It’s been a while since Paris Fashion Week’s shows and collection consisted of this much color. After seasons of quiet luxury and stealth wealth, designers opted for escapism. Schiaparelli showed a mix of haute couture and pret-a-porter, and Chanel’s design team showed how to make a heritage brand relevant in 2024. As always, Prada’s younger sister, Miu Miu, dictates the upcoming trends, and the front-row rumors about alleged creative director swaps were ubiquitous. Discover the best of Paris Fashion Week below. Cover image: courtesy of Schiaparelli
Also, read: FASHION WEEK SCHEDULES FOR 2025
PARIS FASHION WEEK SPRING/SUMMER 2025
Three double belts, fuchsia overcoats, and endless layering—the final day of Paris Fashion Week—particularly Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection—set the tone for the season ahead. It will be a messy, creative, arty, and perhaps even a bit of a brat summer (again). Designers shy away from the understated chicness that reigned the industry over the past seasons. But the degree of “overdoneness” wasn’t Paris’s only talk of town. Alleged creative director swaps were discussed even more on the front row. Discover everything you need to know about Paris Fashion Week, from trends to cultural relevancy to the latest gossip.
FRONT ROW GOSSIP
On the first day of Paris Fashion Week, guests were going full force on the gossip of the fashion industry. Insiders know Daniel Lee (currently at Burberry) is interviewing for Jil Sander. So far, nothing is known about the departure of Luke and Lucy Meier, but a swap would be lovely. Glenn Martens is rumored to swap Diesel for Maison Margiela, and Jonathan Anderson is said to leave Loewe for a position at Dior. Furthermore, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were spotted at Ralph Lauren’s office. And, of course, there’s the talk of town: Jacquemus will be succeeding Virginie Viard at Chanel. So far, nothing has been confirmed, but there’s nothing wrong with speculating a bit.
INTIMATE GATHERINGS
Even though The Row makes its brand more accessible to the public by opening a store in the heart of Paris, its bi-annual show is everything but. This season, the Olsen Twins opted for notebooks instead of phones so their front-row guests could doodle and take notes instead of pictures and videos. For a moment, it felt like there was nothing but that show. No notifications about horrible news, no one trying to get the best shot and thereby blocking the view of others; just a moment of ease amid a very hectic week. There were 27 looks, with one unifying message: less is more: a camel trench, white shirt, and a rubber slide – all classic The Row.
While no other brands have opted for the nightlife-inspired no-phone policy, this season’s Paris Fashion Week felt slightly more intimate than others. Show venues were slightly smaller, and the celebrity attendees were more present than ever. On the one hand, fashion week has become more and more of a circus this way. On the other hand, they sell. Kendall Jenner was The Row’s protagonist and front-row guest, and Kylie Jenner always threw high eyes at Schiaparelli. Over the past seasons, Loewe has become one of the most star-studded shows. Jeff Goldblum belongs to their favorite guests, just as Emily Ratajkowski, Pharell, and Meg Ryan. Despite the ample space, star-studded front rows, and flashy lights, Jonathan Anderson knows how to retain that intimate feeling – and that’s an art in itself.
CHANEL’S RETURN TO THE GRAND PALAIS
On the final day of Paris Fashion Week, Chanel returned to the Grand Palais for its Spring/Summer 2025 show. Chanel’s creative team, now in charge of the house, took their familiar location as a starting point for the collection. “In revisiting the House codes – the suit and the little black dress, tweed, and jersey, the quilted bag and the two-tone shoes – the Creation Studio presents a Spring-Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection in the colors of the day, of night, and the ever-changing sky… A soaring voyage in the Nave of the Grand Palais,” the press release stated. The fact is… Chanel’s creative team did a great job. The colors were on point and made sense; the story felt natural for the house’s return to The Grand Palais, and the collection paid homage to what Chanel used to be about – which never goes out of style. It proved Chanel doesn’t need much fuss since it’s excellent at its core. The evening looks a little more playful but in a good way. Like any other collection, there were transparent chiffons and other see-through fabrics, which made complete sense regarding the collection’s theme. And so, the house’s design team shows they can make the house relevant while never disregarding its past. Perhaps Chanel’s new creative director already works at the house?
SUSTAINABILITY
Unlike Copenhagen and Berlin, Paris Fashion Week isn’t known for its sustainability aspect. That is, until GANNI entered the conversation. A few seasons ago, the Scandinavian fashion house left its home in Copenhagen and debuted at Paris Fashion Week last week. Their PR manager explained GANNI’s commitment to becoming more sustainable and leading by example at a re-see appointment. One of the coats – a deep green one that seemed to be made from leather at first glance – was made from olive oil production waste. The process is too intensive to create a collection for now, but GANNI is moving the needle to alternative material production methods. A blue set – that appeared to be made of leather, too – was completely lab-grown. It’s sad to see GANNI leave Copenhagen – a fashion city with a bright future. However, GANNI’s impact will be enlarged when shown in Paris since they will attract larger crowds and evoke more awareness. So far, Copenhagen has favored a younger audience.
LIVING IN A FANTASY WORLD
Schiaparelli’s Daniel Roseberry evoked a fantasy world with his Spring/Summer 2025 collection. Overheard on the front row, some guests were reminded of Virgil Abloh’s Off-White due to the supermodel line-up and the blue backdrop. It was a signature Roseberry show, including Schiaparelli’s classic corsets, melting ready to wear with couture pieces. The collection felt a little more commercial than previous ones – which isn’t bad for ready-to-wear designs – and it soon became apparent that Schiaparelli was ready to move out of its niche. Despite the accessible approach, Schiaparelli’s Spring/Summer 2025 felt like a fairytale. One with whimsical bags and accessories and one where sport meets chic. It is a small step for the house but might evoke change in the retail landscape.
Comme Des Garçons was criticized on social media about their exaggerated designs. The collection evoked the question: is fashion art? Or should fashion be a form of art? To Vogue Japan, Rei Kawakubo explained her collection as following: “What I create is nothing but an expression of my issues, of what’s inside my head. It’s all about my values. Of course, I understand those who disagree. I accept them. That is freedom.” The collection embodied Kawakubo’s form of hope, escapism, if you will.
Even Anthony Vaccarello explored his more playful side this season. His baroque-inspired collection felt compelling from the first to the final look. It was more “done” than usual; the colorful looks were perfectly styled from head to toe. It’s surprising to see a collection like Vaccarello’s in a world with shortened attention spans and simplified imagery. It felt like a counter-intuitive move but a great one.
At last, Louboutin’s joy was unbeatable. Guests entered an indoor pool with a giant Louboutin pump that served as a slide. There were synchronized swimmers, music, and some pool disco unfolded as the show progressed. The absolute cherry on the pie – and prize for best in class – goes to mister Louboutin himself, who took the slide and landed wide-legged in the water at the end of the spectacle.
MODERN SCULPTURES
Victoria Beckham’s eponymous label surprised its guests and spectators with a new brand direction. Models walked the runway wearing sculptural garments that looked “liquified.” The collection is built on the trompe l’oeil trend that’s become massively popular in the fashion industry, with Jonathan Anderson as the OG. Beckham’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection is a promising one, though. Besides her well-designed form-fitting dresses – her label’s signature – Beckham took risks. The sculptural looks were subject to a unique creation process. The chiffons and silks were dipped into resin to make them look like they were directly molded on the models’ bodies. Each item took several days to make.
Last year, Acne Studios’ Jonny Johansson was intrigued by an installation of Jonathan Lyndon Chase. It promoted him to take more risks for the season ahead. And so, weird creatures welcomed the guests in Acne Studio’s ample show space. The collection was heavily inspired by interior design regarding shapes, cuts, and materials. The collection felt playful and childish in a good way. As Vogue Runway put it: the clothes were “formal abnormal” – which might be the mood Johansson wanted to capture.
Loewe equals fun. And somehow, Jonathan Anderson keeps on reinventing the brand. His Spring/Summer 2025 collection for Loewe ended his tenth anniversary at the house. It began with festive designs, in which the bouncing dresses played the protagonist roles. He linked couture crafts, classicism, and trompe l’oeil (which he’s great at) to pop culture in a way only Anderson can.
BRINGING SEXY BACK
Bringing sexy back is almost as common as flowers for Spring, but not so evident for a house like Hermès, Stella McCartney, or Balenciaga. Hermès’s Nadège Vanhée created a collection around what she called “assertive sensuality.” A feel-good summer in which you feel great in your skin, she explained pre-show. Of course, sheer mesh and an inside-out Birkin help, for that matter. Zippers that can completely unbutton a dress or trousers are part of it, too. Feeling great in your skin comes in different shapes and sizes, Nadège Vanhée showed. Hermès was one of the few Paris Fashion Week shows with a size-inclusive casting.
