Hermes trots out seahorses and shimmery windbreakers at Paris Fashion Week

Hermes swept through a tree lined runway for its menswear presentation Saturday, sending out models in polo shirts emblazoned with seahorse designs, shimmery windbreakers in vivid colours and hefty travel bags for a summer escape.

Held in the open-air grounds of the Gobelins tapestries workshops in central Paris, the show opened with a sweater featuring a vibrant sunset. It was paired with dark shorts and sandals in neoprene, a teasing nod at the Parisian sky threatening rain.

A succession of minimalist pants and shorts followed, along with jackets in technical canvas in lilac, pink and orange, zippered straight blousons and high-neck sweaters in cashmere.

Models casually carried the label’s Haut a courroies bags, the ancestor of the iconic Kelly and Birkin handbags, which seemed to sprout at the end of their arms.

Originally designed in the early 20th century to carry horse saddles and riding boots, the trademark bag took a more contemporary turn with a distorted check pattern.

Veronique Nichanian, at the helm of men's line since 1988 - an eternity in the ever-changing world of fashion - sought to convey a "feeling of lightness that makes you float in the sunshine", as described in the show notes.

Paris Fashion Week, which features presentations from the grandees of French fashion like Dior, Chanel and Celine, also includes smaller labels like Ami and Office Generale.