Hermes' stylish take on vibrant modernism

[October 01, 2012]  PARIS (AP) -- Summing up his spring-summer 2013 show for Hermes, the house of the jet-setting fashion buyer, Christophe Lemaire said, "a sharp, modernist traveler."

The fashion crowd thus got their summer holidays early -flown first class across a vibrant mix of Polynesian prints -- and color-rich baroque foulard motifs.

Several of the models carried hang luggage. The mascot of the house, after all, is an airborne messenger.

The looks stopped off at every fabric under the sun: in full grain leather woven in silk, washed silk twill, plunged lambskin, satin piping and lovely indigo denim linen.

Colors too, were diverse, in cappuccino, terracotta, sulphur, emerald, cobalt and -- the palette's most beautiful -- celadon.

The flight this season stopped off at the Netherlands and Germany -- with tinges of the geometry and graphics of 1930s.

"I'm a modernist at heart," Lemaire said following the show, hosted next to Paris' Tuileries gardens.

This idea was worked into the collections best looks with a feel of famed Dutch painter Piet Mondrian -- who used geometric shapes and blocks of colors that could be seen in several of the final looks.

Printed geometric floaty silk blouses and slightly jarring assorted pants made bold statements.

They also featured the slight play on masculine styles that Lemaire likes to toy with periodically: A cotton wool cravate appeared on most of the looks as a man's tie, tucked into a hoop.

The result was pure luxury, delivered as only Hermes can.

[Associated Press; By THOMAS ADAMSON]

Thomas Adamson can be followed at http://twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.