Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025: The Highlights

Milan Fashion Week has drawn to a close and it's time for the final leg of fashion month, the much-anticipated Paris Fashion Week.

It's a packed show schedule, featuring some of the most iconic couture houses as well as newer design talent. But fear not – the Marie Claire team is on the ground, bringing you all the best bits from the catwalks. Scroll to see what you'll be wearing next season...

Christian Dior

"Maria Grazia Chiuri’s objective for this Dior spring-summer 2025 ready-to-wear collection is to recapitulate the meaning of the garment, as if each model has been given the chance to speak and reveal the work preceding its own construction," read the Dior show notes.

As such, the Creative Director has delivered a collection that is both beautiful and functional, an ode to the history of the house, but with a modern twist for the modern woman.

The collection plays on the duality of today's wearer. White shirts are paired with black skirts and trousers, formal blazers are deconstructed to add an informal feel, metallic fringed playsuits are paired with lace up silver knee-high trainers.

Red bomber jackets paired with combat trousers serve as a counterpoint to the more romantic tulle gowns and metallic fringed skirts.

Akris

Sheer has been a long-standing trend in fashion, particularly on the red carpet. But for Albert Kriemler at Akris, there is no practicality in wearing such a thing – which is why he experimented with sheer in a way that didn’t make it into the standard 'naked dress'. Instead there was tailoring and trench coats, light and layered with transparency and, more importantly, a practicality. Colours went from white to chestnut to pink, sand and a grey. To end, a dress better than a naked dress: a sequin-dipped sheath.

Isabel Marant

At Isabel Marant, the woman and the wardrobe are pretty much almost set in stone. It’s a winning formula that takes bohemia with French fashion cool and a bit of tomboy thrown in. This season the designer made fringe appear like feathers, and dresses, the show notes explained, “seemed to be crafted from butterfly wings” (they obviously weren’t). Marant had been inspired by the Amazon and “the artisanal spirit, a signature of Isabel Marant”. It was a tactile and vibrant collection, wearable and spirited. An important style detail to note? “This season, the girls go flat,” said the show notes. Slouchy boots and gladiator sandals, studs to embellish them. It seems fashion isn’t yet ready to let go of that boho moment just yet.

Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney wants to save the birds and used her spring/summer 2025 collection as a platform to do so. The designer was quoted as saying that a shocking billion and a half birds are killed for fashion, and that while we can be inspired by them, feathers firmly belong on their backs, not ours. And so the bird motif recurred in various ways - a dove print, a jewellery collaboration with 886 by The Royal Mint, birds perched on boobs - among a collection that had some great standout looks. The halter tops and low-slung trousers felt very old-school early Stella; a red jumper had more of an internal appearance than external, which was arresting and some huge puffball shapes continued protective elements from last season.

Zimmermann

Nicky Zimmermann said that “for spring we were inspired by Albe Falzon’s beautiful 70’s surf film, Morning of the Earth,” explaining that the film is a celebration of “free-spirited surfers” and is also visually stunning - which she confessed potentially inspired her a little more than the surf itself. Though there were plenty of signature Zimmermann ruffles and textures that could be seen as a link to rippling waves. Sandy hues, too. It felt beachy and light with more than one or two off-the-shoulder ruffle tops to make you start rummaging back in your wardrobe.

Gabriela Hearst

The designer may no longer be at Chloe but her own brand - the success of which put her in that role in the first place - is doing pretty well. New stores are opening, but more than that the clothes are looking strong, and it’s clear to see why she had been picked for the French fashion house back then. There was a warrior element to looks, but feminine and elegant too. Bursts of colour ran through mostly black-and-white series of looks, which put cape shapes, tailoring and slinky silhouettes among the mix.

Acne Studios

The Acne Studios spring/summer 2025 show was staged within an installation from the artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase: household objects, such as lamps, fans, sinks and radios were reinterpreted through a JLC lens. Pieces were painted, and illustrated, it was like stepping into another world, a little bit like a subversive Polly Pocket. “The domestic world has a lot of mixed connotations,” said Acne’s Jonny Johansson, “but I love how Jonathan embraces and plays with it.”

When it came to the clothes, proportions were playfully warped as well. Silhouettes came exaggerated in comforting fabrics; it was both sensuous and stiff, for little draped dresses and stiff little skirts and trousers.

Saint Laurent

Since his appointment at Saint Laurent back in 2016, Anthony Vaccarello’s strength has been in his ability to amplify the Maison’s archive style, as set out by its founder Mr Yves Saint Laurent himself. For spring/summer 2025, he did that again—and a little more, in what was also a homage to the very man himself. Models appeared in layered mannish tailoring, neatly tied business ties and signature spectacles, just as the late designer himself used to wear before his passing in 2008.

There were also nods to Saint Laurent’s muses, such as Loulou de la Falaise and Nan Kempner in the 1970s spirit of bohemian dresses in jewel hues. It was a sort of genius idea for a collection, especially in a time when so many designers come and go. But Mr Saint Laurent remains.

Balmain

Bold shoulders have always been a part of the Balmain wardrobe, but they’re very much back and bigger this season, and this time rooted in surrealism. Olivier Rousteing explored illusions of beauty: beaded or embroidered portraits and close-ups, of long painted talons, blasted across pointed silhouettes - jagged shoulders and peplum-esque skirts, or a pair of long sweeping gowns.

The super sharp jacket shoulders harked back to a Balmain rock ‘n’ roll classic. It was surreal - but suitably striking in a palette of cerise, black, lipstick red, a very bright pink (perhaps Balmain pink?!), gold and white.

Cecilie Bahnsen

A collaboration with North Face this season added a rugged and outdoors edge to the otherwise whimsical, shy and sensitive brand from the Danish designer. Big adventure bags came with pretty puff-ball dresses, confection-like cagoules made for the ideal marriage of the two names, while wispy layered dresses came adorned in floral applique. Toughening up suited Bahnsen.

Germanier

If there’s one designer who has, what feels like overnight, built a reputation on brilliant and bright, dazzling dressing that brings a genuine sense of fun and wonder to fashion, it’s Kevin Germanier. The Central Saint Martins graduate has built traction in recent years with his party looks made from sustainable materials in ways that make it hard to believe. Inspired by signs of the zodiac this season, it was his sixth show, featuring a handful of collaborations to bring to life outfits made from plastic curtains, VHS tape remains and flip-flops. Exuberant, tinsel-y, statuesque and showpiece-y, this collection also included a new “flagship” bag, the Trésorium.

Courrèges

Nicolas di Felice arrived at Courrèges, known most for its sci-fi 1960s history, in 2020. Since then, it’s become a celebrity favourite - making the outside of the show something of its own catwalk before any looks even made it down the runway.

But on it, there were skin-baring looks that defied whether it was a one-piece or a two-piece for bandeau looks that kept you guessing, a sort of conceptual take on clubwear. The designer cited Andre Courrèges , the brand’s namesake, and an archival cape from the 1962 winter show - which had clearly inspired more than a few of the incisive looks. The palette was tight and the feeling severe-futuristic.

Mugler

The house of Mugler, noted for its bold vision in fashion - typically executed through even bolder shoulders and signature shapes - celebrated its 50th anniversary. Its current creative director, the American designer Casey Cadwallader, decided to look anew at the maison’s archives for spring/summer 2025. The show notes informed: “The past is not pastiched, but pruned and re-awakened - viewed with instinctive tenderness, freedom and lightness.”

To which the flower became a central theme of the collection: “dissected” and “exploded”, combined with sci-fi, a heritage emblem of the house. The notes further said the flower was not “worn” but instead “embodied”, which accounted for the petal shapes and sculpted silhouettes that felt altogether natural as they did otherworldly.

Precision was also key, these looks meant business, sharp and serious. And a new bag completed the proceedings, aptly titled The Fang.

Rabanne

Debuting the 'world's most expensive bag' made of pure 18-karat solid gold, Rabanne presented its Spring/Summer 2025 collection this week with an elevated approach to everyday wear. Strong layered pieces seen on Gigi Hadid were amongst the brand's classic panelled dresses, which are reminiscent of Paco Rabanne's space-age 1960s quintessential look.

Regardless, the rather small, pure solid gold bag managed to take centre stage as it nodded to the original "most expensive dress" in 1968 by the Paco Rabanne, which was constructed out of gold and diamonds. The luxury house created this modern piece alongside French artisan jeweller Athurs Bertrand, who took up a total of 100 hours to finalise the piece.

Giambattista Valli

Backstage before Giambattista’s show, the designer shared on Instagram his mood board, which was placed next to an exuberant arrangement of yellow and cream blooms. The juxtaposition was entirely fitting. Valli is the master of turning flowers into fashion confectionery for romantic gowns, elegant dresses, and feminine jacket ensembles.

Here came to life a Laduree pastel palette with those punchy yellow floral brights also added to the mix. Decorative detail is typically the designer’s MO, but it was the draped looks, sleek, sculptural yet sensuous, that particularly stood out.

Issey Miyake

Playing with shapes and surface are key to the Issey Miyake wardrobe. This season that included some serious exploration into trouser shapes - as though maybe a pannier design around the waist and hip - and items of clothing affixed onto the body instead of being expressly worn by it. It was a sort of state of undress and overdress in the best way possible, a serene and elegant offering with surprisingly wearable elements throughout.

Rick Owens

Attending a Rick Owens show is like entering another universe. It is otherworldly, sometimes apocalyptic, sometimes enchanting. This season, the California designer combined the world of Old Hollywood with an emerging generation of creatives - he invited students from Paris design schools to model the collection. It was a smart move - one he had made in light of last season’s show being smaller and therefore not as inclusive as he had intended.

On the runway, this slice of new Hollywood translated as biker jackets and billowing robes, fishtail skirts, wader-esque boots, aggressive shoulders and a Dune colour palette of diced tight long dresses, bulbous sculpted shapes and some ethereal rainwear - appropriate for the Paris Fashion Week weather.

Schiaparelli

New bags, debut bags, bags are proving to be a recurring name drop this season. At Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry introduced the maison’s latest addition: the Hobo bag, a sleek round shoulder bag in suede with glossy spray-painted gradations, zebra jacquard, or over-dyed and faded heavy cotton. There is also a mini version with a detachable chain, described as being “mischievous” and “practical”.

Accessories aside, the designer described the collection - which is ready-to-wear as opposed to the couture offering the house is so well-known for - as being “intentionally tight. But it’s an amazing time to be small,” he continued in the show notes, “because it allows you to design with real purpose, and for us purpose wins over the banal every time. The world may feel more chaotic than ever, but here, the mood is celebratory.”

Cue bold patterns, bold colours and bold shapes - teeny-tiny hour-glass silhouettes that felt more couture than everyday. Tailoring and knits, luxe summer vacation looks and serious eveningwear options.

Hermès

Nadege Vanhee, who has been at the helm of Hermes womenswear for the past decade (she had hailed from The Row as a design director), explored the use of sheer among a collection which wandered through block colours and layered looks. White, khaki, brown, black, taupe, reddish, magenta, mustard; it was a tonal offering which mixed understated separates and classics with flashes of flesh and shorter sexier lengths.

Carven

One of French fashion’s heritage houses, Carven has experienced various creative directors and mini dramas over the past decade leaving it to feel less like this is the case. Louise Trotter, formerly of Lacoste and Joseph, seemed to set about changing this for spring/summer 2025. Looks leaned more towards eveningwear, grown-up and elegant for the dresses especially; while the directional design notes we saw from her at her previous posts could be clocked in the less classic nature of the separates.

Vivienne Westwood

Andreas Kronthaler, the partner of the late Vivienne Westwood, told press that the spring/summer 2025 was a collection designed for women to wear this season. Typically, the line has wandered between genders. The designer further noted it was about clothes - which might sound like a strange thing to say, given that it is a fashion show but one would be amazed at how often clothes are the last thing to factor into a fashion line.

It was fun and full of colour, surprisingly easy-to-wear pieces for a house that has so often plundered fashion history’s more complicated design specialties; and put capacious dirndl skirts as a key wardrobe item next season.

Alexander McQueen

Making his debut at Alexander McQueen last season, Sean McGirr arguably had one of the most difficult design jobs ahead of him. Not only was he filling the shoes of Sarah Burton, McQueen’s successor since the designer’s passing, but also, well, McQueen himself. Despite criticism (I personally thought it was a great show and harked back to a lot of early McQueenisms) and the trend in fashion to shed a designer if they don’t have a brilliant first start, McGirr made it to a second season: one which has been unanimously referred to as strong. He had looked to early McQueen sketches, he had said. Which showed. Albeit in more commercial and easier to wear versions, it felt like he was riffing on McQueenisms from the original designer, whereas under Burton, though much lauded, it had become McQueen by Burton.

Elie Saab

For Elie Saab, Spring/Summer 2025 collection entered safari terrain for foliage motifs on evening gowns and little safari suits. Like other designers this season, the colour palette ran as though blocked in sections: red, green - of all the different varieties - and yellow.

Capes, sequins and embroideries completed looks that will likely end up on a red carpet soon, while crochet came in little dresses, a skirt, shorts and cardigan.

Messika

Unveiling 125 new creations, high jewellery brand Messika gleamed this season. Extending their inspiration from the Midnight Sun collection, their Spring/Summer 2025 offerings included voluptuous shapes, stones and diamonds that stunned the A-list crowd on the front row, which included Cardi B, Nina Dobrev, and Heidi Klum, to name a few.

Harmonising their classic designs with edgier iterations, the brand also introduced original pieces in the forms of lip jewellery, body belts, headpieces, and nail jewels for men and women. A spectacular highlight came from their Supernature and Fragments of Time necklaces, which include two diamond rivers and up to over 36 carats.

Balenciaga

The headline from the Balenciaga show was the lingerie looks which opened the show (and, on social media, drew comparisons with a look worn by Kim Cattral’s Sex and the City character Samantha). There were a lot of bras and suspenders, flashy sexy, among standard Demna and Balenciaga shapes - the cocoon, a signature of the latter, for example; and the layered streetwear or normcore dresses of the former. And a hoodie that read “Fashion Designer” felt meme-able and social-media-able.

Lacoste

Tennis has had a big year in fashion, thanks mostly to its starring role in the film Challengers, which earlier this year put all sorts of tennis fashion back on the map, both literally and figuratively. Lacoste, of course, has its own history with tennis and has been a stalwart on the Paris Fashion Week schedule. 

This season there were snappy accessories (the brand boasts a crocodile as its logo), for croc-motif bags, which also snaked their way onto the clothes as big bold prints. Cut-outs made a sexy affair out of sportswear and tennis racket-emblazoned tops were fun and full of personality. 

Peter Do

Installed as creative director at Helmut Lang last year, Peter Do continued with his own label - as various designers do - which had earned itself a reputation on the New York scene for sharp tailoring.

This season the Vietnamese designer added an element of deconstruction to that for a smart twisted type of casual in shirting, waistcoats and draping. Fabrics had been developed to resemble crushed paper and create that lived-in feel. While floral designs came from Do’s personal sketchbook.