British Open in Paris: Hermes Serves up Tenniswear

Czech model Eva Herzigova wears a creation by French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier as part of his Spring-Summer 2010 fashion collection for Hermes, in Paris, Wednesday Oct. 7, 2009. (AP Photo / Thibault Camus)

(AP)

You didn't know where to look at Hermes' spring-summer 2010 ready-to-wear show Wednesday: At the long, lean silhouettes on the grass-covered runway or at the spirited tennis match taking place at the far end.

Models sporting sweatbands and vertiginous heels utterly unsuited for sport and carrying tennis balls in oversized versions of the label's legendary Birkin bag with old-school wooden rackets and balls inside skulked down the catwalk.

After their passage, two of the models played a mock match on the real grass which covered everything in the hall where the show was held. Even the bleachers were blanketed in grass, and the audience of hundreds of fashion journalists, stylists and buyers sat on little removable cushions.

One stray ball flew high into the crowd and bounced off a woman's head.

On the runway, the looks — in a clean palette of white, navy and rust red — were long and lean, inspired by the robes players used to don between sets. There were also variations on the polo shirt — developed in 1933 by French tennis champion Rene Lacoste — and the sport's de rigeur short, pleated skirt.

Winning looks included an ankle-length dress in sheer navy worn over a leotard cut like an old-fashioned bathing suit and worn by Czech supermodel Eva Herzigova and a flippy little skirt in paper thin leather — the signature material of the house, which began as a saddlemaker.

Designer Jean Paul Gaultier, who also showed his eponymous line of hip-hop-infused looks last weekend, said he was inspired on by a French tennis woman from the 1930s that Hermes outfitted — though he was a bit fuzzy on the details.

"I don't recall her name, I know nothing about tennis," Gaultier told journalists as he mingled with guests after the show. "I saw a photo of her from the 20s or 30s, and I liked her silhouette, and I said 'allez, let's play tennis.'"

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