PARIS, France — This Hermès collection was way better than the previous ones. Gone were the lumpy shapes, the strange prints and the unflattering colours that looked so out of place in a house like Hermès. The show was held in the beautiful gardens of the Lycée Victor Duruy en plein air: the setting matched and highlighted the forest-meets-riding theme. The craftsmanship, of course, was outstanding: waterproof calf, anyone?

With this outing Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski took giant strides forward. She delivered some seriously attractive pieces, in particular the chiseled blousons and the draped leather dresses.

Yet, there is still a long path ahead of her in order to give Hermès the fire stamp of desirability. The shoes, for instance, were a bit dodgy. With Céline soon to turn into something different and with all the Philophiles left looking for an alternative, it would be the right time for Hermès to get a brushing. Is Vanhee-Cybulski the right designer to deliver this? She probably is. However, she needs to up the ante on the chic refinement that’s essential to Hermès.