End of an Era: Hermès Parts Ways with Veteran Men’s Creative Director

Hermès closes a long chapter. Véronique Nichanian, the creative director of men’s collections, is leaving the company after 37 years in charge, according to Le Figaro. Nichanian will present her last proposal in January, and her successor has not yet been announced.

Nichanian was a signing of the former president of Hermès and one of the architects of its leadership in the luxury sector, Jean-Louis Dumas. The creative joined the company from Cerruti, French, also specialized in luxury goods.

Ten years ago, the creative director led the launch of Le Manifeste d’Hermès, a website dedicated solely to men’s fashion, which became a gateway to the maison’s entire men’s fashion offer.

“Hermès has been kind enough to let me choose the right time to retire,“ said Nichanian. “This seems like the right time to pass the baton,“ he added of his departure from the company.

Nichanian led the launch of the Hermès website dedicated exclusively to men’s fashion

The French maison managed to end the first half of the year with rising sales, although its net profit shrank. Revenues grew in all geographic areas, including Asia, in a context of weakness in the luxury sector.

In recent months, the group has managed to remain one of the few that is not being hit hard by the changing luxury scene (which is affecting giants such as LVMH and Kering). In fact, its revenues for the first six months of the year amounted to €3.327 billion, up 5.6%.

Regarding forecasts for the year as a whole, Hermès said that “in the medium term, despite economic, geopolitical and monetary uncertainties around the world, the group confirms an ambitious target for revenue growth at constant exchange rates.“

The company is also pursuing a strategy to secure its know-how. This year, it began construction of its new French factory in Couzeix (Haute-Vienne), which will be dedicated to its tableware collections. The space, which will open in 2027, will house 300 employees, including 230 craftsmen, and will become the group’s second-largest site for this category.