Channeling the equestrian heritage of the House of Hermès, creative director Nadège Vanhée took the codes of saddlery and horseback riding and let them run wild across a sandy runway scattered with seashells in Paris this week.

The Camargue – that rugged region in the south of France known for its marshes, caravanserai of characters and untamed horses – served as Vanhée’s muse. In her show notes, she spoke of wanting to loosen equestrian style from its associations with discipline and precision, and instead infuse it with a spirit of bohemia. The results were anything but restrained.

Leather, of course, remained the star. But it was transformed into pieces that flirted with seduction: minidresses laced corset-style at the back, skimpy shorts with apron fronts, and halter tops strapped tight with harnesses. Elsewhere, a cotton trench coat left casually unfastened revealed matching underpinnings that suggested more than they concealed. It was daring without ever straying from Hermès’ innate refinement.

But not everything leaned into sensuality. A patchwork cotton coat with a cinched waist opened the show with a nod to craft, while sweeping leather coats in rich cognac tones reminded the audience of the House’s mastery of material. Balancing the rigour of leather were airy silks and cottons, often in the form of the House's signature scarves and printed dresses. Styled beneath harnesses or billowing around the waist, they evoked fearless female riders with windswept hair and flowing garments, lending the collection a softness that contrasted beautifully with the tighter, body-hugging silhouettes.

The details

As per usual with a House as obsessed with craftsmanship as Hermès, the details of the collection were divine. Black and khaki leather and grey cotton-upholstered riding boots rounded out the footwear, and bags were carried by both straps rather than worn over shoulders or the crook of the arm. Leather details on belts and harnesses were fastened with twisting leather and silver buckles. And the Hermès scarf appeared not only tied to waists but twisted around necks and intertwined with silver jewellery.

The beauty

Hair was worn brushed and natural, or wet and slicked-back, and paired with a fresh face and eyes lined by a subtle, gunmetal-hued eyeshadow that focussed on the inner corners.