Feminine. Versatile. Sexy. Wearable. Each notion—together or separately—comes to mind when considering Hermès’ most recent Ready-To-Wear show. Presented in Paris this past Saturday, Nadège Vanhée’s vision for the coming fall embraces the essence of a modern woman. It also acknowledges that her life is never static.
Many pieces, whether a coat, skirt, dress, or pants, highlight her womanly form: sometimes emphasizing her curves with quilting or a belt, other times echoing them with an undulating zipper, pocket, or chain.
Modernity Meets Utility
The colors utilized—burgundy, pine, ochre, navy, steel, olive, and camel, among others—although typical for the season, are also generally flattering and complementary, allowing the wearer to remain the focus of attention.
The idea of utility, while not often associated with the runway, ran through the show as a subtext: the notion that each piece must earn its place in a woman’s wardrobe, itself a modern concept, writ large across the show as a sub-theme.
The zippers, pockets, flaps, removable fur collars, and so forth not only provide texture and design in their own right, but also allow the wearer to adjust the piece to suit her needs. At its very heart, this enables her to make the piece her own and wear it in the way that suits her best in the moment.
The Bags of Fall 2026
As usual, there were a variety of bags shown on the runway:
- new styles
- classic designs
- heritage pieces revived with a new twist
- distinctive covers for select beloved styles
New Hermès Bags for Fall 2026
The new styles shown included:
- a structured shoulder bag with a long adjustable strap and a back slip pocket
- a clutch based on the Médor Watch: a semicircle-shaped small frame bag, it bears a flat leather ornament across the top that resembles the original watch, including 3 Medor Studs on the top flat handle; just like the Médor Watch, the larger center stud flips open to reveal a timepiece
- a small Pochette style with a padlock. Designed in a shape similar to the Polochon – oblong and rounded with a zipped top – this also has a long adjustable shoulder strap, attached to the bag on each end, and a double zipper which can be secured together with the padlock
- a new structured Flap bag with an adjustable shoulder strap, held closed with two Clou de Forge-styled metal pieces
- an oblong, structured, teardrop-shaped clutch with a simple horn button-and-leather strap closure
The Classics Return
Hermès sent these familiar styles down the runway or showed them at the re-see in Paris:
- the Arçon, shown in complementary suede and leather
- a 35cm Birkin in Chèvre
- the Bolide in mini and large (bearing a new leather-and-metal strap);
- the Double Longe
- the Garden Party, rendered in the very largest travel size (known as Voyage)
- the Hobo, a style first presented , which is essentially the Massai with an oversized Trim closure
- the Kelly (also shown with the new strap)
- the Plume
Heritage Pieces Reimagined
Hermès revived some long-forgotten designs from years past, as well as updated versions of familiar pieces, including:
- the Atlas, reshaped to a gentle curve at the bottom, with a double zipper closure in place of the buckle, and a handle that now gives the appearance of extending down into and through the bag
- the Bolide Secret, only slightly altered from its prior 2015 incarnation in that it appears a bit more streamlined and proportional— based on the ‘90s Macpherson
- the Faco, revised and updated. While previous iterations of this style have included various versions of clutch and shoulder bag, this incarnation has a monotone clutch envisioned as a useful front pocket
- the Piano, re-envisioned as a “To Go” Bag. It’s been many years since Hermès produced the Piano bag, a simple, structured oblong rectangle with a flap, thin top handle, interior sections and two front push buttons (the “Piano Clasp”)
- the Pliplat clutch, completely reworked as an oblong tophandle bag. Bearing a structured frame across the top encompassing a Kelly-style handle and a push-button opening, and a soft, unstructured body with a second, Kelly Pochette-style handle across the front, the bag gives a ladylike appearance while still retaining the yummy smooshiness of the original
- a whimsical Plume, Fourre-Tout “En Radio” from the men’s department, completely blows out the size of a usual ladies Plume to refashion it as an old school Boombox, complete with a (removable) tape deck, tuner and speakers
- the Picotin, now in an adorable 14cm Micro (finger carry!) size
Utility Meets Classic
Finally, this season Hermès expanded on the concept of designing a full cover for several bag styles, fabricated in technical ripstop nylon with leather details, and each with a distinctive, cargo-inspired design of its own.
While stylistically each cover initially appears like an entirely new (or derivative) bag, these covers also serve both a practical and a versatile purpose, offering the wearer new options and giving the bag an alternate, more casual appearance.
On the runway, these covers were presented for the Bolide, the Kelly (called the “Kelly Paddock”), and the Plume; each offered a distinctive variation for these classic and beloved designs.
Images via Vogue Runway
