The Most Rave-Worthy Designs From Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week FW25

There’s no fashion event quite like Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, and Fall/Winter 2025 proved exactly why. Held in the heart of France’s style capital, the biannual showcase remains the pinnacle of craftsmanship, extravagance, and sartorial imagination. Every look that graces the runway is made-to-measure, often requiring hundreds of hours of painstaking hand-sewn embroidery, intricate beading, and architectural finesse. And the shows themselves? Just as fantastical as the garments. Set in opulent salons or avant-garde venues, they are complete with elite audiences and fashion moments that feel once-in-a-lifetime.

This season, however, carried a distinct air of transition. Paris Couture Week Fall/Winter 2025 marked several major turning points: Chanel unveiled its final in-house collection ahead of Matthieu Blazy’s anticipated takeover; Balenciaga delivered an emotional farewell to Demna; and Maison Margiela introduced its first couture showing under Glenn Martens. Meanwhile, Dior’s absence—taking a season off to allow for a leadership change—only heightened the spotlight on the remaining houses. From drama-drenched spectacles to masterclasses in elegance, these are the collections that defined a historic week in Paris.

The Designs

Balenciaga’s Bittersweet Farewell to Demna

Balenciaga delivered one of the most emotional and visually arresting collections of Paris Couture Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025. For his final couture outing at the house, Demna crafted a darkly poetic tribute to old Hollywood glamour, filtered through his signature lens of subversion. Staged in the restored couture salon on Avenue George V, the show’s location added symbolic weight to the moment, marking the end of a tenure that redefined Balenciaga’s identity.

The collection moved fluidly between eras and moods. Feather-like faux furs and crystal-encrusted gowns—worn by Kim Kardashian and Isabelle Huppert—offered a decadent nod to the past, while silhouettes and styling pushed boldly into the future. One of the most talked-about looks was a voluminous black sequin gown inspired by Marilyn Monroe, shimmering with cinematic drama. On the menswear side, oversized Neapolitan tailoring took center stage, punctuated by a bodybuilder model striding down the runway with a gleaming gold briefcase. And then came the finale: Eliza Douglas in a sculptural lace bridal look, closing the show—and the chapter—with haunting, quiet intensity. This wasn’t just fashion. It was Demna’s farewell letter to a house he reshaped with fearless vision and emotional depth.

Armani Privé’s Exploration of Black Beauty

At Armani Privé, elegance came to life in every shade of black imaginable. Although Giorgio Armani was unable to attend due to health reasons, his presence was deeply felt throughout the Fall/Winter 2025 collection. Staged at the newly unveiled Palazzo Armani, the show embraced monochrome with richness, restraint, and meticulous detail.

Crystals, sequins, velvet, and jacquards worked in harmony to transform black into a canvas of quiet luxury. Each look shimmered with subtle refinement, from fluid, floor-length gowns to sharply tailored jackets. Meanwhile, intricate floral motifs and luminous paillettes added dimension and softness. The result was a study in how one color, when handled with intention, can still radiate extraordinary opulence. In a week filled with high drama and bold statements, Armani offered a different kind of power—one rooted in grace, tradition, and timeless sophistication.

Chanel’s Nature-Infused Nostalgia

Chanel’s couture collection was a meditation on transformation, both in fashion and within the house itself. Staged inside a reimagined version of Chanel’s original salon on Rue Cambon, the Fall/Winter 2025 show turned its focus outward, drawing inspiration from Gabrielle Chanel’s enduring love of the countryside.

Here, delicate craftsmanship met rustic elegance. Thigh-high boots, chunky bouclé, and sheepskin-like textures grounded ethereal gowns made of degradé tulle and hand-embroidered silks. Feather accents mimicked the look of natural fur, while soft draping echoed the gentle fall of petals. Every detail felt intentional, evoking a sense of movement, nostalgia, and quiet beauty.

As the final couture collection before Matthieu Blazy takes the reins, the show read like a graceful farewell—a nod to legacy, and a subtle gesture toward what’s to come. Without question, it stood as one of the defining moments of Paris Couture Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025.

Schiaparelli’s Surrealist Reinvention

At Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry once again blurred the boundaries between art and fashion. Drawing from pre-war photography and the house’s surrealist roots, his Fall/Winter 2025 couture collection delivered a layered, emotionally charged vision. Beating mechanical hearts, optical illusion gowns, and surreal silhouettes brought Elsa Schiaparelli’s avant-garde legacy into sharp, modern focus.

This season, the absence of corsetry, a longtime Roseberry signature, marked a quiet but meaningful shift. Despite their sculptural forms, the garments moved with unexpected ease, pointing toward a future where fantasy and freedom coexist. Matador motifs, in-built satin saddles, and trompe-l’oeil effects added theatrical tension, each look teetering between costume and couture.

For Roseberry, this collection felt like both a culmination and a turning point. Bold, strange, and wholly Schiaparelli, it stood out as one of the most provocative moments of Paris Couture Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025.

A Season of Change and Creative Mastery

Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025 will be remembered not only for its artistry but also for its narrative of transformation. From Demna’s emotional departure at Balenciaga to the impending leadership shifts at Chanel and Margiela, the runway pulsed with the tension of endings and the promise of new beginnings. Yet through every change, the pillars of haute couture—craftsmanship, innovation, and emotional resonance—held firm.

Each show offered its own lens: whether steeped in glamour, pared-back minimalism, wistful nostalgia, or surrealist fantasy, they all reaffirmed the enduring power of couture. As the fashion world continues to evolve, this season proved one thing with certainty: true artistry still thrives at the very heart of Paris’s most elite stage.