History Ruled The Runway At Paris Haute Couture Week’s Fall 2025 Shows

And just like that, Paris Haute Couture Week has come to a close. For the Fall 2025 season, avant-garde creations took on a more wearable format—though some brands leaned into the category’s artistic flair for the dramatic to express hope amidst dark times. Though their aesthetics varied, one clear theme commanded the Week’s collections: history. Across brands from Maison Margiela—where Glenn Martens made his much-anticipated debut for the label’s Artisanal line—to  Schiaparelli, designers made deep cuts to reference their predecessors’ early works, key house codes, and specific time periods. Below, discover the top labels that made a splash throughout the latest haute couture season.

Maison Margiela

Couture Week closed with one of the year’s most anticipated designer debuts: Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela. Martens showed a darkly enchanting collection as his first for the label’s Maison Margiela Artisanal line, combining Martin Margiela’s archival designs with punky inspirations of medieval architecture, Gothic structures, and the culture of the Netherlands and Flanders. The Fall 2025 collection featured an array of intricate ensembles, separates, and gowns, elevated by details from hand-painted embossed floral patterns and prints, three-dimensional textures with colors from Dutch nature paintings, and glittering allover beading. Each model notably wore a coordinating or sheer mask, while a reimagined Smashing Pumpkins soundtrack brought a hauntingly enchanting effect to the show. The show had a slew of starry front row guests as well, including Cardi B, Dianna Aaron, Taissa Farmiga, Gabbriette, Law Roach, Tessa Thompson, Matty Healy, and more.

All images: Courtesy of Maison Margiela

Schiaparelli 

At Schiaparelli, creative director Daniel Roseberry dove into Elsa Schiaparelli’s early collection photographs from the 1930’s with a more tonal take on haute couture—and what well were in the future. Inspired by the images’ black-and-white composition, Roseberry presented his Fall 2025 “Back to the Future” couture collection in a nearly all-black, white, and gray palette—though pops of metallics and deep red pervaded. Sophisticated coats, skirt suits, and silky gowns nodded to classic formality, as well as elegant pieces referencing Schiaparelli’s own eveningwear, signature embroidered jackets, and celestial “Apollo of Versailles” embroidered cape. Meanwhile, surrealist edge shone from allover eye embroidery, sheer paneling, and dynamic pieces like a shimmering silver biker jacket and leather harness corset. Though Roseberry’s anatomical Schiaparelli references were less present (which he singled as an ongoing movement to the press), he made waves with a sculptural, backwards-shaped red dress topped with a glittering beating crystal heart—which arguably became Couture Week’s most viral moment.

All images: Courtesy of Schiaparelli 

Germanier

Kevin Germanier made a splash for his second namesake haute couture collection, aiming to push design’s limits with bursts of color and shine. His resulting Germanier line, inspired by joy itself, shone with heavily embroidered dresses and separates made with his signature bead weaving. Vibrant hues of pink, green, red, blue, orange, and gold shimmered and sparkled across sculptural raffia gown accents from a collaboration with Brazilian artist Gustavo Silvestre, as well as a wide range of shiny metallic balloon dresses. The line was also packed with prints, with Germanier experimenting with patterns from polka dots to stripes and leopard spots. For additional sustainability, he crafted multiple looks with upcycled leather originally used in Eurovision costumes, as well as a finale gown crafted with recycled Japanese paper—plus a shimmering set that will be turned into sequins for his next collection.

All images: Courtesy of Germanier 

Chanel

Chanel returned to the Grand Palais for its Fall 2025 haute couture collection, held in the venue’s Salon d’Honneur. Inspired by the simplicity of nature and Chanel’s 31 rue Cambon ateliers, the line was the last created by the label’s in-house team before new creative director Matthieu Blazy‘s first runway arrives in October. Tweed skirt suits, separates, and dresses were crafted in smooth knits and soft mohair, cast in tonal shades of deep gold, cream, plum, black, and dark green. Added levity came from multicolored flowers, seen in embroidery on dresses and coats. Wheat ears—which Gabrielle Chanel saw as a symbol of abundance—were prominent throughout the collection, embroidered across dresses, embossed on sparkling buttons, and clutched in a golden bouquet held by the show’s finale bride. A star-studded crowd was in attendance for the occasion as well, including Lorde, Gracie Abrams, Keira Knightley, Naomi Campbell, Laufey, Kirsten Dunst, Sofia Coppola, Romy Mars, Cosima Mars, Marion Cotillard, and more.

All images: Courtesy of Chanel 

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