PARIS FASHION WEEK FALL/WINTER 2025: DAY 6
editors MARIA MOTA, MARIE-PAULINE CESARI and MAREK BARTEK
JUNYA WATANABE
review by ELIYA WEINSTEIN
all images JUNYA WATANABE via vogue.com
Any fashion addict knows there’s no feeling nearly as suave as finding the right leather jacket. From its sleek and supple texture, the protective way it holds its structure around the body, to the symbolic and sociocultural power it represents - it’s a modern staple.
For FW25, Junya Watanabe began with the idea of a leather jacket, allowing it to evolve into all forms imaginable and unimaginable. Maintaining the asymmetrical zipper up the bust, Watanabe created cubist protrusions and prismatic abstractions entirely reinventing the crisp biker jacket and leaving no shred of doubt on his pattern making expertise - not that anyone was doubting him.
A repeated cut of skinny flared pants appeared in an explorative range of materials including a matte leather, velvet, and a choice of croc. One pant and jean featured a zip up the entire leg, open just below the hip to reveal a soft fur beneath that dramatized the rock and roll attitude that surrounded the collection. It’s rare to see biker boots clean of mud and grime, but there they were attached to jackets to replace their sleeves entirely, laces running down the arm and toe caps protruding out of the shoulders.
Watanabe’s concentration on reimagined jacket geometries continued with trench-coats, with buttons and lapels maintained, that warped and reformed their silhouettes entirely.
LUDOVIC DE SAINT SERNIN
review by ELIYA WEINSTEIN
all images LUDOVIC DE SAINT SERNIN via vogue.com
We may not always want to agree, but sex sells and Ludovic De Saint Sernin knows why. When it’s done well, finding the balance between glamour and simplicity always leaves you wanting more and lust for life is dangerously addictive.
LDSS opened the FW25 show to sensual breathing sounds and a more corporate take on his favourite bustier and corset shapes to return to. This season he welcomed more covered looks, with subtle BDSM references in tightly laced silver rivets to subdue the NSFW that he’s better known for. His signature body conforming dresses with dainty straps and low-cut curvy necklines appeared in snake print that also wrapped its way around the waistline of a fluffy fur coat.
Latex gloves came on and suddenly the energy electrified. Bare arms broke free from a white button up, and an open trench coat revealed a shiny black bikini. Waists cinched for both men and women and long leg slits opened dresses both in the front and then back. Jolts of bright red energised the collection, with a delicious sense of danger, balanced by see through lace dresses that introduce a refreshingly more sensual side of LDSS.
NOIR KEI NINOMIYA
review by ELIYA WEINSTEIN
all images NOIR KEI NINOMIYA via vogue.com
At Noir Kei Ninomiya’s FW25 collection, much conceptualisation was left to the imagination. A kind of sartorial fantasy was achieved through textile experimentation and techniques that must have been achieved by letting the imagination run wild.
If the show felt incomprehensible at times, just know that’s the way Kei Ninomiha wanted it. Rather than defining or expanding a theme, he worked around “a kind of feeling that is uncertain and hard to understand”. It became more about expression and the use of resin to achieve things impossible with standard fabrics and other expected materials.
The mood was set by the fluorescent glow of UV lights. PVC jackets had veins extending, almost growing, out of them and reaching… for what? Who knows. After the show transitioned to full spotlights, a phase of black, gold and deep purple looks came through, matching with the golden sneakers created in collaboration with reebok. From there, flowery sculptural experiments with textiles were an explosion of brightness and colour. Terry cloth bows enwrapped the body and resin beadwork crafted into a kinetic sculpture that held the model within it.
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
review by ELIYA WEINSTEIN
all images VIVIENNE WESTWOOD provided by the brand
For his FW25 collection for Vivienne Westwood, Andreas Kronthaler revelled in Englishness and the formalities of tailoring - an English invention after all. Westwood is strongly associated with codes of feminine dress, corsets, bustiers and voluminous dresses, but as Kronthaler pursues the goal of developing the brands MAN department, he translated transitional masculine suitings to this season's womenswear collection.
The richness in Harris Tweed, Scottish tartan, and Yorkshire wool didn’t stray far from the Westwood DNA, but Kronthaler introduced materials usually associated with higher class dress into “Chaos” - as inscribed on a choker necklace that referenced one of Vivienne’s designs from 1989. The layering of textures and colours was daring, an amalgamation of nonchalance and dandyism. Ties were long enough to be caught between the legs and hats perched slanted on the head, sometimes two at a time.
The collection went further than just reimagining menswear, more so it felt like a story unfolding with new characters developing at each page’s turn. While most pants were oversized with tapers at the waist, others were shrunken and tight as if vacuumed onto the body. Skis and a snowboard were carried by several models padded up in printed puffers, then the mood shifted to floatier dresses in prints from polka dot to florals paired with knee high boots.
HERMÈS
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images HERMÈS via vogue.com
Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski’s latest collection for Hermès was a study in strength and sensuality, merging equestrian heritage with a strikingly modern edge. The refined craftsmanship of the house was evident in every detail, from the sculpted leather jackets to the impeccably tailored high-waisted trousers. Named "Leather Dandy," the collection embraced sleek, assertive silhouettes that celebrated power without sacrificing elegance.
The interplay of leather and felt created a rich textural contrast, lending depth to sharply structured coats and minimalist deep-V dresses adorned with brogue-inspired detailing. Riding influences were apparent but reimagined: quilted jackets, high-heeled brogues, and belted silhouettes hinted at tradition while feeling unmistakably contemporary. The accessories reinforced this refined yet rebellious spirit—petite saddle bags and polished silver hardware exuded understated luxury.
Rather than veering into overt provocation, Vanhée’s vision thrived in restraint. Her designs balanced confidence with an ease of wear, rejecting oversized shapes in favour of perfectly fitted tailoring that skimmed rather than constricted. The result was a collection that felt inherently modern—empowered, sophisticated, and quietly subversive. With this offering, Vanhée didn’t just celebrate the house’s heritage; she propelled it forward with a decisively new attitude.
COMME DES GARÇONS
review by FIONA FROMMELT
all images COMME DES GARÇONS via vogue.com
“Small can be mighty” and in this case the smaller the stronger. Rei Kawakubo created a fantastical runway. In the house's typical air of collage, the looks felt unreal, almost like filters, and they were a true testament to the unwavering creativity it takes to continue creating such collections.
The dresses were both graphical and sculptural, playing with themes of extrapolation, spheres, and negative space. Circles, squares, and triangles shaped the silhouettes, their forms exaggerated through layering, duplication, and sheer volume. The grand headwear completed these themes by sometimes doubling in size, amounts or imitating hair itself. Once again, Rei Kawakubo created more than fashion; it was art and an inspiration to everyone's imagination.
PALOMA WOOL
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images PALOMA WOOL provided by the brand
Paloma Wool’s Autumn/Winter 2025 show felt like a gathering of close friends, set in the quiet, intimate space of the Lycée Henri-IV library. With guests seated under soft reading lights, the atmosphere was warm and personal—perfect for a collection that explored clothing as a way to store memories and identity.
The looks stayed true to Paloma Wool’s signature casual, effortless vibe but with fun, unexpected twists. Styling choices like a single leg warmer, layered sweaters over both shirts and leather jackets, and loose, draped fabrics added a sense of spontaneity. The collection played with wrapping and movement, creating a relaxed but considered silhouette. Menswear elements, like structured shoulders and tailored pieces, balanced the softness of flowing dresses and knitwear.
Knitwear remained a highlight, this time with three-dimensional geometric details that added texture and depth. Everything felt easy yet intentional—perfect for someone who wants to look put together without overthinking it. FW25 showed that Paloma Wool still knows how to mix simplicity with a bit of the unexpected, keeping things fresh while staying true to its roots.
ANN DEMEULEMEESTER
review by FIONA FROMMELT
all images ANN DEMEULEMEESTER provided by the brand
We have been taken on a journey down the ‘road to never’– a collection for true romantics (and Ann lovers). The runway unraveled like a boho-chic, pirate-inspired tale. Dark, mysterious, and rebellious, Stefano Gallici wove together the raw and the refined, the untamed and the elegant.
The collection leaned into pirate aesthetics. Grand silhouettes flowed down the runway, with layers being ever present. Knit techniques mimicking nets. Feathers draped across chests, fur on almost floor length vests, leathers and denims mixed, while lace and silk added a softer touch. Bishop sleeves dominated dresses and jackets, adding a regal yet untamed energy. Tops, cinched and ruched, channeled a pirate’s effortless dishevelment, while oversized frills brought drama.
But the headwear stole the show. Pirate-meets-witch, it blurred the line between rebellion and mysticism. Wide-brimmed hats and headbands framed the faces beneath, tying the collection together with an air of defiance.
MCQUEEN
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images MCQUEEN provided by the brand
Sean McGirr’s latest collection for Alexander McQueen transported us through time, blending Victorian Gothic influences with a modern, self-assured edge. A mirrored portal set at an unsettling angle hinted at the journey ahead—one inspired by the nocturnal wanderings of Dickensian London. McGirr, drawing from ‘Night Walks’, imagined his flâneur as a figure of conviction, seamlessly merging historical elegance with contemporary attitude.
From the first look, the show radiated confidence. A peak-shouldered coat, laced ruff, and razor-sharp tailoring set the tone, recalling Victorian formality while remaining undeniably bold. The collection’s suits, with their narrow silhouettes and corseted waists, were punctuated by ethereal, ruffled silk dresses in hues lifted from ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. Philip Treacy’s gentlemanly hats, slightly kinked as a nod to Wilde, reinforced the air of subversive refinement.
McGirr blurred gender lines with intricate gold bullion embroidery adorning both structured bombers and sweeping capes, while sporty jackets took on his-and-hers iterations. The standout pieces, however, were the angel-wing shearling jackets—textural masterpieces that moved with a haunting beauty. As Dickens once wrote, "The sum of the whole is this: Walk and be happy; walk and be healthy." With this collection, McGirr offered a wardrobe for those unafraid to embrace transformation.