Dapper, fashion-savvy men are rejoicing all over the world, probably breaking into ‘La Marseillaise,’ sauntering to the nearest bakers to buy half a dozen croissants and cracking open that special-occasion bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Haven’t you heard? French ultra-luxury brand Hermès, the creme de la creme for stylish, understated edgy menswear (and synonym to some of the most exotic and expensive leathers in the word) has just unveiled an e-commerce platform specifically dedicated to its entire menswear range: catwalk collections, footwear, those famous ties and scarves and a bunch of eye-watering leather goods. The French mecca of men’s fashion (under the direction of talented creative director Veronique Nichanian for 27 years) is now available for all to impulse buy: it is a very dangerous game indeed for the fashion obsessed.
Hermès was, until now, famous for its elusiveness, especially online with their previous main website – opened in 2001 – only selling a few accessories and leather goods. To buy Hermès, you had to go in store, and even then, not every store would stock the entire gamut of clothes and accessories and you would end up sourly store-hopping to complete your overleaf wish list. But all this is over, the new e-platform is a quirky and playful website inviting shoppers to dabble in fun little games each showcasing different buyable products. Swipe your browser to reveal booted-up legs showing you a few suave dance moves for your office parties, or guess what’s in the large and practical man bags and briefcases when scrutinising X-ray images of their contents. You can also learn how to build sandcastles in your finest suit or string random words together in an absurd fashion and let your inner French poet shine forth, absinthe-free. But be mindful, playing fun games tricks your brain into ‘happy mode’ which inevitably releases the wallet strings… A+ for their marketing team. Don’t blow all your hard-earned cash by the time lunch break is over, although why the heck not? As the French would say: C’est la vie!
You can also visit their recently revamped (and extra large) Bond Street store, which now offers an incredible selection of menswear.
Words Camille Lapierre
Photographs Hermès
