I covered the Spring/Summer 2025 Paris Fashion Week, held from September 23 to October 1, 2024. The "quiet luxury" trend that had been around for several seasons faded, and decorativeism returned this season! The mesmerizing, intricate decorations, which fully utilized the craftsmanship that is the essence and legacy of major fashion houses, reaffirmed the power of fashion as an antidote to our chaotic times. At the same time, the business side of things seemed to be geared toward the wealthy in a society experiencing increasing polarization. The keywords were "lightness" and "softness," creating a soft, airy atmosphere. Layers of flowing and flowing fabrics like chiffon and organza, as well as sheer fabrics, combined with ruffles and frills, created a fluid, airy feel, creating a sweet and inviting mood. Pale nuances of powder colors adorned the runway, making it seem as though one were receiving color therapy.

It's not only a practical idea for stylishly surviving the intense heat of spring and summer brought about by climate change, but it also provides a sense of mental lightness and healing, encouraging us to relax in this modern world. Paris Fashion Week is uplifting, stirring emotions and encouraging reflection. It's an intense few days, providing stimulation and inspiration that reaches deep into the soul. Each brand has its own guidelines and market, so there's no right or wrong; everyone is different, and everyone's good. Since it's impossible to generalize as the best collection, I'd like to introduce the "best" in various senses through a "random ranking" based on my personal opinion.

Photo by ELIE


Best “Collaboration to Whet Your Purchase”: Cecilie Bahnsen

Held a show inside an abandoned building, Danish brand Cecilie Bahnsen unveiled a collection inspired by the natural mountain scenery photographed by Japanese photographer Takashi Homma, with whom the brand has collaborated many times. In addition to their collaborative sneakers with Asics, which sell out immediately upon release, this season the brand has also announced their first collaboration with outdoor wear brand The North Face.

Photo by ELIE
Classic items from The North Face, such as mountain jackets and duffel bags, have been reinterpreted in a girly and feminine way, with Cecilie Bahnsen's signature floral motifs and appliqués. Even though I'm an indoor person, wearing these pieces might make me want to head to the mountains (?). Of course, the pieces could also be worn as urban wear, which really gets me wanting to buy them. This season in particular, I've been eye-catching with the styling of anoraks paired over slip dresses and cocktail dresses seen on the runways of Numero Ventuno and Miu Miu, so I'd like to try some new sporty items.

Photo by ELIE


Best “Awesome Celebrity Guest to Watch”: Acne Studios

When it comes to fashion week these days, the hottest topic is undoubtedly the attendance of K-pop stars. Having a celebrity at a show naturally attracts attention, but the passion of K-pop star fans is on a whole different level from that of Western celebrities. Some fans even wait around the show venue the night before, hoping to catch a glimpse of their arrival.

Photo by ELIE
As someone who isn't particularly familiar with K-Pop, movie stars, or celebrities, I don't get excited no matter who's in attendance, but there is one exception. Utada Hikaru is a star who is recognized by all Japanese people as one of Japan's most iconic stars! Born in 1989, she's from a completely different generation, and I don't have a particularly strong image of her as a fashion icon, so her presence at the show was a bit of a surprise and got me super excited. She's visited Sacai several times before, and this season was her first time attending the Acne Studios show. Photography and interviews were prohibited, but Utada was sitting across the runway from where I was sitting! I thought it would be a great opportunity to take a sneak peek, but I decided not to. Her presence as an artist has reached a deified level, and even from afar she seemed to exude a divine aura, and I found myself captivated throughout the show.

Acne Studios SS25/Hikaru Utada PHOTO by VICTOR BOYKO


Best “Surrealist Artisan”: Loewe

Loewe is in great form and this season again does not disappoint. Each season, the brand develops the artistic style of "Surrealism," which continues to thrive in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This season, starting from the question, "What happens when you remove all noise?", the brand explored new silhouettes by thoroughly stripping away everything.

Photo by ELIE
Inspired by the souvenirs available at art museums with projections of artists' paintings, the T-shirt features feathers on the front and a print on top. The micro-mini dress, which is almost a top, is made of thinly sliced mother-of-pearl pieced together like a puzzle, and when illuminated, it emits a rainbow-colored light, creating a fantastical atmosphere. This undulating, bulbous dress, crafted by hand from delicately torn thin silk and combined with pony hair, organza, and cable, took three artisans 10 hours to create.

Photo by ELIE
This season's key look, a silk georgette hoop dress with a lightweight crinoline lining, was crafted with the help of various experts using a wire frame as light as a tennis racket. The lighter it is, the more it bounces and sways with the wearer's movements. The commitment to developing and improving materials and techniques to bring out this nuance of lightness is truly artisanal. Check out the video of the artisans at work posted on Loewe's official Instagram.

Photo by ELIE


Best "Instinctual Heart-Pounding Collection": Miu Miu

At the show held on the final day of Paris Fashion Week, a fictional newspaper titled "The Truthless Times" was distributed at the venue, and the set was decorated to resemble a printing factory. With newspapers zipping around the space on a conveyer belt, the brand unveiled a collection that reinterpreted children's wardrobes in collaboration with Petit Bateau, a historic French children's clothing brand.

Photo by ELIE
We can't help but be thrilled by this look that takes us back to our childhood, ignores the rules, and freely combines our favorite items! Not only is her styling free-spirited, but her outfits are also free-spirited, with shirts worn diagonally or in knots, and the casual, rough feel of the details is just as cute. If we can't quite put into words what it is that makes our hearts beat so fast, perhaps it's because we're "instinctually" drawn to it.

Photo by ELIE
In reality, when it comes to the things, events, and people that we truly love, isn't there really no reason for it? Surely that is what "instinct" is, and it touches our hearts unconditionally. It was as if this message, telling us that we who live in an "age without truth," need to recapture the innocence of childhood, a time when information and noise don't reach us and we're unconstrained by stereotypes, and awaken our "instincts."

Photo by ELIE


Vest: An "Otherworldly silhouette that captivates from all angles": Sacai

Like Loewe, mentioned earlier, Sacai continues to explore new silhouettes, and in its 25th year since founding, it seemed to have taken its level up even further. Familiar basic items such as blazers, trench coats, and blouses were given otherworldly silhouettes through three-dimensional structures, with the fabric cut and draped, or assembled into ruffle decorations. This season, very few models appeared carrying bags, reflecting the designer's desire and confidence to "focus on the clothes." The complex structures, backed by advanced patterning techniques, seem impossible to unravel unless you look closely—or even if you look closely. As one of Japan's leading brands, Sacai stands out at Paris Fashion Week and continues to grow in influence. Sacai's insatiable curiosity creates innovative silhouettes that are a favorite among fashion industry professionals, constantly craving freshness. There's plenty more to come! Congratulations on your 25th anniversary!

Photo by ELIE



Photo by ELIE