In a fashion landscape driven by trends, Hermès marches to its own beat. The luxury French brand, helmed by designer Nadège Vanhée, is in the business of covetable classics, a fact the Fall Winter 2025 collection made more apparent than ever. The mantra of the collection only emphasised Vanhée's aversion to trends: The Hermès woman, the show notes read, "moves forward, never looks back. She has everything she needs."

Staged, as always, in the Garde Républicaine, models traversed a runway laden with a moss of sorts, in footwear — riding boots, and firmly laced leather pumps — befitting of just about any terrain. Handbags, a cornerstone of Hermès' legacy, were similarly both practical and seductive. Iconic styles like the Bolide, the Birkin, and the Kelly bags slung unclasped from models' hands, as though brimming with the detritus of a life lived to the fullest. Vanhée also made space for newer silhouettes, including miniaturised trunks, worn like evening clutches, and sumptuous shoulder bags.

As for the clothes themselves, the collection was built upon a balance between structure and softness. Sharp edges and tailored shoulders adorned coats and jackets, worn over soft, enveloping turtlenecks and skin-hugging dresses. This duality was echoed in the materials used: Felt, traditionally considered a stiff fabrication, was reimagined to flow effortlessly like leather, creating pieces that were both protective and pliable. Lambskin, always a Hermès staple, was showcased in sleek, straight designs with bold zippers and buttons, further emphasising the brand’s mastery in sculptural tailoring. The colour palette was as deliberate as it was evocative, conjuring memories of nature’s richness: luminous greens of cypress and pine, deep browns and blacks reminiscent of a horse’s coat, and marble whites and volcanic greys. But it was the versatility of the collection that truly stole the show: reversible overcoats, saddle flaps transforming into shorts, and even coats that unzipped into blankets, straddled the line between practical and chic.

The Hermès Fall Winter 2025 collection is not just about clothing. It’s a testament to patience, precision, and the artistry that defines the heritage brand. It’s a narrative of a woman who strides forward, determined, with everything she needs.