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This season, Paris was in a state of transition.
Luxury fashion’s ongoing slump cast a pall of uncertainty that was felt at many of the Spring/Summer 2025 shows. In reaction, some designers played it safe, others chose to take risks. “I feel in communion with the idea that the time has come for fashion to have a point of view,” Balenciaga creative director Demna said after his show.
“It was a strong Paris season with many great new ideas, but it definitely had its ups and downs,” says Julie Gilhart, former long-time fashion director at Barneys who recently restarted her consultancy Gilhart Co. “I don’t think it was an ‘in flow’ season. New York had a great flow from high to low with the shows and presentations. Paris — partly because of the weather, a very intense schedule and traffic — was harder to navigate, despite some great showings from large and small designers. Paris didn’t seem 100 per cent ‘in flow’ because there is so much change in the houses — both new and anticipated. It’s a transition time with a lot of hope for the future.”
A strong debut and some strong rumours
The key topic of conversation this season was the designer musical chairs.
Alessandro Michele’s much-anticipated debut at Valentino did not disappoint. It made a big bang, garnering a unanimously positive reaction. The celebrity showing was equally strong. “Valentino had celebrities that we don’t often see at shows, like Elton John, Harry Styles and Andrew Garfield. It was unexpected and refreshing,” says Alexandre Maras, deputy editor-in-chief at celebrity magazine Gala.
Elsewhere, the rumour mill kept churning. Who’s going to snatch the top job at Chanel? Is Jonathan Anderson leaving Loewe? Is Pierpaolo Piccioli going to Fendi? Is Hedi Slimane leaving Celine? Speaking of Slimane, the designer released an unannounced Celine SS25 film on Sunday titled Un Été Français. The Parisian designer sent out a tweed-heavy collection, prompting commentators to believe he is leaving for Chanel. Also, what’s next at Margiela?
Pared-back runways and parties galore
Many brands eschewed major sets, performances or celebrity casting this season. “You can clearly see budget cuts with some show sets,” says Hélène Guillaume, fashion editor at Le Figaro, a sentiment echoed by show-goers throughout the entirety of the week. Instead, brands favoured high-energy chart-topping soundtracks to drive buzz and social re-shares, including Charli XCX’s ‘Guess’ at Dior, Britney Spears’s ‘Gimme More’ at Balenciaga, and Jamie XX and Robyn’s ‘Life’ at Louis Vuitton.
Alix Morabito, buying and merchandising director for womenswear at Galeries Lafayette, echoes the sentiment: “From the big brands, we saw something more product oriented, less about storytelling and massive installations.”
That said, despite the tough economic environment, there have never been so many events, says PR guru Lucien Pagès, which proves just how essential communication is. “We had, some days, more than three to four events besides the fashion show. If you want to be seen, you have to be in Paris,” he tells Vogue Business. Among highlights were the Zara and Stefano Pilati party on Thursday (ahead of Pilati’s capsule launch for the Spanish giant on 3 October), the Mytheresa party celebrating Gabriela Hearst’s return to the Paris fashion calendar, and the Ralph Lauren and Holiday magazine event on Sunday.
Christian Louboutin staged a performance at the city’s iconic Molitor pool, co-created with artistic director David LaChapelle and choreographed by Blanca Li. The French Olympic synchronised swimming team performed wearing the house’s new Miss Z stiletto; Louboutin and LaChapelle jumped in the water.
Messika staged its fourth ready-to-wear show during the September season, with Eva Herzigová closing it out and Georgina Rodríguez in the front row. “I am often asked why I don’t do it during couture,” brand founder Valérie Messika says. The initial reason boiled down to pandemic timing and logistics, but it stuck. “In the end, it’s much better because there’s an energy during fashion week and it makes us stand out, as opposed to July when high jewellery is presented.”
Exclusivity and serious prices
Le Figaro’s Guillaume says: “Beyond the catwalk, what we talk about in the ‘fashion circuit’ is prices. Some brands have become unreasonable, and it’s not because one sells less that one has to sell at higher prices. Nowadays in fashion, with €1,000, you don’t get much.”
Still, The Row, the American luxury fashion brand known for its $600 T-shirts and $9,000 handbags, just opened a store in Paris that already has an hour wait to enter.
Speaking of ultra luxury, Hermès artistic director Nadège Vanhée presented a show that was inspired by the “creative act”, she said backstage after the show. It translated into utilitarian pieces like aprons with pockets and lots of nude tones, with dashes of fuschia for summer.
Loewe was a highlight. Creative director Anderson received a standing ovation, including from his peers who sat front row (Sarah Burton, Adrian Appiolaza, Nicolas Di Felice, Kris Van Assche) alongside celebrities (Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Greta Lee, Ayo Edebiri).
Seán McGirr showed his sophomore collection for Alexander McQueen in the École des Beaux-Arts, a departure from the raw space selected last season. After mixed reviews for his debut show, the feedback was this time positive. It was inspired by the banshee, a female spirit in Irish folklore. “Throughout the show you could really feel the evolving journey of the story, from the sharpness coming through in the tailoring pieces, the use of embellishment and the different interpretations of the collar. In contrast was an overshadowing lightness evident in the fabrications and colour palette showcased,” says Harrods head of buying Poppy Lomax. “An exciting journey we are starting to see with McQueen again.”
Balenciaga felt like a fashion feast, with the front row seated at a long table that served as the runway. “The table was this reference to me as a kid, basically making my drawings on the kitchen table at my grandma’s place. Back then I would not have even imagined that this could be the 35-years-later version of that,” Demna said. This time, his table had Nicole Kidman, Naomi Campbell and Katy Perry as guests, as well as Kering chief François-Henri Pinault and his wife, actress Salma Hayek.
While awaiting its next designer, Chanel returned to its iconic Grand Palais venue for the first time in four years. During the show finale, Riley Keough performed on a swing in a big bird cage, reminiscent of the Coco Chanel campaign by Jean-Paul Goude and starring Vanessa Paradis in the early ’90s. Guests left in awe — and with a bottle of Coco Chanel.
Miu Miu has yet to appoint its new CEO, but in the meantime, it’s continuing to own the space where fashion meets arts. The show featured a multimedia installation by Goshka Macuga, which included a film by visual artist Gray Wielebinski. Willem Dafoe, Cara Delevingne, Alexa Chung and Hilary Swank walked the show. “Today, Miu Miu presented a complete collection with a perfect undertone of grunge for the Miu Miu girl,” adds Lomax.
Young designers grow up
As with the first half of PFW, many young Paris designers have matured this season, with increasingly robust collections, boosted brand awareness and bigger, more sophisticated shows. LVMH Prize finalist Niccolò Pasqualetti staged his first on-schedule show on Saturday morning, which Mytheresa chief commercial and sustainability officer Richard Johnson notes as a highlight. It was a big step up from his modest presentation last season, featuring more daytime attire and wearable separates, priming him for a sales pick-up.
Likewise, Dutch designer and LVMH Karl Lagerfeld Prize winner Duran Lantink showed for the second time on the official schedule this season, presenting a much bigger and slightly more wearable collection of his sculptural, bulbous designs in 3rd arrondissement’s spacious Lycée Turgot venue. On Thursday, buzzy brand All-In pulled a big — and high-profile — crowd to a high-energy off-schedule show on the 14th floor of the Montparnasse Tower. Guests raved about it in the elevator down, and for the days that followed. Viral accessories designer Abraham Ortuño Perez, known for designing famed footwear like the Jacquemus double stiletto and the Loewe cracked egg heel, staged his first on-schedule show this season, with cheers from the crowd as he took his bow.
Young designers have been impacted severely by the crumbling of multi-brand e-tailers. Ester Manas staged a show against the backdrop of an elephant-shaped sculpture, of which she says: “The elephant in the room is that lots of brands go out of business today, small brands are the first to be affected, we are here and are very proud that we manage to show. Isn’t fashion week the elephant in the room?”
Galeries Lafayette’s Morabito says: “We didn’t discover new names this season but we saw young designers a few seasons in maturing, like Marie-Adam Leenaerdt and Duran Lantink, who managed to keep their DNA while making their creations wearable for clients.”
Best kept secret: Medium-size brands
“I think one of the best kept secrets are the medium-size brands like Mugler, Carven and Cecilie Bahnsen that delivered solid, precise collections,” says Gilhart.
Intermediary brands impressed. Victoria Beckham is going from strength to strength. She showed her collection at Château de Bagatelle, a small 18th century chateau in the Bois de Boulogne. The show was held in the park with guests bundled beneath blankets followed by an after-party in the château featuring a giant bottle sculpture of her latest fragrance 21:50 Rêverie. A Netflix crew was filming, with the stunning venue likely to be featured in an upcoming show focusing on her fashion and beauty business.
Carven showed in an old apartment of the Carven building (above the store) with a sprawling view of Paris. “There’s a feeling that the clothes aren’t made for her. She borrowed them, inherited them,” creative director Louise Trotter says of the collection.
Hearst returned to Paris Fashion Week with a bang. She showed in the garden of the Hôtel Pozzo di Borgo, Lagerfeld’s former hôtel particulier. “That’s a lot to live up to,” wrote Vogue Runway and Vogue Business global director Nicole Phelps, who notably praised the collection’s strong tailoring and romantic dresses, as well as the “truly excellent cowboy boots”.
Trend spotting: Eclectic looks and lace
When it comes to trends, the mood has been eclectic this season. “It’s a season of contrasts, very eclectic; delicate femininity with lingerie, ’70s silhouettes with a sporty-casual, chic attitude, the revamp of a baroque aesthetic with brocade and lace, and the continuity of a contemporary powerful woman dressing with strong shoulders,” Morabito says. Dark, autumnal tones for spring also represented a shift in tone.
In addition to fringing, boho influences and balletcore, all spotted in the first half of the week, new trends gained steam during the second half of PFW. Heavy embellishments and metallics appeared at Louis Vuitton, Dior and Isabel Marant. And after the panties of previous seasons, lingerie — including bodysuits and lace corsetry — was a major trend for SS25 at Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham and even Balenciaga, where designer Demna paired suspenders and stockings with an oversized cropped bomber, or a full set of lingerie with a loosely worn coat. “I really wanted this kind of — not boudoir, because boudoir sounds very old — but something very sensual and almost erotic to it, in a way that I never really tried to show, but it’s always been part of who I am as a designer,” Demna said of the collection. Backless bodysuits, tops and gowns are also among key trends — from monochrome, geometric backless separates at Courrèges, to sculptural asymmetrical tops at Victoria Beckham.
Coperni showed off-calendar at the very end of Paris Fashion Week, in Disneyland, the very first fashion show there. The collection was inspired by princesses and villains, with Kylie Jenner closing the show in a Maleficent-inspired ballgown. It all culminated in fireworks in front of the Sleeping Beauty castle. After the show, guests enjoyed access to three attractions, including Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain.
On collaborating with Disney, Coperni co-founder Arnaud Vaillant said: “People don’t realise how small Coperni is and how big Disney is. The first meeting, we said, ‘There’s a lot of people.’ In the end, they were so supportive. It was an honour.”
Looking forward to seeing what next Paris Fashion Week has in store.
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