A triptych which breathed life into clothes through movements across New York, Paris and Shanghai.

You could call it a fashion show, but it is more than that. For Fall/Winter 2021, Herm&egrave;s&rsquo; Artistic Director Nad&egrave;ge Vanh&eacute;e-Cybulski created a tri-continental, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRlwClEL2y4&amp;t=1079s">living cultural experience</a> for us to connect with other cities, other cultures&mdash; albeit from a distance.

At the heart of the three-act performance was an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK7nq0VrB6g">intimate runway show</a> took place in Paris Garde r&eacute;publicaine, preceded by a synchronised dance performance by Madeline Hollander at the Armory Show in New York, while a fast-paced Tetris-like shuffling of boxes modern dance by Gu Jiani concluded the presentation in Shanghai.

Vanh&eacute;e-Cybulski had also enlisted filmmaker S&eacute;bastien Lifshitz, known for his genre-crossing work, steeped in modern dance and fashion, to cinematise the triptych. &ldquo;If we cannot go anywhere, if we cannot travel, then the show will have to come to us... And that is how we came to the idea of something beyond an actual, physical performance.&quot;

&quot;Then we decided to connect three distinct places so that the collection itself would travel to the three cities and find its own way of inhabiting the space.... It&rsquo;s a film about us all, and all the ways we can and must continue to reinvent ourselves, &rdquo; Vanh&eacute;e-Cybulski explained.

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That reinvention came in the form of collaborative effort with the two choreographers who responded to the clothes Vanh&eacute;e- Cybulski sent them with movements. Madeline Hollander&rsquo;s piece was a commentary on New York pedestrians which saw her dancers move among columns of curtains in Herm&egrave;s orange. Meanwhile, Gi Jiani composed a choreography out of orange boxes that emphasised on cooperation effort&mdash;a subtle nod to the brand as well as to Chinese tradition.&nbsp;

In between these two works came the runway show with a diverse cast of models Vanh&eacute;e-Cybulski called &ldquo;Amazons&rdquo;, who strode forth in the lines of the new collection built upon an expression of the desire to explore the sensuality of new mythologies. &ldquo;For some women, being stuck in a rut, remaining motionless, are purely abstract ideas, for they are all about movement. It is urgent now to live again.... It is a time of rebuilding.&rdquo;

The artistic director proposed a wardrobe reset with outmoded ideas of day or night, presenting pieces that can be worn anytime, anywhere.

Practicality replaced formality through tailored denim co-ords, parka-style suits and leather trousers with reflective trims that can be worn as cycling pants; there was even a leather pendant holding an Herm&egrave;s lipstick, and plenty of leather lanyards for phones and airpods on display. Blanket coats and ponchos&mdash;some rendered in leather, others spliced in suede&mdash;offered a high level of comfort and security in a natural palette of brown and beige.

There were also scarfy high-collared dresses, abbreviated donkey jackets, printed foulard bombers, and outdoorsy padded anoraks. Leather tunics, skirts and jackets cut in sculptural shapes provided an added armour of protection.

It all expressed the desire for women to feel strong, without ever being hindered in movement&mdash;something to wear while taking the present in stride.

Visit <a href="https://www.hermes.com/my/en/story/221216-women-stories/">hermes.com</a> to find out more.

Hermès unites fashion and culture for its Fall/Winter 2021 runway spectacle

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