Paris Fashion Week AW25

THE FABRIC OF NOW
*Paris Fashion Week 2025 Highlights

written ALBAN E. SMAJLI

Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025-2026 unfolded as an encoded manifesto, where fabric became language and silhouettes spoke in tongues. Designers unearthed buried histories, reconstructing past blueprints into a future without borders.

The runway was an evolving stage—DIOR dismantled gender constructs, LOUIS VUITTON mapped the velocity of movement, VALENTINO engineered intimacy as spectacle. Vans infiltrated Valentino, threading rebellion through the needle of luxury. This was a transmission. CHLOÉ reactivated an artifact, the Paddington bag, as an emblem of memory in motion. ZIMMERMANN stretched the seams between myth and reality. Vans infiltrated Valentino, threading rebellion through the needle of luxury.

Paris Fashion Week FW25
VALENTINO Show

VALENTINO Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2025/2026

Alessandro Michele’s Fall/Winter 2025-2026 collection for VALENTINO continued his redefinition of the house’s identity, expanding on the foundations set in his debut. The show, titled Le Méta-Théâtre Des Intimités, transformed the runway into a dystopian, Lynchian space, evoking the surreal ambiance of a public restroom—an environment stripped of traditional constructs, where personal and collective identities dissolve.

Structured ‘70s-inspired suits, sculptural coats, and richly embellished dresses unfolded in deep VALENTINO red, ivory, and ink black, carrying an almost ritualistic quality. The collaboration with VANS introduced a new dimension, reworking the classic Authentic sneaker in bold checkerboard patterns and an “I Love My Vans” motif intertwined with VALENTINO’s logo. Lace veils layered over raw-edged tailoring, gloves extended beyond the elbow, and sculptural accessories punctuated the silhouettes with a sense of quiet subversion. Michele’s vision explored intimacy as a performative space, where identity is neither fixed nor singular but constantly in flux, layered like fabric, revealing and concealing with each movement.

Paris Fashion Week FW25
VALENTINO Show

Paris Fashion Week FW25
VALENTINO Show

Paris Fashion Week FW25
VALENTINO x VANS

Paris Fashion Week FW25
DIOR Show

Paris Fashion Week FW25
DIOR Show

DIOR Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2025/2026

Maria Grazia Chiuri's Fall 2025 collection for DIOR was a sartorial journey through time, drawing inspiration from Virginia Woolf's "Orlando" to blur the lines between masculinity and femininity. The runway transformed into a theatrical spectacle, with models navigating a set adorned with mechanical pterodactyls and looming icebergs, evoking a sense of timelessness and evolution.

Chiuri revisited the archives, paying homage to predecessors like Gianfranco Ferré and John Galliano. The reimagined white shirt, a nod to Ferré's architectural approach, became a canvas for exploration, featuring detachable ruffled collars reminiscent of Elizabethan ruffs, symbolizing the fluidity of identity. The collection's palette transitioned from somber blacks to ethereal whites, mirroring the narrative of transformation. Lace gowns juxtaposed with military-inspired coats underscored the harmonious blend of strength and delicacy. The revival of the "J'adore Dior" T-shirt, an emblem of Galliano's era, was recontextualized, bridging past and present. Chiuri's exploration of gender-bending silhouettes and the interplay of historical motifs with contemporary aesthetics reaffirmed Dior's commitment to innovation while honoring its rich legacy.

LOUIS VUITTON Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2025/2026

Nicolas Ghesquière's vision for LOUIS VUITTON's Fall/Winter 2025-2026 collection was a love letter to the golden age of train travel, encapsulating the romance and anticipation of journeys. Staged at the historic Gare du Nord, the show immersed attendees in the bustling ambiance of a Parisian train station, complete with the rhythmic hum of Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express."

Ghesquière presented an eclectic array of silhouettes, from voluminous midi skirts paired with heavyweight knit vests to pinstriped boiler suits accented with vivid scarves. The accessories were a testament to LOUIS VUITTON's legacy in travel, with models clutching steamer-inspired handbags and oversized duffel totes, reminiscent of classic luggage pieces.

The collaboration with set designer Es Devlin resulted in a runway that mirrored the transient nature of travel, with models embodying characters from various walks of life, each telling their own story. This new collection celebrates the art of travel, highlighting the brand’s connection to movement, heritage, and design, with historical elements woven into a contemporary vision that unfolds as a continuous narrative.

Paris Fashion Week FW25
LOUIS VUITTON Show

Paris Fashion Week FW25
LOUIS VUITTON Show

CHLOÉ Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2025/2026

Under the creative direction of Chemena Kamali, CHLOÉ's Fall/Winter 2025-2026 collection was an ode to the multifaceted nature of femininity, exploring the interplay between strength and softness. Kamali studied the archives, reviving the iconic Paddington bag, a beloved accessory from the early 2000s, now reimagined for the modern woman.

The runway showcased a harmonious blend of opulence and practicality, with lavish, embellished dresses juxtaposed against pared-down, utilitarian pieces. Broad logo belts cinched sheer, low-rise maxi skirts, adding a touch of structure to the ethereal ensembles. Ballet flats, poised to become the season's must-have, offered an effortlessly chic touch, embodying the brand's signature blend of elegance and ease. Kamali's exploration of plurality and the influences that shape women's identities resulted in a collection that felt very personal and universally relatable, resonating with women across generations.

Paris Fashion Week FW25
CHLOÉ Show

Paris Fashion Week FW25
CHLOÉ Show

Paris Fashion Week FW25
CHLOÉ Show

Paris Fashion Week FW25
ZIMMERMANN Show

ZIMMERMANN Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2025/2026

Nicky Zimmermann’s Fall 2025 collection, Hypnotic, built a world where storytelling unfolded in fabric, silhouette, movement. Inspired by the haunting atmosphere of Picnic at Hanging Rock on its 50th anniversary, the collection absorbed the film’s lingering sense of mystery without directly referencing its costumes. Instead, elements from the narrative were distilled into textures, structures, and motifs that shaped each look with quiet precision.

Lace-trimmed lingerie dresses, pinstripe suits, and structured wool coats introduced a balance of softness and strength, while hidden details—maps of Mt. Macedon printed on silk, hand-drawn Valentine’s Day cards stitched between layers of chiffon—wove subtle fragments of the story into the collection. The use of Mongolian shearling, leather-wrapped boots, and braided trims reinforced a tactile complexity, adding depth to the compositions without overpowering their fluidity. A shift in palette from soft, sunlit hues to deep moss greens and midnight blues signaled an evolving mood, with textures becoming richer and silhouettes taking on a more dramatic form.

Polished stone jewelry and an almond-shaped suede bag introduced grounding elements to the collection, serving as counterpoints to the weightlessness of chiffon and the elongation of sleeves. ZIMMERMANN shaped Hypnotic with an attention to atmosphere, allowing the garments to move between clarity and enigma.

Paris Fashion Week FW25
ZIMMERMANN Show

Milan Fashion Week AW25

MILAN AW25
*Runways Framed, Streets Unfiltered

written CHIDOZIE OBASI

In times where society’s downturns are increasingly commonplace, fashion's mission is to exude a profound sense of societal relevance that can create both desire and intent: a purpose to set alight its deep connotation beyond mere conventions.

The Milan shows have proven to stick to a traditional code of conduct: a free of fuss aesthetic, teamed with pared-back, minimalist lines prevail over its British and American counterparts, where everything is blown to the max. The Milan shows, after all, wholly reflect the DNA of century-old traditions, and it's no surprise that the people of the city share that very sentiment. Gucci went back to its roots and archive for Fall 2025, as the house's founder Sabato De Sarno announced his departure earlier in February. This season, the lineup featured a lean towards a new colourway (dark, forest green) and a shift from its red (rosso ancora, as the house used to name it), bringing a newfound sense of femininity and glamour to the apparel.

MFW FW25
during PRADA

MFW FW25

MFW FW25
ICEBERG Show

MFW FW25
during ETRO

MFW FW25
during VIVETTA

Now, speaking of Iceberg, the brand seemed to be eschewing all manners of fuss and grounding to a linear approach and take of tailoring: tones are subdued, maxi logos are a far cry from the visual language and the pared-back appeal seems to be winning the race. On similar territory, Fendi celebrated its centenary this Fall with a collection that harked back to Silvia Venturini Fendi's memories and Karl: the collection renewed its affection for the house's classics, bringing forth a slew of timeless pieces that had sleek silhouettes, embellished details and a sinuous touch overall. Jil Sander, Prada, Moschino and Moschino offered levity and a dash of irreverence to the modern woman. Diesel offered tons of playfulness while Etro, D&G's runway had upbeat tempo ('cool girls', strutted both inside and outside the venue), and Vivetta continued its design path.

MFW FW25
during DIESEL

MFW FW25
during GUCCI

MFW FW25
during MOSCHINO

MFW FW25
during DOLCE & GABBANA

MFW FW25

all visuals

production  ONE.FASHION.AGENCY
art-director Mariia Nikiforova 
project manager Viacheslav Nikiforov
seen by Vitalii Verkhoturov

DIOR Autumn-Winter 2024-2025 Haute Couture Show celebrating Faith Ringgold

.new collection
Threads of Freedom
DIOR AW24-25 Homage to Faith Ringgold

written Monica de Luna

Dior’s Autumn-Winter 2024-2025 Haute Couture Show emerges from the fusion of art and fashion, a poignant tribute to the late Faith Ringgold. Her prolific legacy of activism and creativity continues to inspire. Under Maria Grazia Chiuri’s visionary guidance, Dior’s Creative Director, the collection celebrates Ringgold’s indomitable spirit, seamlessly blending Haute Couture with powerful narratives of female empowerment and artistic rebellion.

Faith Ringgold, born in 1930 in Harlem, New York, passed away in April 2024, leaving behind a legacy that spanned over seven decades. Her multifaceted career as a painter, sculptor, performance artist, writer, and educator was marked by a relentless pursuit of social justice. Ringgold’s work, deeply rooted in African American identity and gender equality, found a resonant echo in Chiuri’s latest collection for Dior.

Read why!

“You can’t sit around and wait for somebody to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it.”

— Faith Ringgold

SCENOGRAPHY © ADRIEN DIRAND
© Faith Ringgold @acagalleries
© Chanakya School of Craft (12)

SCENOGRAPHY © ADRIEN DIRAND
© Faith Ringgold @acagalleries
© Chanakya School of Craft (3)

The show was a dazzling spectacle, merging the elegance of Haute Couture with the raw energy of Ringgold’s artistic legacy. Chiuri’s audacious use of jersey—a material traditionally shunned by couture—defied conventions and redefined luxury. Metallic hues of gold, silver, and white jersey cascaded over models, with ultra-light bustiers sculpting their silhouettes, creating a symphony of classical aesthetics and modern innovation.

The scenography with installations showcasing some of Ringgold’s most iconic series: Freedom Woman Now and Woman Free Yourself. These political posters, born in the early 1970s, were potent reminders of Ringgold’s enduring feminist and activist spirit. Freedom Woman Now, with its interlocking triangles and bold declarations, remains a clarion call for gender equality—a message as powerful today as it was over fifty years ago.

Chiuri’s collection also paid homage to the classical peplum, reimagining this historically significant garment within the context of contemporary women’s political freedom. The intricate draping and pleating of the pieces echoed the fluidity of movement, nodding to athletes from antiquity to the present day who have continually pushed boundaries and shattered barriers.

One standout feature of the show was the reinterpretation of Ringgold’s Windows of the Wedding #1: Woman, a series that celebrated the collaboration between Ringgold and her mother, Madame Willi Posey. Banners inspired by this work highlighted the symbiotic relationship between art and fashion, weaving together personal and collective histories. The thangkas, traditionally used in Tibetan art, were transformed into vibrant backdrops, underscoring the collection’s rich thematic depth. Simply fabulous!

also read DIOR HC SS 2024 Collection Review

The collaboration with the Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft brought Ringgold’s Civic Center L.A. Subway Commission mosaics to life, reimagined as stunning embroideries. These life-sized recreations adorned the runway, blurring the lines between art and Haute Couture, celebrating the unifying power of creativity ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Red, Christian Dior’s “color of life,” pulsed through the collection, infusing it with vitality and defiance. A bathrobe embellished with mosaic mirrors stood out, transforming a mundane item into a statement of artistic rebellion. This fusion of couture and sportswear, classicism and rebellion, showcased Chiuri’s knack for crafting a narrative that is reflective and visionary. Chiuri’s homage encapsulated Ringgold’s legacy, underscoring Haute Couture’s power to challenge perceptions and inspire change.

As Ringgold herself said,

“The most important thing, to me, in life is inspiration. I want to inspire others and I want to be inspired.”

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(c) DIOR HC AW24-25