At Hermès, a New Menswear Designer May Not Bring Much Disruption
Luxury experts expect the brand to choose continuity over radical change.
By
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October 17, 2025, 2:00am
PARIS — With the news that Véronique Nichanian is stepping down as men’s artistic director at
Hermès after 37 years, the French luxury brand is facing the kind of generational handover that has become rare in a world of revolving doors.
In a statement on Friday, Hermès said Nichanian, fashion’s longest-serving
creative director, would depart after presenting her final collection on Jan. 24 during Paris Men’s Fashion Week.
The house is expected to announce her replacement in the next few days,
and sources believe an internal successor could be named. Among Nichanian’s longest-serving deputies is designer
Benjamin Brett, who joined Hermès in 2010 from Yves Saint Laurent, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Another alternative would be for Hermès to broaden the remit of Nadège Vanhee, its artistic director of women’s ready-to-wear. Or the house, whose past creative directors include Martin Margiela and Jean Paul Gaultier, could bring on board another star designer.
Among the leading menswear figures currently without a portfolio are Kim Jones, who stepped down as artistic director of men’s collections at Dior in January, and Hedi Slimane, who left his post as artistic, creative and image director of Celine in October 2024.
“It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that a star designer goes there again,” said Mary Gallagher, senior consultant at Find executive consulting. “It would just probably have to be one that would conform to being in this legacy family company.”
Whatever happens, luxury experts expect Hermès to choose continuity over radical change, especially since its ready-to-wear business is strong.
“I see this as a natural transition, and I don’t attach great consequence to the change.
Creative directors will continue to have limited visibility at Hermès, as the brand prevails more than at other houses,” said Luca Solca, analyst at Bernstein.
“Having said that, Hermès has done very well with rtw, and I expect they will work to keep this performance going.”
The handover comes as brands battle to reverse a slowdown in luxury consumption worldwide, with aspirational consumers turning their backs on high-ends goods after several years of steep price increases in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hermès has benefited from its safe-haven status, as the rarity of its handbags make them investment pieces that see their value often increase, rather than decrease, over time.
The brand’s ready-to-wear and accessories division has also proved a solid earner, with sales rising 6 percent in the first half, helping the company outperform its sector peers. The division now accounts for 28 percent of sales at Hermès.
Taking the Long View
Jean Vigneron, a consultant specialized in the creative industries at executive search company Egon Zehnder, said the length of Nichanian’s tenure was matched by only a handful of industry figures, among them Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, and founders like Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren.
“This really shows us once again that Hermès operates on its own timeline — it’s not driven by trends. What’s fascinating is how stable it’s remained, with a long-term perspective that feels very deliberate. It’s less about reacting to what’s going on in the world and more about staying true to a clear identity,” he said.
Far from stodgy, that approach is reaping dividends amidst upheaval at many leading houses, Vigneron noted. “Paradoxically, at a time when the world feels incredibly fragmented and complex, the brands that are the most steady, the ones that don’t wildly change direction, seem to be the ones thriving,” he said.
A graduate of the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, Nichanian began her career at Cerruti, working under Nino Cerruti.
She was asked to join Hermès in 1988 by its legendary chief executive officer Jean-Louis Dumas, becoming one of the few women leading a menswear division at a major luxury house. During her tenure, the brand has grown into an industry behemoth, with revenues of 15.2 billion euros in 2024.
“Working for Hermès since 1988 has been an immense pleasure. I am very proud to be part of this big family in which I have been able to flourish and enjoy total creative freedom,” the 71-year-old designer said in the statement issued by Hermès.
Her spring 2026 was a condensé of her signature style, combining sensual textures — think leather openwork weave on shirts and trousers, rough edges on jaunty silk twill bandanas, and ribbed and nubby knits — with a breezy sense of luxury.
“My wish has always been to create clothes of today for the long term. To me, there is not an Hermès man; there are Hermès men,” she said.
Laia Farran Graves, author “The Story of the Hèrmes Scarf,” said that while Nichanian remained under the radar, her impact on the industry has been considerable.
“What she’s done is pretty incredible. She has brought together comfort, luxury, utility, beauty and simplicity of lines, combined with the heritage, and created this very specific look,” she said.
Above all, Nichanian managed to project a seamless elegance. “There’s so much work involved — a bit like when you see a swan, but underneath, they’re doing all the work,” said Farran Graves.
A Loyal Team
Hermès lauded her knack for “chic, discreet and timeless elegance” and continuous research around materials, know-how and color.
“We thank Véronique warmly for her eye, her vision, her generosity, her energy and her curiosity. Propelled by her talent, conviction and whimsy, she has guided the destiny of a man who walks with allure. The success of the men’s universe owes much to her,” it said.
One key to her success has been inspiring loyalty in her team, meaning there is a deep well of in-house talent to ensure continuity at the brand.
“The menswear team has remained very stable. Many of them have grown in stature inside the house and know it inside out. And honestly, I think in menswear, you need a star designer far less than you do in womenswear,” Vigneron said.
The question is whether anyone from that team is ready to step into a more visible role. “She was never a showboat designer, but it also depends on who likes the limelight and who doesn’t,” Gallagher said.
Vanhee, meanwhile, has been with the house since 2014. She is widely expected to lead its planned foray into haute couture, which could launch in late 2026 or early 2027, and could also be charged with overseeing the men’s division.
“I don’t think that adding couture into Nadège’s remit and adding men to Nadège’s remit would necessarily overextend her. I think the structure would form around her,” said Gallagher, noting that brands like Givenchy already cumulate all three divisions under one designer.
But what sets Hermès apart from other luxury houses is that the creative directors of all its divisions report to artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the son of Jean-Louis Dumas and cousin of the current CEO, Axel Dumas.
“They’ve got trusted people leading each creative department, people who really understand the codes of the house, but there’s an overarching vision, so they’re able to keep everything aligned, like a shepherd keeping the flock together,” Vigneron said.
“With so many creative directions and specialized roles, that macro perspective is essential. These are individuals who have the brand’s DNA in their veins — they really get it, and that’s invaluable,” he said.
With that in mind, Nichanian’s replacement will have to align with the house’s identity and avoid alienating the core Hermès customer.
“I don’t see a big change coming. The menswear at Hermès is like the brand itself: elegant, timeless and efficient,” Vigneron said.
“If someone younger were to come in, sure, they might bring a sharper sensitivity to certain social topics — that’s natural and generational — but it would be a matter of nuance.”
Farran Graves agreed that Hermès has little to gain by tinkering with a winning formula.
“I don’t have a crystal ball, but given the structure of the brand and how strong the family ethos is, it would make sense to me that they hire within and keep it really tight and close, because they’re doing really well, unlike some of the other brands,” she said.
“I would say it’s still a time to play safe.”
— With contributions from Miles Socha
