HAUTE COUTURE WEEK FALL/WINTER 2025: DAY 2

editors ELIANA CASA, MAREK BARTEK and MARIE-PAULINE CESARI

CHANEL
review by MAREK BARTEK

all images CHANEL provided by the brand

Chanel’s Fall-Winter 2025 haute couture show began in near silence. A soft room lined in mirrors, quilted cushions, and a pale carpet. It was less of a runway, more of a memory. The setting recalled the private salons, where fittings take place away from view.

The garments followed that same instinct. A collection was grounded in texture and tactility, held close to the body. Tweeds in soft neutrals, shaped into coat-dresses, skirt suits, and long, narrow gilets. Silhouettes borrowed from the countryside, with hints of hunting jackets. There was a sense of ease in the way everything moved. Nothing was too sculpted or stiff. Fabric did most of the work. A white coat-dress trimmed in braids looked almost knitted, a mohair suit in plum felt worn in, like something carried through seasons. Some pieces blurred categories. A jacket cut like a jumper, trousers painted and embroidered. Details often came into focus only on second glance.

Wheat, central to Gabrielle Chanel’s symbolism, appeared across the collection. Along the neckline of a wedding dress, on buttons or as soft geometry, repeating through embroidery. Feathers and chiffon added lightness without turning ornamental. Even the illusion of fur was tempered, created from tweed and handled subtly.

Evening looks arrived without transition. A black and white dress with flounced chiffon. A satin pinafore covered in tiny florals. A flash of lamé, warmed by orange light. These moments came and went without crescendo. The collection held a consistent tone from beginning to end. No sudden shifts. No narrative turns. It felt deliberate in its simplicity. A house between eras, drawing from its own vocabulary while keeping its distance from interpretation.

Matthieu Blazy’s debut is still to come. This collection, shaped by the in-house team, didn’t reach for reinvention. But there was clarity in its execution. A reminder that at Chanel, the foundations run deep, even when the future is still taking shape.

STÉPHANE ROLLAND
review by NIA TOPALOVA

all images STÉPHANE ROLLAND provided by the brand

Stéphane Rolland’s muse this season is Ida Rubinstein - “a muse in search of an Iberian dream-sensual and spectral.” 

Rolland’s Autumn-Winter 2025 Couture collection took place at the historic Théatre des Champs-Élysées, reflecting on the creative encounter between composer Maurice Ravel’s mechanical and abstract rhythm, and dancer Ida Rubinstein’s dreamlike nature. From this duality emerged a wardrobe where Spain became both mechanical and mystical, with precisely structured volumes breathing with a lightweight sense of tranquility.

A live performance by the Divertimento orchestra, directed by Zahia Ziouani, accompanied the architectural silhouettes, in shades of black, white, ivory, gold, and passionate red. The long gowns in satin, gazar and chiffon were adorned in coral and crystal embroidery, while samurai-inspired capes were covered in black and translucent sequins. 

“The collection oscillates between tension and ornament, between restraint and opulence, between the spirit of ballet and the machine. Like Rubinstein and Ravel, it is a meeting of opposites-a Haute Couture symphony where modern rigor, almost Japanese in style, is overtaken by Spanish fantasy. The bride appears, a white icon crowned with a dome embroidered in gold. 

The final note of this symphony.” – Stéphane Rolland.

RONALD VAN DER KEMP
review by NATALIE GAL

all images RONALD VAN DER KEMP provided by the brand

Seeing the designs of Ronald van der Kemp is always a special experience, particularly for us, as he is a Dutch designer who studied in Amsterdam before making his way onto the scenes of Milan, New York, and of course, Paris. What made the show all the more exciting was the significant collaboration with Thayná Caiçara and a group of indigenous artisans and embroiderers from Brazil.

Van der Kemp transported us to an "enchanted garden," with pieces that felt as though they had stepped out of a new edition of "Midsummer Night’s Dream." The collection, titled ‘The Call of the Wild’, was a clear homage to Mother Nature and her overwhelming beauty. It was, in true couture fashion, eccentric, over-the-top, and majestic.

Among the standout pieces were the Thayná Caiçara fine jewelry rainforest bird choker and a full-on moving tree sculpture dress built on a corset. A captivating coat with cape sleeves featuring individual handwoven art collages made from various vintage trimmings, feathers, and petite trinkets. Or the "twiggy-style" mini dress adorned with crochet lace and pearl beading. Not to mention the biomimicry bomber jacket with mousseline strips in brown, cream, and salmon.

The entire collection felt like a powerful reminder of nature's grandeur, whether it was the misty rainforests, the kaleidoscopic waves of colour from tropical birds, or the indigenous traditions deeply rooted in the balance between human and nature. This collection serves as a reminder of what we stand to lose if we forget to care for our natural world and refuse to treasure it.

JUANA MARTÍN
review by NIA TOPALOVA

Juana Martín returned to Paris and brought with her the essence of southern Spain. Hosted at the historic University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, the show marked the designer’s seventh couture appearance in the French capital.

Titled ‘Fervor’, the collection drew deeply from the spiritual and cultural rituals of Andalusia—most notably, the solemn grandeur of Semana Santa. Religious iconography and processional symbolism took center stage, with fabrics like black ruan—a traditional material used in Nazarenes’ robes. Crucifix-inspired detailing was fashioned from rope, petal-draped silhouettes and golden embellishments were reminiscent of sacred regalia. The collection honored both memory and devotion.

A hauntingly beautiful Easter march accompanied the show, amplifying its ceremonial tone. Footwear was handcrafted by Italian designer Francesca Bellavita, and regional collaborators from Málaga de Moda lent additional creative support.

ARMANI PRIVÉ
review by MAREK BARTEK

all images ARMANI PRIVÉ provided by the brand

Giorgio Armani wasn’t in Paris, but his presence didn’t feel far. From Milan, he directed every detail of fittings, casting and order with the same discipline that has shaped his house for five decades. Armani has always treated black as something elemental. Not just a colour, but a structure, a mood, a code. This season, he returned to it with purpose. A collection titled ‘Noir Séduisant’ explored its spectrum. Soft, sharp, illuminated from within.

The show opened with structure. A series of slim-fitting velvet jackets, worn with high-waisted trousers. Masculine archetypes were reworked with feminine intent. Sharp shoulders, sculpted hips, lines that curved without softening. There was control in every gesture. Cropped blazers, pagoda sleeves, peplums that flicked just away from the body. Textures carried the shift in mood. Velvet intarsia, pavé crystals, surfaces that caught the light. It was black, but never flat.

Gradually, the silhouettes softened. Sinuous gowns appeared with sheer plastrons, metallic silks, oversized bows anchored at the hip. Shapes turned liquid, but the message remained intact. Precision without rigidity and seduction without spectacle.