Haute Couture SS25: A return to the tried and tested and a debut at Valentino

In Paris this week, fashion houses relied on proven formulas, striving for light, feminine collections. Brands like Chanel emphasised their visual codes, while others, such as Dior and Schiaparelli, also played with classic silhouettes. Only the Couture Week debutantes dared to experiment.

Established codes

As the oldest, still active couture house in the world, Chanel celebrated 110 years of Haute Couture this season with many references to its heritage. The runway in the Parisian Grand Palais consisted of two intertwined letter Cs, the insignia of founder Coco Chanel and the now unmistakable logo of the brand.

Ahead of the arrival of future creative director Matthieu Blazy, the Haute Couture collection, designed by the creative studio, reflected on the house's traditions. Tweed suits with the signature button plackets were iterated upon extensively; long black bows adorned the collars of blouses and jackets – all looks consistently paired with the iconic two-tone sandals. Glittering tweed, lace, and pastel silks brought a lightness to the collection.

The dizzying heights of craftsmanship

This season, Schiaparelli moved further away from the sensational designs that creative director Daniel Roseberry drew from the surrealist heritage of the eponymous founder during the fashion house's revival. He continued to play with reality, but with quieter details rooted in the essence of couture – craftsmanship.

A striking example was a corseted bustier dress: Exaggerated hips played with the classic corset shape, while more than 3,000 appliquéd trompe l'œil satin pearls toyed with our perception. They also demonstrated the house's skill and its exploration of the possibilities of couture.

Fittingly, the title of the SS25 show was "Icarus" – borrowed from the tragic Greek mythological figure who fell from the sky because he flew too close to the sun and the gods with his wax-held wings. "Haute Couture strives to reach great heights; it promises to escape our complex reality," said Roseberry in the show notes. "It also reminds us that perfection comes at a price."

Fairy-tale girl world

The Parisian fashion house Dior also demonstrated the physical craftsmanship of its couture atelier, while escaping reality in spirit. Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri drew inspiration from the trapeze line of the young Yves Saint Laurent for Dior from 1958 and the Cigale silhouette that the house's founder himself designed for a 1952 couture show.

Crinolines appeared repeatedly between the historical inspirations – enveloped in tulle or embellished with fringes and floral embroidery. Puff-sleeved tops and small lace bloomers, along with Iroquois-style feather hair ornaments, gave the collection a girlish, slightly rebellious touch. The escape from reality into a wonderland of styles was completed by the naive imagery of artist Rithika Merchant in the background of the runway.

What are the boundaries of couture?

Contrary to the trend of elegant evening gowns and light dresses, designer Alessandro Michele ventured into comparatively heavier fare during his Haute Couture debut at the Roman fashion house Valentino.

He remained true to his maximalist style and seemed to explore not only the limits of Valentino's atelier's craftsmanship, but also the history of couture across centuries and continents, given the abundance of different styles and looks.

The first look, a harlequin tulle dress, involved 1,300 hours of handwork. And the list displayed in the background of the show, relating to the dress, contained more than 60 keywords of Michele's associations – such as "Commedia dell'arte, Graphism, 341 Sky, Middle Ages, Bustier, Dramaturgy, Vitruvius, 16th century…". And so it continued for the next 47 looks.

Just pretty enough?

In the procession of collections aiming for lightness, airiness, and beauty, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, as guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier, reminded us that couture can also paint a different picture of gender. The fashion designer, known and successful for his gender-fluid designs, played with Gaultier's maritime signatures. But instead of well-heeled ladies on a cruise, he dressed lascivious, sensual creatures from the depths of the oceans – and appeared himself at the end in a black, off-the-shoulder dress with a tightly cinched waist.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.DE. It was translated to English using AI and edited by Rachel Douglass.

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