Paris Fashion Week 2025, spanning both the Autumn/Winter collections in March and the monumental Spring/Summer 2026 shows in late September/early October, was defined by seismic shifts in creative leadership and a definitive pivot away from street-led casualization toward a new era of theatrical elegance and refined dressing. The S/S 2026 season, in particular, felt like a reset for the global industry, with an unprecedented number of debut collections setting the tone for the coming decade.
I. A Historical Wave of Creative Debuts
The most compelling narrative of PFW 2025 was the historic creative director reshuffle. No fewer than 14 major houses saw new leadership take the helm, bringing fresh perspective to storied brands:
- Chanel (Matthieu Blazy): Perhaps the most scrutinized debut was Matthieu Blazy’s first full ready-to-wear collection for Chanel. Moving away from radical shock, Blazy delivered a collection widely praised for its commercial viability and graceful femininity. Set against a cosmic, planetary theme at the Grand Palais, the collection featured elegant silhouettes and, notably, a reinterpretation of the ubiquitous white shirt, a piece iconically worn by new House Ambassador Nicole Kidman in the front row.
- Dior (Jonathan Anderson): Anderson made his womenswear debut for Dior, offering a solid continuation of his lauded menswear vision. He successfully navigated the difficult task of honoring the Bar Jacket and House codes while grounding them with a casual ease, introducing denim button-ups and classic bows woven into modern dresses.
- Balenciaga (Pierpaolo Piccioli): Following his high-profile move, Piccioli’s inaugural collection for Balenciaga was a lesson in architectonic shapes and bold, disruptive volume applied to modern wardrobe staples like leather jackets, chinos, and t-shirts. The show drew a colossal front row, notably including Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Anne Hathaway.
- Chloé (Chemena Kamali): While not her first collection, Kamali pushed the boundaries of the house’s bohemian DNA, exploring “couture in the Chloé context” with dramatic drapery and retro florals before returning to the brand’s core of free femininity with heightened frills.
- Maison Margiela (Glenn Martens): Martens delivered his first ready-to-wear collection for the house, pivoting back toward Margiela’s tough, deconstructed Belgian heritage. The collection featured distressed leather, utility fabrics, and sheer, ghostly silhouettes. The show’s most viral moment was the pervasive use of orthodontic mouthpieces worn by all models, enforcing a stiff, anonymous uniformity and shifting focus entirely onto the clothes’ architecture and texture.
II. Key Trends Defining the Season
Across both the F/W 2025 and S/S 2026 presentations, several powerful trends emerged that signal a broad shift in consumer desire:
1. The Return to Elegance and Power Dressing
The overarching sentiment was a craving for sophistication. Designers emphasized tailoring and structure, drawing heavily on the ’80s power aesthetic and the refined poise of the 1920s and 1950s.
- Sharp Tailoring: Power suits, elongated blazers, and cinched-waist separates dominated runways like Saint Laurent and Valentino. The broad-shouldered silhouette returned, channeling ’80s boss energy with a glamorous, modern twist.
- Structured Volume: Daywear was dramatically expanded through volume, hip-accentuating skirts, full bubble skirts (Balmain), peplums, and balloon sleeves giving everyday attire a couture shape.
2. Radical Sensuality: Sheers, Slits, and Low-Rise
The emphasis on elegance was balanced by an embrace of the overtly sensual. Barely-there fabrics and strategic exposure were key components of eveningwear.
- Sultry Sheers and ‘Naked’ Dresses: Diaphanous fabrics, sheer netting, and delicate lace were used throughout collections, creating a subtle yet daring allure. Schiaparelli and Vivienne Westwood featured bold iterations of the “naked dress” trend.
- Body-Con Construction: Pieter Mulier’s collection for Alaïa continued his masterful exploration of the female form, using tension and torsion to playfully stretch proportions and elongate curves through construction, often featuring strategic cutaways and low-slung lines.
3. The Reimagining of Staples
The humble white shirt was recast as the must-have item of the season, showing up in myriad forms:
- The White Shirt, Elevated: Seen everywhere from Chanel (worn loose and paired with wide jeans) to Balenciaga (given a dramatic train) and Saint Laurent (tied with an oversized bow or worn provocatively open).
- Statement Outerwear: Coats were floor-length and voluminous, with Stella McCartney unveiling jackets and tailored pieces crafted from innovative, plant-based materials like FEVVERS, a world-first plant-based feather alternative, in her 98% sustainable collection.
III. Standout Collection Moments
| House | Creative Director | Signature Moment / Vibe |
| Valentino | Alessandra Michele | ’80s glamour meets fireflies; iridescent fabrics, liquid satins, and costume-jewel tones. |
| Schiaparelli | Daniel Roseberry | Surrealist theatre; illusionary skin-toned mesh, cracked-egg heels, and sculptural glamour. |
| Stella McCartney | Stella McCartney | Eco-lux activism; opened by Helen Mirren’s spoken word, featuring FEVVERS and PURE.TECH pollutant-absorbing fabric. |
| Miu Miu | Miuccia Prada | Interrogation of womanhood; layered socks and loafers, pointed bra tops, and bourgeois Milanese glamour. |
IV. The Star-Studded Cultural Resurgence
The front rows confirmed Paris as the ultimate convergence of fashion and global culture. The presence of A-listers and global ambassadors was electrifying. Highlights included:
- Nicole Kidman bringing her daughters to the Chanel show, marking an iconic moment in her new partnership with the house.
- The Global Power of Afrobeats (Davido): One of the most consistent and impactful celebrity presences across the entire PFW cycle belonged to Nigerian superstar, Davido. He solidified the fusion of Afrobeats and high fashion by attending multiple shows, including Vetements (S/S 2026) and making a show-stopping appearance at Amiri (M/W S/S 2026) alongside other Nigerian Acts like Zlatan Ibile, Mr Eazi, Temi Ajibade, Omah Lay and Blaqbonez. Davido’s sartorial choices: often blending statement outerwear with modern tailoring, underscored the fashion industry’s increasing focus on African cultural influence, making his front-row attendance a cultural moment in its own right.
- Anne Hathaway and Meghan Markle (who makes her first debut in over a decade) seated front row for Piccioli’s debut at Balenciaga.
- Zendaya, Emma Stone, Adekunle Gold and Felix (Stray Kids) lending their star power to the Louis Vuitton show held at the Louvre Pyramid.
- Bella Hadid’s return to the runway for Saint Laurent.
In conclusion, Paris Fashion Week 2025 was less about fleeting micro-trends and more about a macro shift toward disciplined design and highly desirable, beautifully constructed clothing. With new directors asserting their vision, the season successfully balanced commercial necessity with genuine creative excitement, proving that fashion’s future will be built on the foundations of elegance, innovation, and self-assured confidence.