag or a belt here and there. But that’s pretty much it. “We’ve been doing things a certain way for nearly two hundred years. We don’t need to put big logos on everything,” Nichanian says. “People talk about Hermès with a real sense of reverence but also with a real fondness—a certain joie de vivre—compared to many other big brands, which I think personally take themselves far too seriously. Of course, business is business, and brands are like people at the end of the day—each to his own, you know. For us, Hermès is all about its personality.”
Photography by Jason Kibbler
Styling by Nick Sullivan
Grooming by Kevin Ryan for Ludlow Blunt salon
Model: Hamid Onifade for DNA Model Management
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2023 issue of ESQUIRE magazine
Originally published on Esquire US
Watch snobs, hear us out: Before you turn your nose up at fashion watches for men or any piece that does not bear the prestigious Poinçon de Genève, consider the possibility that jewellery and, yes, even fashion brands have been coming out with head-turning timepieces for ages.
Luxury French fashion house Hermès, for example, made serious inroads into the horological world by putting up its very own booth at Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie for the first time in 2018. French fashion brand, Louis Vuitton, produced a watch that earned the mythical Poinçon de Genève: the Flying Tourbillon, released in 2016.
Times are changing, and these fashion and jewellery brands have shown they take their watch departments very, very seriously. And there’s another thing these brands that combine savoir-faire with technical excellence can do: When it comes to producing true objects of desire, they have nailed it down to an art.
Still not convinced? Here are a few of the companies that have made some of the most beautiful timepieces over the years.
Say the name “Cartier” to any woman, and her eyes will no doubt light up with visions of its legendary jewellery—the Love bracelet, the Juste un Clou bangle, and the jaw-dropping Tutti Frutti and Panthère collections, just to name a few. But you, of course, will recognise that Cartier makes incredible watches, and you would be proud to have one on your wrist. Brand founder Louis-Francois Cartier did, after all, take over the workshop of master watchmaker Adolphe Picard in the 1800s, forming the company’s earliest foundations on innovative clocks and fashionable wristwatches. Thanks to the patronage of royalty that included King Carlos I of Portugal and King Edward VII of Great Britain, its reputation would later be cemented as the “jeweller of kings.”
Our pick: The Cartier Tank Solo
The Cartier Tank was inspired by the tanks used in World War I—as far as origin stories go, it doesn’t really get any cooler or more badass than that. The Solo is a modern addition to the collection, yet retains all the features that make the watch an enduring classic.
With its highly coveted handbags, such as the Kelly and the Birkin, true luxury definitely equates to Hermès. From its early beginnings as a harness and saddle supplier, the French luxury house is now best-known for its quality leather and signature silk scarves apart from branching out into perfumes, jewelry, and even accoutrements for the home. Naturally, the brand first created saddle-stitched cases for pocket watches and leather watch straps before dedicating itself fully to watches for men and women by establishing La Montre Hermès in Bienne, Switzerland in 1978.
Our pick: Cape Cod
Created by Hermès creative director Henri d’Origny in 1991 when he was tasked with making a square watch, the case and dial take cues from the brand’s distinct chaîne d'ancre motif, resulting in a shape that is unmistakably Hermès. Bonus points if you get it with the famous double tour strap, a twice-winding leather wristband designed for the house by Martin Margiela in 1998.
The Italian jewelry house was made famous by Elizabeth Taylor, who turned the Serpenti into an icon when she was photographed wearing it on the set of Cleopatra while filming in Rome. In her personal life, she was known to be a prized Bulgari client, too, care of a tumultuous romance with Richard Burton that resulted in even more gifts of diamonds and jewelry for the Hollywood star. But Bulgari’s watches are worthy of just as much admiration and awe for the way it blends the Italian flair for design with Swiss watchmaking’s technical expertise. The company showed how serious it was about the latter with the establishment in 1980 of Bulgari Haute Horlogerie in Neuchatel, Switzerland. It also acquired the Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta brands in the year 2000, leading it to introduce its own in-house mechanical movements by 2010.
Our pick: Bulgari Bulgari
You could say that this was the watch that started it all, originally intended to be a Christmas gift to the house’s top 100 clients in 1975. Recognisable by the engraved “Bulgari Bulgari” logos surrounding the bezel, it was conceptualised as a tribute to the design of ancient Roman coins.
By now, everyone is familiar with the French fashion giant’s humble beginnings as a travel trunk-maker in 1854. This later expanded into that famous monogram adorning just about everything, including a notorious punching bag designed by Karl Lagerfeld. But just as LV has a knack for turning all of the things it touches into precious objects of desire, so it goes with its watches. It’s a relatively new player, considering it marked its entry into the field with the launch of the Tambour fine watch collection in 2002. But it has certainly worked double-time and caught up since, producing many gorgeous fashion watches for men in between, leading up to the inauguration of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Geneva in 2014.
Our pick: Tambour Damier Cobalt Chronograph
It’s fitting we should throw it back to the Tambour collection, but this new edition comes with a twist: interchangeable straps that allow you to quickly switch up the look, even without specialised tools. The Damier canvas is also ever-so-subtly visible on the dial, but you’ll be able to spot that eye-catching V from across the room.
Now it’s time for the American entry into this list: Tiffany and Co., whose legend will forever be tied to New York, Audrey Hepburn, breakfast, and that instantly recognisable robin’s egg blue. Though of course it is primarily known for jewellery, thanks to its association with dreamy engagement rings and the famous 128-carat Tiffany Yellow Diamond proudly displayed at the flagship store on Fifth Avenue, the company has been selling timepieces since 1847. In fact, one of the flagship’s most recognisable features is the nine-foot Atlas Clock right above the door—also the inspiration for Charles Lewis Tiffany’s coining of the phrase, “New York minute.” Tiffany also created America’s first stopwatch, the Tiffany Timer, in 1868.
Our pick: Tiffany Atlas
An homage to the Atlas Clock that has been standing guard since the 1850s, the Atlas watch uses the same Roman numerals that New Yorkers have used to check the time over the years. In two-tone rose gold and stainless steel, it could prompt you to create a New York minute of your own.
From: Esquire Ph
Hermès stands apart in the watch world.
Not for esteemed French fashion house the idea of licensing its name to a third party manufacturer, to be sold in airport concessions and department stores like some other boldface fashion brands.
Nor is it forging into some cyber-future with a kaleidoscopic LED smartwatch complete with an animated face running its own version of Google’s OS software, as is absolutely on-brand for Louis Vuitton
Instead Hermès has ploughed a great deal of money into establishing its own haute horlogerie watch manufacturer. Since 1978, it has concentrated on producing mechanical watches intended to compete on the same stage as the Swiss greats.
It has done so using the DNA familiar from Hermès clothing and accessories – playful, chic, reassuringly French – and given us a portfolio of watches unlike any other.
The Heure H, with its face that’s a square inside a rectangle and its mirrored dial. The Carré H, a circle inside a square, its dial referencing a compass and a pendulum. The Cape Cod Grandes Heueres, its hours marked at irregular intervals, giving the impression time is accelerating or slowing down.
These efforts have not gone unnoticed. It has won multiple prizes at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the awards that all media is contractually obliged to refer to as ‘the Oscars of the watch world’.
In 2021 it launched the H08, a new collection of easy-wearing but elegant everyday watches, that came in three options: titanium, a black DLC-coated titanium model, and one with a graphene case. The H08 – the name represented Hermès’ eighth collection – was also distinguished by high-end finishing, custom off-beat typography and an unusual cushion-shaped case. It featured a mixture of straight lines and curves, as well as a mix of surface finishes. It was sporty. It was dressy. It was really a very nice watch.
According to Morgan Stanley last year Hermès watch division announced a rise in profits of 73 per cent, making it ‘the fastest-growing Swiss watch brand’ of all. Watches now represent the fastest-growing division within Hermès.
It launched a further H08 in a dark blue, PVD-treated titanium case topped off with a sunburst satin-brushed black ceramic bezel and screw-down crown – blue being traditionally a strong seller for men. In January it followed this with a version in a black DLC-treated titanium case back, and a rose gold case.
Now Hermès has doubled-down on the success of the H08, releasing four new versions in blue, green, yellow and orange. As per previous models the rubber straps match the coloured accents, second hand and chapter ring. The cushion-shaped case again measures 39mm x 39mm, and the watches are powered by Hermès own movement, the H1837, which comes with a 50-hour power reserve.
One the one hand, this is not Hermès busting out any bold new moves we’ve come to expect from a brand known for busting out bold new moves. On the other, it knows it has a hit on its hands. And as the wider men’s watch world embraces bold and adventurous colours across its dials and straps, you can hardly blame them for joining the party.
