In the fashion world, where creative directors are hired and dismissed with great fanfare and regularity, Véronique Nichanian is an anomaly. More than three decades ago, when she was studying the tailoring trade at Cerruti, she received a phone call from Jean-Louis Dumas, the longtime chairman and artistic director of Hermès, and she has been with the brand ever since. As the mastermind of its men’s-wear universe, Nichanian coolly observes trends coming and going while remaining steadfast in her pursuit of timeless, understated styles crafted in quality. On the day of Hermès’s fall ’21 men’s-wear show in Paris, which will take place at Mobilier National at eight a.m. E.S.T. and be livestreamed around the world, Nichanian reveals her key components to the good life. —Ashley Baker
AirportS: The ones that allow you to deplane on the tarmac.
Bag: A Birkin or Constance, depending on the schedule of the day.
Bedtime: 11:30 p.m.
Breakfast, weekday: Tea, fruit, organic brown bread, and honey.
Car: I have an Austin, but lately I haven’t been using it that much. I favor walking.
Cocktail: A glass of Chassagne-Montrachet.
Couple: I’ve been with Hermès for 33 years!
Diet: Never.
Dinner, weekend: Anywhere with good friends and good food.
Escape: Greece or Corsica.
Fit: A good fit can’t live without the right fabrics.
Flaw: Maybe I’m too demanding …
Hideaway: My house in Sancerre.
Hotel: Malabar House, Kerala, India.
Jacket: A reversible one, in lambskin and Toilovent.
THEME SONG TO YOUR LIFE:
“I Say a Little Prayer,” recorded by Aretha Franklin.
Movie: The Party, directed by Blake Edwards.
Novel: Mémoires d’Hadrien, by Marguerite Yourcenar.
Pants: Bespoke men’s-wear pants.
Piece of advice: “Be persistent and trust yourself.”
Saying: “Vise la lune, tu obtiendras les étoiles.” (Shoot for the moon, you’ll land among the stars.)
SingerS: Eric Clapton, Prince, and Juliette Armanet.
Husband: Energetic and charming.
Television sEries: The Bureau.
Time of day: Apéro time on a summer day.
Vacation: Wherever it’s hot.
Wake-up time: 7:30 a.m.
Weekend bag: My patent Haut à Courroies.
Work of art: A piece by Nicolas de Staël or Rothko.
Véronique’s Essentials
