From the stoplights set over the runway to the soundtrack blaring “Do you like my accent? I’m French”, the tone for Hermès’ second chapter of its autumn/winter 2024 collection was clear — it was the best of both Paris and New York under one roof. Yes, you’re reading it correctly. This isn’t a resort show, despite it being staged during a time when brands are staging their cruise collections in far flung locales. For Nadège Vanhée, Artistic Director of women’s ready-to-wear, this is considered a continuation of the ideas she presented back in March. It’s also a homecoming of sorts, as prior to her current role, she lived in the city 10 years ago during her time at The Row.

March’s slick black runway filled with Parisian equestrian-meets-biker women serves as the perfect segue to last night’s collection. Equally as urban cool, Vanhée offered her vision of what the New Yorker version would look like. Instead of the stereotypical all-black New Yorker uniform, Vanhée looked to shades like vermillion red, ginger yellow, and viridian green. It makes sense when you glanced at the marquee above the runway that said Rocabar. Rocabar was the word of the night, originally the name of a striped horse rug and now an iconic Hermès motif. Consisting of the vibrant earth tones Vanhée mentioned in the show notes, it serves as the perfect corollary to the tones seen in the brick and stone façades seen on the Lower East Side. As the show opened with Anok Yai clad in a ginger yellow trench slung over a printed blouse and vermillion red trousers topped off with a leather mariner cap, it was evident that Vanhée looked to highlight the creativity seen in both cities.

As for the clothes themselves, they were as luxurious as one would expect from Hermès. Leather, always a staple, found its way into body hugging trousers and relaxed jumpsuits — expect these to be popular among their VIP show attendees. Outerwear was the strongest, with shearling options that ranged from car coats to short cropped styles in bright blue and more sedate rust brown. To provide a lightness to the collection, delicate rosette turtlenecks were scattered throughout, peeking out of heavier layers. Vanhée’s woman lives a rich life whether it’s dressed chicly for the office or slickly for her weekend pursuits. And speaking of multi-faceted women, it’s worth noting the appearance of size diverse looks, with the likes of Paloma Elsesser and Jill Kortleve included among the cast.

Of course, this being Hermès, all eyes were on the accessories. Looks dripped with leather accents, whether in the form of cuffs or belts but the biggest statement were the flat mariner caps. The headwear might be a very Parisian accessory but looked equally at home worn with equestrian-inspired ensembles as it did nautical outerwear. Bold printed scarves, another signature, were wrapped around the waists and necks. True fans will be quick to eye the handbags, namely a bright yellow Kelly worn as a waist bag as well as plenty of Arçon hobos. Expect those to be among the most sought out among by their most devoted clientele in the upcoming year.

While Hermès is generally not a celeb-heavy front row, this is New York and the stars come out. Among those spotted in the front row included Usher, Tierra Whack, and Jenny Slate while the musical guests included Honey Dijon, Rahill, and Caroline Polachek. As the crowd swayed to So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings it served as the perfect ending to an equally sultry New York City night.

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