PARIS FASHION WEEK MENSWEAR FALL/WINTER 2025: DAY 1
words NIA TOPALOVA and ELIANA CASA
editors MARIE-PAULINE CESARI and MAREK BARTEK
AURALEE
all images AURALEE via vogue.com
Paris Fashion Week is finally here! On the very first day Auralee presented their Men’s Fall Winter 2025-26 Collection, adding a rock twist to your office wear. Ryota Iwai, the founder of the Japanese brand, once said she always envisions her collections to be worn “in the morning light”. This collection embodied her sense of authenticity, elegance and gentle formality. Ryota made sure her designs were perfectly constructed, functional, and comfortable. Each collection begins with a search for the finest raw materials and yarns, sourced both in Japan and globally. We’ve seen the approach of combining casual and corporate in her previous collections, but this time she went all in experimenting with layering sweatshirts under dresses and suits, and mixing leather with tailored suits. The colours of this season were flashy red and radiant blue, but there was also a softer side, typical for Auralee – soft-pastel knitwear adding a contrast to the vibrant palette.
VALETTE STUDIO
image credit VALETTE STUDIO by Marie-Pauline Cesari
The pamphlet read: “David Bowie’s Berlin era and his electric nights, the cold wave and the thrill of cruising, black sunglasses in the fog..” and Pierre-François Valette gave us exactly that. The collection was set in the evening mood, almost positively unisex and full of contrasts. Precise cuts counterbalanced draping, and the fine finishings worked with structured shapes of wide shoulders. True to the character of the brand, we could see many iconic pieces reimagined into new and fresh versions, be that trench coat evening dress, shearling jacket or a trench coat jumpsuit (buttoned to the top, yes). The colours were primarily black, white and grey (coming in all shades). With styling of, for example, white tie over a white shirt, everything felt quite toned down but at the same time it allowed fabrics to come forth. Wrinkle-free technical wool, wool voile, velvet jersey or devoré velvet on denim base were extremely tactile, not even mentioning the lacquered cotton details. The collection was tied together by the red soles of Louboutin, who Valette collaborated with for this show.
LOUIS VUITTON
George Orwell once said, “Who controls the past controls the future,” and at Louis Vuitton, this sentiment was felt in every detail. As guests entered the venue, they paused to take selfies through a large lens-like video camera, with the LV logo gleaming against the Musée du Louvre’s walls, and the warm glow of Place du Carrousel reflected in the background.
Inside, a pristine white circular runway designed by Wonderwall, resembled the sleek geometry of an airport terminal. On one side, as L’Orchestre du Pont Neuf tuned their instruments to play Nobuo Uematsu’s “One Winged Angel”, models entered the space.
all images LOUIS VUITTON provided by the brand
The Louis Vuitton Men’s FW25 collection was all about synergy, with the pamphlet titled ‘Remember The Future’ offering a glimpse of what was to come. Creative Director Pharrell Williams and Kenzo’s Nigo made a long-awaited artistic return through a collaboration that still managed to surprise. Subculture, streetwear, and representation united in a collection rich with archival twentieth-century references that Nigo knows so well. Could it be that the only way forward lies in revisiting the past? The answer is “yes”. Nigo’s Japanese heritage and Pharrell’s distinct aesthetic blended seamlessly, evoking a sense of community, typical of the brand’s vision. Their profiles appeared in graphics, symbolising unity and enduring friendship.
Those strutting down the runway were not just models, but the generation of tomorrow. The Louis Vuitton man is the modern dandy—but instead of carrying a stick and a hat, he was pushing the Dandy Lamier Leather goods line in its oversized pillow-y leather sneakers.
all images LOUIS VUITTON provided by the brand
On the Damier Scribble bags, Nigo’s handwritten words "Louis Vuitton" and "LVERS" in French and Japanese evoked a sense of unity, reflected in the outerwear. Puffer jackets, suits, knits, parkas, and denim were all adorned with Louis Vuitton and Japanese iconography. The Dandy Monogram and Damier drew from Japanese tea ceremonies and Kasuri, while Cherry Blossom Damoflage paid tribute to sakura. The same shade in ties (squared) also appeared in knits, and the urban suits. The tones shifted from soft beiges and yuzu yellows to deeper navy and blacks. As SEVENTEEN’s ‘Bad Influence’ played, the motifs intensified, with LV camouflage, leopard prints, and monogram patterns blending seamlessly. Leather pieces and the NVV tote bags line return, celebrating LV’s 20th anniversary in Japan, back in 2002. Pharrell and Nigo’s attention to detail shined through: nails painted with camouflage patterns and rockabilly sunglasses with diamond-cut lenses, reviving the Millionaires 1.0 from 2004. ‘Timeless’ playing in the background perfectly encapsulated that feeling.
The past was ever-present, even in the set design, with repurposed wooden vitrines displaying artifacts from Pharrell, Nigo, and Louis Vuitton’s legacy. To the notes of “LV Bag”, the duo shared a heartfelt hug, while LV artisans greeted them at the end of the show with another embrace.