Hermès Announces Its Haute Couture Debut

The Birkin dynasty is officially entering haute couture, staging its first-ever couture runway show in January 2027 and unveiling a made-to-measure collection by Nadège Vanhée during Paris Couture Week. It’s Vanhée’s debut in the category, and after more than a decade steering Hermès womenswear (she joined the house in 2014), she’s now expected to translate her hands-on leather expertise into something considerably more fragile than a Kelly bag.

The move has been years in the making. Hermès CEO Axel Dumas confirmed the project was underway at the company’s annual results presentation in February, saying the appeal lay in the craftsmanship. With an “exceptionally high level of expertise and incredible quality leather”, the question became, “Why not?”

The timing isn’t exactly subtle either. Hermès is joining the official Spring/Summer 2027 Haute Couture Week schedule, running from Monday, January 25th to Thursday, January 28th, alongside another heavyweight debut shaking up the category this season. Vanhée’s couture bow isn’t the only highlight: British designer Grace Wales Bonner is taking the reins of Hermès menswear, making history as the first Black woman to lead a major European fashion house, with her first show also landing in January 2027. Together, the two debuts will mark the start of a new chapter for one of fashion’s most closely watched maisons.

PHOTO CREDIT: Hermès