Paris witnessed its hottest Haute Couture Week of the year as blazing August weather matched the blazing enthusiasm of celebrity attendees and world‑class designers.
Brands such as Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, Dior and Chanel presented collections that required hundreds of hours of hand‑craftsmanship, each daring to break new artistic ground.
Exclusive events attracted a galaxy of stars, from Bad Bunny who stole the show at Schiaparelli with a butter‑yellow suit, to Cardi B who slipped into a Robert Wun haute couture look. Even Emma Corrin dazzled with a pastel feather jacket that added dramatic edge to the collection.
Schiaparelli’s creative director Daniel Roseberry framed the Autumn/Winter run in a theme called ‘The Call of the Void’, an invitation to surrender to an unknown creative process.
At Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli returned to the founder’s iconic shapes, encouraging models to dance within feather‑coated cocoons against an outdoor backdrop that offered breathing space in the heat.
Jean Paul Gaultier’s fresh creative lead Duran Lantink revealed a collection inspired by Marie Antoinette’s style, merging fantasy with contemporary playfulness for a stunning runway finale.
Chanel embraced a whimsical fairy‑tale outlook, with vines and beanstalks framing models holding a book of stories once owned by Coco herself, turning the runway into an escape from reality.
Christian Dior’s Jonathan Anderson, who produced the bridal look for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding, showcased accordion‑styled dresses infused with sculptor Lynda Benglis‑inspired layers, which hinted at a forthcoming couture wedding dress.
Iris van Herpen’s scientific collection highlighted glowing plasma‑embedded glass tubes creating sparkling, ethereal silhouettes, demonstrating the designer’s commitment to innovative material science.
Alexis Mabille delivered a dual‑theme collection where each garment transformed mid‑runway, moving from one texture to another while playing with colours such as black, silver and gold, a nod to versatility and surprise.
Under a scorching sky, the week proved that couture can stay lavish and forward‑thinking, embracing technological and environmental inspirations while captivating the brightest names in music and film.
