In the pages of French literature, elegance is never neutral. Colette wrote of it with intimacy, Balzac with precision. And this July, the couture ateliers of Paris offered their own literary contribution. Paris Haute Couture Week 2025 (July 7-10) arrived not as a glossy celebration of excess, but as a carefully plotted story arc and quiet revolution.
It began, fittingly, with an ending. Demna’s final show for Balenciaga was held in an intimate salon on Avenue George V, a setting that echoed the house’s mid-century heyday. Models moved with sombre grace in sculptural silhouettes that married Cristóbal Balenciaga’s architecture with Demna’s dystopian edge: satin opera coats, waxed leather, and latex turtlenecks that clung like silence. Kim Kardashian walked. Isabelle Huppert walked. And when the last model emerged in a lace column gown that looked like it belonged in both 1954 and 2054, it was clear we were watching a designer bow out on his own terms. Days later, his move to Gucci was confirmed. It felt like both a closing paragraph and a preface.
At Chanel, where creative shifts also hang in the air, the collection was unexpectedly light-hearted. Pastel tweeds, bows, and dramatic sleeves gave the house a softness it hasn’t fully embraced in recent seasons. While Matthieu Blazy prepares to take the reins, this offering felt like a final breeze from the Virginie Viard era: gentle, elegant, and pleasantly unfussy.
Dior, presented in the Musée Rodin gardens, was grounded in historical precision. Maria Grazia Chiuri revisited silhouettes such as the iconic Trapèze and Cigale lines, reworking them with capes, feather embroidery, and a restrained glamour. Chiuri’s collections have long been more thoughtful than flamboyant, and this one – timeless pieces in quiet colours – was no exception.
Meanwhile, Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli show offered the week’s most theatrical moment. Cardi B opened the show in a crystal-studded corset, floor-length veil, and a live raven perched on her shoulder – a surrealist nod that Elsa Schiaparelli would surely have enjoyed. Yet beneath the drama, the craft was exquisite, with pearl-embellished gloves, sculptural corsetry, and ribbon work pulled from the archives. Schiaparelli continues to toe the line between fashion and fable, and Roseberry’s vision shows no signs of fatigue.
Equally rich in narrative was Maison Margiela under Glenn Martens. Martens, who has made a name for himself as couture’s alchemist, presented a collection that felt both raw and futuristic. Crushed soda cans, obsolete electronics, plastic, and discarded fabric scraps were reformed into elaborate gowns and tailoring. The silhouettes were distorted and exaggerated, referencing Edwardian elegance through a lens of post-industrial decay. It was not beautiful in the traditional sense, but it was compelling, urgent, and somehow, still luxurious.
Iris van Herpen, ever the pioneer, brought life to the runway in a literal sense. Her headline gown, constructed with bioluminescent algae, glowed softly under the lights, appearing less like a garment and more like an underwater organism. Her fascination with science and art continues to yield pieces that are intellectually rich and visually spellbinding.
From the fantastical to the red carpet, Zuhair Murad delivered exactly what his global clientele have come to expect: full-glamour gowns with meticulous beading, plunging backs, and celestial inspiration. The collection was influenced by Byzantine mosaics and architectural geometry, combining Murad’s signature sparkle with elevated restraint. It was opulent, but never overdone.
Elsewhere, Rami Al Ali made a quietly powerful debut on the official couture calendar. Known for his refined elegance, the Syrian designer presented a collection rooted in classical draping and modern structure. His silhouettes moved with a kind of stillness, as though untouched by trend, and in a week filled with showmanship, his work stood out for its poise.
Despite the couture label’s association with extravagance, this season marked a clear shift toward sustainable practices. Maison Margiela’s use of waste materials, Iris van Herpen’s living textiles, and Ronald van der Kemp’s dedication to reworking vintage stock all point to a larger transformation in the industry. Sustainability is no longer the exception; it’s becoming integral to the couture conversation.
Stylistically, several themes emerged across collections. Gloves were omnipresent, whether as sleek leather opera-length pieces or beaded accessories. Pearls reappeared, not in prim rows, but as sculptural adornments and unexpected detailing. Metallics, particularly in liquid gold and chrome, glinted across silhouettes, while strong shoulders and exaggerated hips played with proportion. Though silhouettes varied, there was a shared interest in form as structure, protection, and expression.
Off the runway, the spectacle continued. Cher opened Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda show in Rome, while Cardi B made nearly every front row in Paris an event unto itself. Christian Bale made a surprise appearance in coordinated black with his family. Meanwhile, the street style outside the shows, though less flamboyant than in ready-to-wear seasons, quietly echoed runway themes with strong tailoring, sculptural coats, and a revival of high-gloss accessories.
If there was a through-line this season, it was transformation. Demna departing Balenciaga. Roseberry pushing surrealism further. Designers like Robert Wun and Rami Al Ali stepping into couture’s main stage with clarity and confidence. The week wasn’t simply about spectacle; it was about the kind of artistry that holds both memory and momentum.
