Paris Fashion Week is always a charged, incisive time, but this season’s shows felt particularly intent on looking to the future. Here, we’ve curated a selection of the presentations that we found the most meaningful—from Anrealage with air-conditioned inflatable dresses to Rabanne’s show of thoughtful, unfettered opulence.
Rochas Evokes Visceral Nostalgia with Crisp Beachwear
Courtesy of Rochas.
Courtesy of Rochas.
In a photo from the 1940s, Marcel Rochas saunters down the Côte d’Azur donning a suit and a safari jacket—underscoring his belief in elegance everywhere, all the time. It’s an attitude suffused through Rochas’ newest collection, a crisp array of glamorous beachwear. Creative director Alessandro Vigilante was struck when he found the image of the label’s founder and decided to dream up a deconstructed mid-century wardrobe replete with the same air of calm. Metallic crinkled cottons are playfully layered with daisy lace and dry woven tweed; striped satin and polka dot tulle nod to the Haute Couture legacy of the House. Draped skirts can be wrapped with the ease of a beach towel, while gathered, frothy sleeves and cloudy blocks of pure color evoke a visceral nostalgia for summers of the past.
Rabanne Goes Into the Archive for the “Most Expensive Bag” in the World
Photo by Yanni Vlamos. Courtesy of the photographer and Rabanne.
Photo by Yanni Vlamos. Courtesy of the photographer and Rabanne.
Rabanne’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, aptly titled Material Girls, screams shameless opulence. The label has garnered extensive attention this week for pulling a one-of-a-kind 18-karat purse from its archive, created in 1969 for French cultural icon Françoise Hardy; the label is touting it as the “most expensive bag” in the world. This sort of unfettered luxury extends to the House’s other offerings, too: there are expansive apron dresses and restrictive lingerie, industrial, silvery jacquard, and pastel shades that bridge candy and clinical. Reflective sequin lapels complement studded, armor-like kilts, and colorful stripes contrast with fine sheaths of tool. Creative director Julien Dossena expresses a clear interest in the space between restraint and indulgence.
Germanier Commits to Whimsicality
Photo by Gregoire Avenel. Courtesy of the photographer and Germanier.
Photo by Gregoire Avenel. Courtesy of the photographer and Germanier.
Germanier may be a young brand—this season marked its sixth fashion show—but its offerings are anything but elementary. The label’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, Les Désastreuses, is admirably eclectic and concept-heavy. Each of the 24 looks is inspired by the signs of the Zodiac, arriving in glittering explosions of technicolor. Materials range from plastic curtains to the remains of VHS tapes worn by Alain Roche during his suspended performance at the Closing Ceremony of this year’s Olympics; upcycling and young talent are prioritized at every turn. Designer Kevin Germanier clearly upped the ante this season, indulging in his clear love of theatricality.
Ester Manas Conjures the Figure of the Femme Fatale
Courtesy of Ester Manas.
Courtesy of Ester Manas.
Ester Manas’ Spring/Summer 2025 collection “has an air of scandal about it,” the show notes read. This titillation arrives in the form of slinky mesh dresses, giant coats revealing swaths of bare skin, and sexed-up ruching. Many models donned lingerie from the beloved French brand Chantelle, layered over leopard-print basics and ruffled dresses; the figure of the femme fatale was conjured in tulles, trompe-l’œil prints, and printed, embossed, and bonded leather jackets.
Anrealage Offers a Magical Collection of Inflatable Garments
Courtesy of Anrealage.
Courtesy of Anrealage.
Offering a characteristically playful technological solution to increasingly scorching summers in Japan and beyond, designer Kunihiko Morinaga devised a “cool-wear” wardrobe for Anrealage. Each piece is equipped with a fan (which can be controlled via app), causing it to gently inflate as it draws in air. Ballooning dresses come in familiar pastel shades of bubblegum and robin egg, and garments are woven from threads so fine they measure about one-third the thickness of a hair. The result is a poetically bizarre collection of utilitarian, air-conditioned attire.
