PARIS — On a typical rainy fall day on a nondescript market street in Paris, Monday’s frenetic Stella McCartney show was anything but.
Just before the show, guests gasped when the drizzle stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. This is perhaps a heavenly metaphor for McCartney’s optimistic, nature-inspired show.
Meanwhile, at the prestigious grounds of Les Invalides with its golden dome, Balenciaga guests had to present a gold ring instead of an invitation to gain entry to the show. Meandering hallways led to a dark atrium with a 100-metre-long wooden billiards table with rich inlays. The front row, including US Vogue editor Anna Wintour, sat in ornate chairs around that table, creating an intimate and up-close experience.
Here are some highlights from the spring/summer 2025 ready-to-wear show in Paris, including Balenciaga: Balenciaga proves creativity is the new luxury
The show began with surreal pointy shoes and lingerie embellished with shades, creating an intimate atmosphere with blues music in the background. Interestingly, the collection gradually added layers rather than taking them off. The ’70s dress had loose ruching on the front and kinky straps at the back, emphasizing the collection’s key theme of duality. This subtle play of contrasts, which Demna frequently experimented with, emphasized the tension between the refined and the raw.
As the show progressed, jeans with tight webbing almost kept the legs in place, adding a sense of restraint with notions of freedom and restriction. A cropped puffer jacket gave the look an edgy, fashion-forward vibe, while an irreverent moment came through giant gold and metallic sneakers that made the model look like a clown with every step. The low-slung cap, decorated with spikes resembling wolf teeth, further amplified Balenciaga’s punk undercurrent.
Ripped chap jeans that looked as if they had been customized at a thrift store appeared on the luxury runway. This underscored Demna’s unwavering belief that true luxury is not about extravagance or luxury, but about rethinking the everyday. The contrast was stark, with dazzling diamond earrings juxtaposed against mundane items like men’s striped T-shirts. It fully embraced Demna’s anti-luxury, bottom-up approach, dismantling the traditional top-down view of high fashion and arguing that authenticity, ingenuity and destruction were the new symbols of luxury.
There were also unexpected poetic moments. A black leather coat was tied loosely around the waist, exposing the model’s bare shoulders. These pieces were more than clothing. They were statements about vulnerability and imperfection, two of Balenciaga’s central themes. The beauty of imperfections, the spontaneous and seemingly haphazard creations, spoke of Demna’s love for the coexistence of perfection and imperfection.
A very cool and eclectic collection that was consistent only in its madness, unpredictability and humor. It unabashedly celebrates creativity as the ultimate luxury, and boldly reminds us that in a world overloaded with content, true originality is the rarest and most valuable commodity. I did. mccartney street fair
The designs are dazzling, combining sparkle, wit and sharp tailoring for a disco-like playfulness.
VIPs like Natalie Portman, Greta Gerwig and Paris Jackson couldn’t resist tapping their feet to one of Paris Fashion Week’s most memorable soundtracks to date. Models swung theatrically with elaborate hairstyles reminiscent of Gerwig’s own Barbie films, adding a playful element to the spectacle.
Savile Row tailoring has been reimagined in true Stella style. Strong-shouldered jackets were paired with slim blazers and exaggerated belt loops, while voluminous trousers and cheeky boxer culottes kept things playful. This isn’t new territory for McCartney, who often puts an edgy spin on classic tailoring.
Pinstriped suits are glamorously upgraded with clean satin lines and sparkling lead-free crystals, and paired with cropped sporty jumpers, another of her signature combinations of high fashion and carefree vibes.
Fluid draping was also a mainstay on the runway, from gravity-defying asymmetrical silk gowns to folded vegan leather skirts. Cream bomber jackets and sheer dresses with wing-like cutouts injected dreamy flair.
The cloud-like work attracted attention.
“Part of this cloud was incorporated into the knitwear with yarn made from recycled plastic bottles, which is amazing,” McCartney said backstage.
Bird motifs took flight, both literally and figuratively. Dove and origami-inspired details throughout the silk are a visual treat and recall McCartney’s long-standing message of remembering to protect nature. “Stella Times” newspaper and Helen Mirren
McCartney’s show opened with Helen Mirren’s manifesto “Save what you love,” but it was more of a direct punch than a gentle plea. Inspired by Jonathan Franzen’s The Ends of the Earth, Mirren’s voice urges us to take action before it’s too late. The disappearing birds were a symbol of that, a reminder of what’s at stake if we don’t act together.
Guests were also given a humorous newspaper specially created for the show called Stellar Times, which contained a humorous yet serious message about sustainability. McCartney advises readers to encourage positive behavior: Because I don’t think anyone reads books anymore. ” and “Buy our newspaper, we will tell you everything you need to know. Be more conscious, be more curious and discover fashion facts to shape the future of fashion.” ”
McCartney has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to eco-friendly fashion. She was one of the first designers to champion sustainability, long before it became a thing. Fashion is one of the world’s biggest polluters, so the 91% conscious materials and animal-free production was another sign that the designers are taking their message seriously. Sacai’s raw construction and deconstruction
Huge wooden houses, with only exposed beams on display, set the stage for Sacai. It was not just an impressive venue, but rather served as a metaphor for Chitose Abe’s ethos: deconstruction and reconstruction in the most unexpected of ways. Like Abe’s clothing, the exposed beams expressed an unfinished yet powerful architectural form and structure.
The urbane T-shirt dress was paired with a black leather jacket with ruffled, mutton-leg-like arms, a detail often seen on historic gowns. It was the embodiment of Abe’s duality: urban biker meets historical drama, masculinity fused with overt femininity.
Throughout the collection, the focus was on the artful fusion of seemingly contradictory parts. A crisp white shirt was fused with a dark pleated skirt that was set just below the bust. It’s all one garment, and this mashup epitomized Abe’s creative approach to patternmaking. Her concept of hybridization, which involves combining clothes so that they look like two different things from the front and the back, is more than just a gimmick. This is Abe’s groundbreaking method of challenging the very nature of fashion.
Another look was deceptively simple: a white toggle hoodie. But in true Sakai fashion, the back had a floor-length, floaty skirt insert that turned what could have been ordinary into something special.
Volumes and silhouettes were abundant, with flat, boxy shapes predominant.
Understated pieces, like a long black skirt fused with a white shirt, symbolized her recent exploration of monochrome and moving dissected clothing into lofty territory. Isabel Marant Embrace the spirit of the cunning Amazon
Isabel Marant brings her craft-heavy aesthetic to its fullest in a powerful celebration of femininity, fusing South American craftsmanship with the raw energy of an Amazonian warrior.
Always afraid to explore new territory, Maran ventured into early 1980s tribalist punk influences this season, seamlessly blending them with her beloved craft.
The runway was ablaze with sunset colors, with rust, mauve, pink, and purple rippled across tasseled skirts and knotted dresses that recalled the warmth of a Latin sunset.
Models strutted in braided and embroidered silk dresses, their wrists adorned with heavy gold bangles. A weathered black-gray denim blouson and studded black leather shorts hinted at a rebellious personality.
This season marks a new chapter in Marant’s evolution as we lean further into craftsmanship, with embroidered leather, blanket-stitched suede and intricate knots that give it a very personal touch.
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