Couture Spring/Summer 2025 Digest

To start the year on the right foot.

While some may consider September to be the fashion season that really gets you pumped, it goes without saying that there is no season like Couture. With Haute Couture, the air is clear and open for a new journey — one that brings excellence, attention to detail and artistry to the forefront of the fashion industry. When such a special season arrives, there's nothing else to talk about. Couture becomes the sole focus. So we digest it.

Schiaparelli

Schiaparelli opened the week as usual. And as ever, creative director Daniel Roseberry never ceased to amaze fashionistas. At the Petit Palais, drama, opulence and artistry were on full display. Classical yet surrealistic silhouettes dictated the forms of the gowns, while the whimsical hue of gold shone through and through. Dubbed Icarus — yes, the Greek myth of the boy with wax wings who flew towards the sun — the Schiaparelli collection was as brilliant as the sun. Say what you will about fashion. Just know that there's nothing to complain about Schiaparelli. Roseberry has got the codes, he knows the craft, he has his way and he perfectly glows. As does the collection.

Chanel

Since Viard's departure, Chanel has been doing well. Not perfect, but who is? Much more subtle, the tweed sets and sheer pieces pretty much set the tone. Although well made, the clothes on the catwalk look like they could easily be presented as ready-to-wear rather than Couture. There's still a lot of work to be done. But new things are coming for the French house. And maybe it will finally be saved.

Armani

Elegance at its finest, Armani came with a collection that is sure to be very fought after in the midst of awards season. From metallic silk gowns with '20s hats to immaculate embroidery and crystal-studded looks, Mr Armani made his point. And with grace. But it was not just the elegance that got us looking. The materials, the constructions, the techniques are all astonishing. Well, some people are born with it.

Valentino

At Alessandro Michele’s first Couture for Valentino, shock and exaggeration hang in the air. While the models walked in — with the numbers of the look flashing on a big screen behind them —, the looks consisted of big, dramatic, and colorful gowns that made sure you could only look at them. There were subtle nods to Valentino's past, but the whimsical, striking factor dominated.

Viktor & Rolf

With a simple and sober palette of black, white and beige, Viktor & Rolf put the focus on the distorted proportions, exaggerated and extreme garment shapes that are already a signature of the duo. Who knew chic could be so fun.

Dior

At Dior, a Victorian-esque minimalism ruled the show. Simple but refined, it is certain that the crowd preferred it to the late obsession with the Olympics and Ancient Greece that haunted the French brand's runways in past seasons.

Gaurav Gupta

With sculptural silhouettes, earthy tones, diverse materials and futuristic jewellery, Gaurav Gupta has created a goddess-like wardrobe that could easily be seen in dystopian films.

Elie Saab

This couture season, Elie Saab combined blooms, gems, and denim to create a world that was dreamy, bright, delicate and polished. All very princess-like.

Stephane Rolland

Inspired by Josephine Baker, Stephane Rolland displayed dramatic shoulders, sculpted silk gowns, feathers, metallic fabrics, and refined dresses — all with a glitz flair.

Jean Paul Gaultier by Ludovico de Saint Sernin

Known for his daring, revealing and seductive designs, Ludovico de Saint Sernin's first couture — as a guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier, no less — combined his sultry attitude with Gaultier's bravado. What a wonderful match. It was as if Gaultier's famous sailor had been given a twist — the models were transformed into mermaids with sensual and magnetic looks that looked almost wet. Some of Sernin's mermaids had crystals, others ropes, exposed skin, scales, ruffles, some even ‘dirt’. It was all very aquamarine. And one couldn't be more captivated by them. It was as if they were singing to us. But the music, in this case, was written by Sernin.