Hermès Homme Presents Walking on Air in Brooklyn

Last Thursday in Brooklyn, NY, Hermès Homme presented its men’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection entitled “Walking on Air.” With New York City as its backdrop, the show was hosted inside Skylight at the Refinery—a not-yet-open space atop the former Domino Sugar Refinery, reimagined by the Two Trees real estate development company. For the maison's first-time menswear presentation in New York, the evening kicked off with guests arriving in style, greeted by champagne and limitless Manhattan skyline views through floor-to-ceiling windows that bent to the sky. Around each bend, tiered seating awaited VIPs to onlook the latest line.  

In attendance, Whitewall mingled with an array of special attendees—including the brand’s CEO Axel Dumas and stars like Matt Damon, Luke Sabbat, Natasha Lyonne, Athena Calderone, Quil Lemons, and Evan Mock—before taking a seat. Moments later, the fashion show began with the Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi walking in a leather and shearling vest to the 2016 tune “Ways to Go” by Weval. Other stars were in the runway lineup, too, including AD100 interior designer Andre Mellone, BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester, chef Rōze Traore, New York Giants football player Saquon Barkley, professional U.S. tennis player Taylor Fritz, and actors Tom Blyth and Young Mazino.

With each passing look, we watched designer Véronique Nichanian’s artistic direction unfold with sumptuous clothing elevated through rich textures and layered silhouettes. Uncomplicated yet unique, outfits were comprised of utilitarian staples with contemporary twists—like black leather trousers paired with brown leather loafers, layered thin leather jackets, and padded pull-over jackets with shearling collars and large front-facing pockets. Also seen on the runway were a selection of large-format Hermès Birkin bags, carried with ease by hands masked by the long sleeves of cashmere sweaters.  

The conversation between garments and accessories left the audience captivated, and reeled in through timeless colors and shapes, and innovative, sophisticated, and dynamic styles. Charcoal, caramel, coffee, navy, and smoky black hues carried the weave of wool and cotton pieces dotted by white gold jewelry. Ribbed braided leather became a recurring motif, lit by the glow of the sun setting behind the Williamsburg Bridge. And as the city began to sparkle behind the glass panels, a collection finale concluded with Nichanian thanking guests over a microphone. As guests exited, they were directed to the building’s top floor to enjoy cocktails, help-yourself hor d'oeuvres, and live music by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth joined by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.