Every other house might be firmly in the Cruise 2026/27 season at the moment, but Hermès has always marched to the beat of its own drum—or should we say pirouetted? On a butter-yellow, sunlit set in Bel-Air last Friday, womenswear creative director Nadège Vanhée unveiled a ballet-inspired second chapter of the maison’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection. With sartorial roots in last season’s showing and thematic roots in the world of dance, the collection was an elegant study in contrasts.
The Los Angeles show was the third iteration of Vanhée’s Chapter 2 collections for Hermès, with previous showings having seen the maison decamp to New York and Shanghai. At Hermès, each Chapter 2 collection is both a nod to the previous season’s Fall/Winter offering and a subtle tribute to its host city—think the energy of Manhattan reflected in vibrant red leather, or the verve of Shanghai seen in glittering thigh-high riding boots.
What, then, do the hills of Bel-Air have to offer Hermès? Aside from a star-studded front row—including the likes of Miley Cyrus, Keke Palmer, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus—the Los Angeles setting shone through in myriad subtle ways. Speaking to W Magazine, Vanhée confessed that she is fascinated by the LA woman’s ability to effortlessly slip from gala glam to all-natural ease, naming American icons like Lauren Hutton and Anjelica Huston as particular inspirations. This duality was seen in the collection’s blend of structure and ease, where tailored black leather was shown alongside sequinned, shimmering teal ensembles. As the sun set against California hills, another local connection was slowly revealed: the collection’s palette shifted from golden yellows to the deep reds, blues, and blacks of dusk, with embroidered sequins meant to mimic stars in a night sky.
The collection’s exploration of the world of dance was yet another study of contrasts—this time, taking inspiration from ballerinas who balance the discipline of the stage with the freedom of performance. Leather—Hermès’ material par excellence—was rendered in sleek, precise lines, delivering much of the collection’s sense of structure and rigidity, with biker jackets and leather coats nodding to the Pacific highway stretching out into the distance.
Movement, on the other hand, came through the dancer’s wardrobe and its exploration of flou, a term denoting fluidity and draping in dressmaking, seen in soft silks, velvets, and satins. Vanhée also looked to the ballet slipper and its blend of flexibility and structure to inform a series of vibrant, crisply tailored satin dresses in yellow, blue, and green—yet another commentary on the role of discipline in creating art. The official name of the distinctive yellow shade seen on both the runway and lining the walls was jaune flave—a term recalling sunshine and radiance—while the collection’s red and green jewel tones were called rouge tango and vert impérial.
As the collection unfolded against the setting sun, its study of contrasts—glamour versus ease, structure versus movement—coalesced into a clearer picture of the subtle craftsmanship Hermès has championed for decades. “For a moment, the ensemble holds as a living tableau, figures suspended in a final bow,” the show notes state. “Still, there is no fixed form, only cycles and progression, as movement repeats, refines, and resists resolution.” As Vanhée took a final lap of the radiant yellow runway, it was in celebration of a typically Hermès collection that celebrated lightness, ease, and craftsmanship in all forms.
Below, see the best looks from the second chapter of the Hermès Fall/Winter 2026 show in Los Angeles.
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