Why so serious? At its latest menswear extravaganza in Hong Kong, Hermes once again upends our notions of what a fashion event should look like.
Why so serious? At its latest menswear extravaganza in Hong Kong, Hermes once again upends our notions of what a fashion event should look like.
“We are not launching new products or talking about anything specific,” said Christophe Goineau, creative director of Men’s Silks at Hermes. It was a warm September morning in Hong Kong, and we were meeting Goineau hours before the brand’s menswear extravaganza, Men Upside Down, was scheduled to take place. But he wasn’t delivering any pre- event spoilers. With a smile, he said: “Veronique simply wanted to do a party in Hong Kong, so everybody can have fun, share some time together, listen to music, have a drink and enjoy some surprises.” He was referring to Veronique Nichanian, the Hermes men’s universe artistic director.
As it turned out, more than a thousand guests attended the menswear bash at the 23,000 sq ft Kai Tak Ferry Terminal, located on the grounds of a former airport. And a party full of surprises it was, with Hermes once again demonstrating that it has the quirkiest sense of humour among luxe fashion houses. A Fall/Winter 2017/18 runway presentation (featuring guest models such as veteran actor Michael Wong and Cantopop lyricist Wyman Wong) was among the proceedings, but it was just one part of an extravaganza that was no ordinary fashion show – as anyone who has visited the brand’s other madcap, over-the-top events would know. Here are our top four reasons why Men Upside Down was a fashion event like no other.
01. WE PLAYED A VIDEO GAME THAT IS A SCARF PRINT.
Air hockey, arcade basketball, table tennis, and a floor-to-ceiling video game featuring robotic spiders and equestrian motifs from a new Hermes scarf print: Men Upside Down was dedicated to the Hermes men’s universe, and the games room was the ultimate (stylish) man’s den. The motif, designed by Daisuke Nomura, was also repeated across the rest of room, covering items such as a ping-pong table.
02. IT TOOK US INTO SUB-ZERO
Temperatures in 30-degree weather. Hong Kong recently came out of a record breakingly-hot summer, but the temperature was still high enough to get many attendees sweating under their linen suits. Which could explain why there was a long queue outside the ice room, with people waiting to submit themselves to its sub-zero interior for a full three minutes. Spirits and cocktails were also served within, in the playful name of helping guests to handle lingering in a room where the mercury hit minus 18 deg C.
03. IT WAS LIKE THE MOST UNBORING MUSEUM EVER.
Unlike the look-but-don’t-touch policy at museums, Men Upside Down was an invitation to touch and otherwise be part of the quirky exhibits. Suspended from the ceiling were inverted objects like a table and a motorbike made for topsy-turvy photographic settings that literally captured the theme of the evening. Our favourite was the gallery of fabrics, with different-sized frames holding Hermes materials such as a rubberised lambskin, and micro- perforated calfskin. And this, in a nutshell, summarises Hermes for us: It’s all about innovative and exquisitely made products that are worthy of display, but are meant to be used as part of lives well lived.
04. MODELS WHO WERE NOT YOUR USUAL BLANK-FACED HUNKS.
During the runway show, we were momentarily puzzled when the parade of lean and lanky models was interspersed with catwalkers who clearly did not fit the typical model mould. These men were met by loud cheers from the Hong Kong home crowd. Turns out, the brand had invited special guests such as Cantopop lyricist Wyman Wong and design curator Aric Chen to walk the runway. It was certainly a fun way to celebrate the city’s tastemakers, who added plenty of personality to the show. Among those we recognised – veteran actor Michael Wong, who still looked every bit the alpha-male star in a grey trench coat, despite the heavy jowls that have taken the place of his square jaw of yore.
5 QUESTIONS WITH CHRISTOPHE GOINEAU
This year marks Christophe Goineau’s 30th year with Hermes. As the creative director of Men’s Silks, he oversees the design and creation of all the men’s ties and scarves by the French luxury house. Here, he shares his thoughts on the changing ways in which men accessorise, why the scarf is the new tie, and how clients never fail to surprise him.
01. WITH DRESSING GETTING MORE CASUAL, DO MEN STILL WEAR TIES?
In general, the tie business is going down, but ours is stable and growing – slowly. People are buying fewer ties today, but they buy for pleasure, not because they have to. Previously, they bought maybe five ties each season – now maybe one or two, but they select them carefully, and to reflect their personalities. Interestingly, we’re seeing younger men buy our ties because their fathers no longer wear them, and they want to be different.
02. HOW IS DESIGNING MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SCARVES DIFFERENT?
Scarves have been big business for Hermes for many years, but men’s scarves are (relatively) new. For the men’s scarves, we use different materials – not shiny materials like silk twill, but instead a cashmere and silk blend, which is matte, and not slippery, so it doesn’t move around. The scarves are also larger – 100cm by 100cm, instead of 90cm by 90cm. So, men can just wrap it around their necks without having to tie knots. You always have to make things easy for men (laughs).
03. TELL US ABOUT THE DESIGNERS YOU WORK WITH, SUCH AS DAISUKE NOMURA, WHO CREATED THE FLAMBOYANT WEB DESIGN.
Hermes has its own in-house designers, such as Henri d’Origny, who has been with Hermes for 50 years. We also work with many freelance designers. Daisuke is a Japanese textile and graphic designer, and we met when he entered a contest we held with (design website) Designboom.
Contestants were asked to imagine what the Hermes tie would look like in 20 years. Daisuke created a design featuring a skeletonised version of our logo – we couldn’t produce it because it’s over the top (laughs), but we created an Audacity prize for him. I told him he would be welcome to create other scarf designs for us. We’ve been working with him since 2009.
04. THE IDEA OF ACCESSORISING WITH A SCARF DOESN’T COME NATURALLY TO MANY MEN. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO CHANGE THIS?
We say that scarves are the new ties, because the vocabulary around the two products is similar: It’s something we wear around the neck, and it’s about pattern, colours, and something that makes you more elegant. We have an app called Silk Knots, to show men a few different ways to wear a scarf. This helps to show people it’s not that complicated. When they know how to wear it, they will try more patterns and colours.
05. WHAT’S THE MOST SURPRISING WAY YOU’VE SEEN SOMEONE WEAR AN HERMES SCARF?
I remember seeing a very elegant, very old man wearing one of our scarves that had a bold pattern and bright colours. I would not have imagined someone like him wearing that. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes you get young guys wearing very traditional pieces. I believe you create something, and then that object will meet someone. First, we try to surprise our clients – then, they surprise us.
