Hermes chief menswear designer Veronique Nichanian is to step down after 37 years in charge and will present her final show for the luxury house in January, the company announced on Friday (Oct 17).
Hermes announced the change "with heartfelt emotion", paying tribute to Nichanian's "eye, her vision, her generosity, her energy and her curiosity" in a press release.
"It is time to pass the torch," the 71-year-old designer told Le Figaro newspaper, adding that she still has "ideas" but wants to dedicate more time to herself, particularly to fulfil "a long-standing dream" of spending several months in Japan.
She said she was leaving the house "with joy and pride", after enjoying "37 years of creative freedom".
"The success of the men's universe owes much to her," the hugely profitable French luxury giant added in its statement about Nichanian, who was poached from Cerruti in 1988 by Jean-Louis Dumas, president of Hermes from 1978 to 2006.
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According to Le Figaro, her replacement will be announced in the coming days.
Hermes' womenswear has been designed since 2014 by fellow French couturier Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski, making the family-controlled group an outlier in the industry in having both of its fashion branches headed by women.
The European fashion industry has been through a major makeover in the last 12 months that has increased the number of men in charge, with artistic director changes at Chanel, Dior, Celine, Balenciaga, Loewe, Gucci and Versace among others.
While the luxury market as a whole has experienced a dip in sales over the last year, Hermes remains largely unaffected.
The house saw its revenues increase by over seven percent in the first half of 2025, reaching €8bil (approximately RM40bil). – AFP
