It was game, set, match at Hermès yesterday.
Gaultier’s always a sucker for a theme and this year was no exception. Everything was covered in grass from the runways to the bleachers – with white cushions for us to sit on of course, god forbid we get actual grass stains! Between the setting and the music, I was ready for an actual tennis match.
An industry legend once said to me, “Hermès is not a fashion house, so I never expect fashion here,” but I still loved every bit of it. The clothes screamed 1920′s tennis and I had no problem imaging myself living it up like Daisy Buchannan or lounging on a boat in Pantelleria.
If you’re ever at an Hermès show where you don’t love the clothes, I dare you not to smile when Gaultier runs out smiling, hugging, kissing with such adoration for his models. Long after the show’s ended and the lights are up, he’s still milling about gratefully greeting his fans.
And that’s a grand slam.
—REBECCA SUHRAWARDI AUSTIN