Since taking the helm of Hervé Léger, Michelle Ochs has been widening the aperture of what the brand can be. She is reaching out to a new, sometimes younger, customer, offering its bread-and-butter bandage dress but a lot more. Recently a TikTok moment with influencer Olivia Bobet trying on one of its classic dresses went viral, serving as a door into all the brand building Ochs has been up to the past 18 months. “People are genuinely finding us on their own,” Ochs said of the organic moment. “She bought it herself, made a video and got one-and-a-half million views. We got bombarded.”
So what will a new generation find for fall? Ochs labeled it a “sultry kind of rich vibe” with a mix of deep gem tones with moments of “odd” color combinations to make it pop. Since coming to the brand she has expanded with daywear — a category she reported buyers responded strongly to; tailoring, and compact knits. She leans in on textures with flowing satin on a mixed media dress, light chiffon on tops, following her instinct to modernize while not leaving behind the brand DNA. The gasoline is there but it’s modern, seen in the initial proposals in her look book — a one-shoulder stunner with bandage peplum that dances about and a white tank dress with razor-like sheer panels across the bodice.
There also were sharp little boxy jackets, patent leather skirts, and sheer long-sleeve tops built into a dress. “I really want to give her bang for her buck and we want to keep the momentum going,” she said.
