Givenchy

“I wanted to strip it back to silhouette, to start at the very beginning, to take everything away and go back to the backbone of what the house was about,” said Sarah Burton backstage at her much anticipated debut at Givenchy. Traditionally constructed men’s jackets were reimagined into hourglass forms, tailoring appeared strong at the shoulders with a defined waist. The line was clean and sleek. Full-length net dresses with tulle tutu-esque forms on the bottom sat alongside exquisite sash-tie halter-necks, big folded satin bows and intricate embroidery.

Chanel

New creative director Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection for the house is expected to be unveiled in the autumn. Which left the Chanel creation studio in charge of this collection which focused on key Coco Chanel codes, including, pearls, bows and ribbons, and played with scale from the supersized black ribbon set that snaked around the Grand Palais, to an ankle length poplin shirt and pearl necklaces scaled up into cross-body bags. Bows adorned everything from sweater dresses to puffer coats while sheer chiffon dresses were worn layered over mini tweed suits and mini dresses.

Chloé

In her show notes creative director Chemena Kamali said she was inspired “by the contradiction of the lavish and opulent with the more paired down realness and ease of the Chloé woman”. The collection was permeated with a romantic image of boho British aristocrats in drafty stately homes: think faux fur coats thrown over silk nighties styled with trinket necklaces. Chloe’s rock-chick It Girl muses from the 90s and ’aughts were evident but so too was the 80s influence of Lagerfeld’s Chloé in the billowing sleeves of the finale blouses - an integral part of any Chloé woman’s wardrobe.

Dior

Maria Grazia Chiuri took Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando as her Dior AW25 collection inspiration. Orlando’s story spans centuries and genders, on the runway that manifested as a 5 act show designed by director Robert Wilson - whose 1993 stage version starred Isabelle Huppert. The clothes referenced the era of British history covered in Woolf’s novel, from corsets and ruffles to more contemporary Dior synonymous pieces, like a roomy take on the Lady Dior bag and a J’Adore Dior t-shirt. Grazia Chiuri managed to make 18th-century doublets and ermine trims modern. No mean feat.

Valentino

The set at Valentino consisted of red bathroom stalls that hid models behind each door. Alessandro Michele’s maximalist aesthetic was ever-present, as he continued to explore Valentino’s archive. The collection opened with a sheer, lace bodysuit undone at the bottom, as if the model had rushed out of the toilet, followed by a luxurious red coat, flared wool trouser looks and power-shouldered dresses. Noteworthy were the graphic kimonos and a cat-motif-embellished gown.

Stella McCartney

Laptop to Lapdance was the premise for Stella McCartney’s AW25 show. Shown at the top of tower block on the outskirts of Paris. Guests, including Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz and Olivia Coleman sat on swivel chairs with monitor screens on the desks displaying the “Stellacorp” logo. Fashion-wise it was Working Girl meets Pretty Woman; thigh-high gloss boots, power-shoulder tailoring, and mini dresses. And plenty of snakeskin across clothes and bags (vegan of course). There was even a flashmob Anora-coded pole-dancing finale. “I wanted to bring sexy back,” McCartney said backstage.

Dries Van Noten

Julian Klausner’s debut womenswear show as creative director, following Dries Van Noten’s retirement in June 2024, took place in the opulent hallways of the Opéra Garnier. Klausner imagined women passing through the opera, grabbing fabrics and objects, tying them with a shoelace – the opening look used shoelaces as a whipstitch trim to a striking full-length wool coat. Curtain tassels and soft white fringes were transferred to garments. This was a wardrobe for everyday (and night); stripes mixed with geometric patterns and intricate embroideries in deep jewel and autumnal tones.

The Row

The Row AW25 show took place at the Paris HQ and the vibe was welcome to chez Olsen; guests were invited to choose their own seat, on a plush cream couch, chair or curled up on the ivory carpet. The neutral colour palette covered the interiors and the clothes. All the models walked in wool-stockinged feet; said tights were also worn draped over shoulders like scarves. Generous cocoon coats with exaggerated high collars sat alongside lightweight macs and short trenches. Jumpers were layered under more formal dresses to create a new silhouette, continuing the relaxed feel.

Comme des Garçons

Rei Kawakubo dominates the fashion world with her masterful skill and craftsmanship, pushing the boundaries of fashion as an art form. This season masculine fabrics, such as navy pinstripe, were transformed into strong, powerful garments that have the ability to express femininity. Kawakubo’s voluminous and abstract silhouettes had a sculptural form, from houndstooth, Prince-of-Wales check, and gray flannel. Each had been stiffened, manipulated and intertwined to create exquisite sculpted looks. The appreciation came at the end by way of a standing ovation.

Balenciaga

This season Demna’s creative process was based on a study of standard dress codes that the designer had reimagined. The collection was full of Demna’s archetypes, given the designer’s signature twist, from a hand-wrinkled navy business suit to an intricate, grey, “moth-eaten” pinstripe one. Following at rapid pace came streetwear; a denim jacket and pencil skirt, an unexpected Puma collaboration that featured multiple takes on skinny tracksuits and fluffy bathrobes. Standard-fit coats and evening dresses were offset by exquisite voluminous floor sweeping coats.

Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake designer Satoshi Kondo chose a purist approach for his latest collection. The show unfolded like living sculptures inspired by Erwin Wurm’s One Minute Sculptures. The collection opened with white cotton dresses with vivid red prints of the knitwear that followed, appearing wrapped around the body with displaced pockets in extreme positions. Additional sleeves fell misplaced on jumpers and dresses, tailoring was layered over crisp white shirts twisted and deconstructed. One look saw a tote bag transformed in a shirt, later another collapsed into a denim jacket.

Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood

“There’s nothing more sexy than a suit!” read Kronthaler’s show notes, “this collection is about honouring the place I have lived for more than 30 years, London.” This was an ode to Englishness, with the added excitement of the reintroduction of menswear. Tailoring was key, opening with exquisitely mastered pieces cut from heritage fabrics including Harris Tweed and Yorkshire wool. Next came sportswear; signature Westwood jersey-draped dresses, a mini-crini and red-carpet cowl-neck dress, complete with killer platforms.

Lacoste

Creative director Pelagia Kolotouros presented her AW25 Lacoste collection at the Roland-Garros stadium, taking founder René Lacoste’s life off the court, as an entrepreneur, innovator and socialite as her design inspiration. Effortlessly fusing Jazz Age references like pleated silk skirts and embellished chiffon dresses with a 90s silhouette of slouchy tech pants, boxy t-shirts and oversized puffers. The palette spanned neutral cream and camel, punctuated with croc green and hot pink. A silver knit polo look and crystal crocodile brooches stood out.

Victoria Beckham

Set against a raw crumbling interior, Victoria Beckham began with a series of tailored dropped lapel jackets paired with stirrup trousers, as well as her concept trousers that hung away from the body from belt hoops suspended from belts. There was plenty of statement outerwear; raincoats, trench coats and parkas. Softer moments appeared as pastel-draped georgette dresses with sculptural wire-edged cutouts at the waist. Beckham added humour by way of a VB-monogrammed terry-cloth, pussy-bow top that gave a nod to her towelling robe she wears in her online beauty tutorials.

Isabel Marant

The label that sells the French-girl aesthetic has it well and truly locked down. Opening with swaggering models, hands tucked in the pockets of black leather jackets layered over deconstructed, draped mini-skirts with legs wrapped in floral fishnet tights, creating a cool undone vibe. The collection came loaded with eclectic layers of plaid, tartan, stripe and sequins forming a grungy aesthetic. Pinstriped tailoring had a bad-girl edge finished with punkish detailing from charms suspended from giant safety pins to dangling chains and ankle boots showered in studs.

Gabriela Hearst

Gabriela Hearst took the late archeologist, anthropologist and mythologist Marija Gimbutas, and her work The Language of the Goddess as her AW25 inspiration. Hearst reinterpreted the Goddess symbolisms – spirals, zig zags – into abstract motifs. Silhouettes were strong and feminine, the snake appeared in multiple forms: as cashmere jacquard and printed onto recycled denim. Real fur made a headline-grabbing appearance in the shape of a vintage mink coat, signalling what could be a rehabilitation of fur in the fashion industry.