Paris Haute Couture Week Fall 2025 delivered fashion in its most intoxicating form: unfiltered, theatrical, and unapologetically extravagant. Whether it was Chanel’s bittersweet pastoral farewell, Schiaparelli’s live crow couture, or Iris van Herpen’s bioluminescent return to the runway, every maison brought its own version of fantasy, and fearlessness.
In a week where Kim Kardashian walked in Elizabeth Taylor’s diamonds, veils stretched for meters, and gowns defied gravity (sometimes literally), these were the singular moments that defined the season, the ones still echoing through the salons of Paris and our group chats alike.
CHANEL
Moment: The Final In-House Farewell
Chanel staged a poetic tribute to nature, with models walking through a dreamscape of hay bales and meadow florals, a pastoral fantasy evoking Gabrielle Chanel’s countryside roots. This was the final in-house collection before Matthieu Blazy takes over as Creative Director, making it both nostalgic and symbolic.
SCHIAPARELLI
Moment: Beating Hearts and Living Art: Schiaparelli Blurs the Line Between Body and Couture.
Daniel Roseberry turned the runway into a surreal anatomy lesson — in the most glamorous way possible. The show’s standout piece? A sculptural bodice adorned with a mechanical, gold anatomical heart that visibly pulsed and pumped, echoing both Elsa Schiaparelli’s obsession with the body and the emotional heartbeat of couture itself. It wasn’t just fashion — it was alive.
IRIS VAN HERPEN
Moment: Bioluminescent Couture
Returning after a hiatus, Iris unveiled otherworldly dresses featuring bio-fabricated, light-emitting panels, powered by algae. The collection pulsed like it was alive, showcasing her unmatched fusion of fashion, science, and future-thinking sustainability.
ASHI STUDIO
Moment: Corset Couture: Ashi Studio’s Sculpted Armor Steals the Show.
Ashi Studio’s Fall 2025 couture collection was anchored by dramatically sculpted corsets that redefined silhouette and power. These corsets, crafted with architectural precision, cinched the waist into an exaggerated hourglass shape, balancing fierce structure with fluid elegance. Their sharp lines and bold forms turned each look into a statement of strength, femininity, and modern craftsmanship—proving once again that corsetry is couture’s ultimate armor.
ARMANI PRIVÉ
Moment: Velvet Stardust
Giorgio Armani delivered an ultra-refined collection anchored in midnight blues and deep purples, but the standout look was a stardust-embroidered velvet gown, glimmering under the lights like a constellation come to life — elegance in its purest form.
BALENCIAGA
Moment: Kim Kardashian in Elizabeth Taylor’s Diamonds
Demna’s farewell to Balenciaga was steeped in couture history. Kim Kardashian walked the runway wearing Elizabeth Taylor’s actual diamond earrings, styled with a dramatic black sculptural gown — an homage to legacy, wealth, and celebrity culture’s grip on couture.
VIKTOR & ROLF
Moment: ‘Bugged Out: Viktor & Rolf Turn Insects into Couture Architecture‘.
For Fall 2025, the Dutch duo went deep into entomology, transforming beetles, butterflies, and antennae into gravity-defying silhouettes. Dresses mimicked exoskeletons and wings, some hanging askew like cocoons in mid-metamorphosis — a playful, off-kilter take on transformation and beauty in the unexpected. Leave it to Viktor & Rolf to make bugs couture.
MAISON MARGIELA
Moment: Glenn Martens’ Couture Debut
Glenn Martens delivered a hauntingly beautiful first couture collection for Margiela. The moment? A tulle-covered model emerged from a mirror-lined trench coat that unraveled mid-walk, revealing hand-painted underlayers — a moving sculpture on memory, concealment, and transformation.
