Cocoon Coats, Ruffled Collars, and More Stunning Looks From Paris Fashion Week

After a month-long parade of shows, Fashion Month has officially come to an end with Paris Fashion Week, and it certainly ended on a high note. The Paris schedule was jam-packed with shows that let designers flex their creative muscles and push the boundaries of taste and style to the extreme.

Ready-to-wear from Dior, McQueen, and Louis Vuitton combined notions from the past and future with Elizabethan frilled collars, poet blouses, and doublet jackets cut and adorned with modern finishes. At Alaïa and Issey Miyake, clothes took on a life of their own with outlandish volumes and surprising silhouettes that turned the everyday wardrobe on its head, whereas brands like Chloé, Gabriela Hearst, and Stella McCartney offered pieces that could be worn any and everywhere.

Buzzy debuts added excitement to storied brands like Julian Klausner at Dries Van Noten and Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford, who pushed the houses' respective style codes forward with their designs. Elsewhere, the in-house design team at Chanel delivered a charming collection that played off the brand's iconography while they await the arrival of Matthieu Blazy at the helm.

Ahead are InStyle's picks for the best looks from Paris Fashion Week fall/winter 2025.

Dior

For Dior’s fall/winter 2025 collection, Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri borrowed a page from Virginia Woolf’s Elizabethan novel, Orlando. The designer fashioned models in clothes that played up the androgynous romanticism of the book’s eponymous character while marrying the past and looking toward the future. This vision came to life in the form of models traversing through an ever-changing runway, complete with boulders and icebergs, wearing frilled collars and sleeves on sharp suits and edgy bombers, masculine doublet jackets worn with iconic “J’dore Dior” T-shirts, intricately embroidered sculptural bell skirts, and decadent evening column dresses.

Ganni

Sometimes, you don’t need to leave the house to find sartorial inspiration, or at least that’s what Ganni's creative director, Ditte Reffstrup, wanted to portray with the brand's fall/winter 2025 collection. Home fabrics and furnishings served as the starting point for Reffstrup’s designs, which was apparent in her stiff silhouettes, like skirts that mirrored lampshade covers and cape-detailed blouses and dresses that evoked the drape of curtains.

Alaïa

Pieter Mulier never fails to impress us with his forward-thinking designs, and this season, he took a tubular take on fashion for Alaïa’s fall/winter 2025 collection. His collection was packed with bold looks that pushed the envelope on traditional silhouettes. Nearly all of Mulier’s pieces that swished down the runway featured precise pleating, witty knits, and constructed curvature that warped the models’ bodies into walking architectural masterpieces. 

Casablanca

Creative director Charaf Tajer is a self-taught designer who has constantly been striving to build up the brand he founded in 2018, so it makes sense that he referenced the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen for his fall collection. Kaizen encourages its practitioners to continuously seek improvement, and this was apparent in Tajer’s strongest collection for the brand thus far, which was full of wearable yet fun pieces of street and cheeky evening wear with Kawaii-twist.

Dries Van Noten

Julian Klausner’s debut collection as the head of Dries Van Noren was nothing short of magical. Having worked as the brand’s head of womenswear, Klausner knew the brand’s design DNA like the back of his hand. With this collection, he was able to take that DNA and evolve it with a magpie sensibility of sexier silhouettes, ultra-luxe materials, and punchy prints. The overall effect gave a sense of fashionable freedom that will no doubt be a throughline of Klausner's reign at the brand.

Cecilie Bahnsen

Since its inception, the design ethos of Cecilie Bahnsen's eponymous brand has been unapologetically feminine, full of frills, florals, and frocks. However, for her fall collection, Bahnsen went down the more adventourous route, fashioning her woman in the same familiar feminity except this time equipped with utilitarian amenities like puffer hybrid skirts, padded dresses strapped for extra protection, and hiking sneakers that could take her delicate designs into any terrain.

Stella McCartney

"Welcome to Stella Corp" was the message that scrolled on computer screens in the office setup for Stella McCartney's fall offerings. With this in mind, it became apparent with this collection that even though McCartney might not be the biggest brand on the block, she means big business. Models were dressed in opulent officewear that would put any ordinary siren to shame. Simple sweater and pencil skirt sets were transformed with linebacker shoulders and textured leather, a secretary's dress was twisted into silky shapes, and suits strayed from the finance bro formula.

Acne Studios

The contrast between nature and urban cities was explored in Jonny Johansson's fall collection for Acne Studios, where models walked in a myriad of clothes that were both fabulous and fuzzy. Faux furs and polar bear prints gave the impression of letting one's feral sartorial instincts take over, while Nordic fair isle sweaters paid homage to Johansson's roots. Although the great outdoors served as inspiration, these were clothes that could be worn in any landscape.

Tom Ford

It’s no easy task to take over a brand built on the singular vision of its founder and move it forward, but, unsurprisingly to most, Haider Ackermann was able to do just that. Ackermann combined his more demure sensibilities with the stylish sensuality that Ford established as the brand’s calling card. Clean lines, bright colors, and androgynous cuts paid homage but never felt overtly referential to the past. We’ll call it minimal maximalism.

Balmain

Olivier Rousteing unleashed his wild side with Balmain’s fall collection, showcasing clothes made for the urban jungle and beyond. After 14 years at the brand's helm, Rousteing has made his mark on the industry by taking house signatures and making them his own. With this collection, he took Balmain's bold silhouettes and infused them with a safari-like sophistication with fashion-forward animal motifs like heavily beaded zebra prints, heavy leather outerwear, and small resin tiles assembled to mimic the look of crocodile skins.

Chloé

Chemena Kamali continued her bohemian renaissance at Chloé with a stellar collection of all the design hallmarks that have made her short time at the brand so instantly iconic and wearable. There were boho blouses, billowing gowns, and sophisticated '70s suits that were given the chic yet effortless Chloé touch that all fell in line with what we have come to expect from Kamali. However, she introduced more structure through defined shoulders, smart separates, and heavier materials for fall/winter 2025, which gave us the inclination that we've only begun to see that magic Kamali can cast at Chloé.

Off-White

Off-White's Creative Director Ib Kamara transported us to a "State Of Resistance" with his fall collection, presenting clothes that personified the idea of strength and perseverance in times of peril. Pieces typically thought of as everyday streetwear were toughened up with scuba meets racing sensibility, with stretchy bodycon dresses adorned with studs, tracksuits made in tweed covered with sequins, and denim sets that looked like suits of armor.

Schiaparelli

Daniel Roseberry is perhaps one of the most famous American-born designers working in Paris at the moment, so for Schiaparelli's fall collection, he paid homage to his Texan roots. Models sauntered down a mirrored runway in masterful looks that were more haute than hoedown but still winked at Western style. Fuzzy coats resembled bison furs, and leather fringes adorned sleeves and hems while cowboy belts were layered upon each other or blown to gigantic proportions for an even more playful touch.

Isabel Marant

'80s New Wave met Indiesleaze at the Isabel Marant show, complete with models in Boy George-worthy jackets, blouses covered in chains and safety pins, delicate lace ruffles, legs wrapped in floral lace fishnet tights, slouchy leather ankle boots, and plenty of attitude. The overall effect was a clear reminder of how the brand, now in its third decade, has continued to stay relevant while remaining true to its free-spirited style.

Issey Miyake

At Issey Miyake, the way we wear clothes was turned upside down, inside out, and everything in between. Playful subversion is what continues to make the Issey Miyake show one to watch. On the runway pants took the place of sweaters, knitted gloves wrapped around the neck like scarves, and pronounced pleats made voluminous pieces take on a life of their own as they morphed models into moving statues. A series of oversized shopping bag shapes worn as tops served as a whimsical touch to the collection.

Nina Ricci

Harris Reed proved that faux fur can be fabulous at the Nina Ricci, where models were fitted in resplendent fashions that recalled the decadence of the ‘80s mixed with the carefreeness of the roaring ‘20s. Almost every look had a touch of faux fur in the form of stoles wrapped over the shoulders and tied with silk ribbon, fluffy coats that enveloped their wearers, and full collars that kissed models' cheeks, adding even more richness to the technicolor palette of jewel tones and snappy prints.

Victoria Beckham

The Victoria Beckham show has become one where you never quite know what to expect. Last season, Beckham presented clothes that had a liquified, fluid look, and this time around, she continued to play with formality and the shape of the body. They had hems that rolled up into scroll-like shapes, chiffon gowns with starburst cutouts defined by hard wiring, and, for the finale look, a terry cloth robe top tucked into a pair of black satin tuxedo trousers.

Hermés

Simple can be both strong and sultry. Nadège Vanhée at Hermès stripped away the frills and flash of her ready-to-wear, letting the superb craftsmanship of the pieces shine through. Wardrobe essentials like long-sleeved sweaters, shift dresses, blazers, and leather bottoms felt seductively unfussy. Accessories included knitted fingerless gloves, classic handbags, and patent leather knee boots in dark berry hues, which added sleek polish to the looks.

Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood

Andreas Kronthaler used Shakespeare's famous line "All the world's a stage and all the men and women are merely players" from As You Like It to inspire his fall collection for Vivienne Westwood. And the players wearing Kronthaler's designs aren't afraid to lean into unapologetic fun of fashion. Suits were shrunken and supersized while dresses were of the elegant and eclectic variety.

McQueen

Dark decadence filled the McQueen collection, furthering Seán McGirr's romantic vision for the brand. The clothes looked as though they were plucked from the age of Marie Antoinette but were firmly fit for now. Flouncy ruffled blouses worn with sharp suits, frocks in sorbet shades, and beaded floral prints had a rich quality with just the right edge to them to keep them from going too twee.

Lacoste

Creative director Pelagia Kolotouros presented a collection that played into the brand's tennis roots and sought to inspire the socialites and sports lovers alike to add Lacoste to their wardrobe rotation beyond the court. Long-sleeved polo sweaters worn over sheer skirts with beaded embroidery and generously tailored silk suits were certainly evening wear ready. While the classic tennis dress in loose, breezy fabrics looked effortlessly cool.

Valentino

Alessandro Michele's middle name should be maximalism because if there's one thing that can be expected from his work, it's overt opulence. His indiscrete disdain for the boring makes his collections so fun. Stick to Michele's tried-and-true formula of frills, frills, and yes, even more frills. But don't take his spirited style as unserious, as these aren't clothes for the serious lovers of fashion who aren't afraid to dig into their pocketbooks to snag the look.

Balenciaga

Business went bold at Balenciaga, where models walked a maze-like runway in sophisticated office siren attire mixed with a bit of streetwear. The looks ranged from corseted white button-downs paired with crisp skirts flared at the knee to grand takes on coats and trenches that were more couture than corporate. Collaborating with Puma, the sportswear section of the collection felt provocative with zipped-down tops in clingy neoprene-like fabrics and "swimdresses," which combined bright one-piece swimsuits with floor-sweeping trains.

Akris

The hues of a thunderstorm served as the color palette at Akris, with splashes of electric blue and midnight navy throughout the collection. Smooth suits with slightly shortened sleeves and roomy trousers played with proportion while dresses came in head-to-toe ruffles and prints that looked like light reflections bouncing off water.

Marine Serre

With seven years in business under her belt, Marine Serre really hit her stride this season, showing a strong, confident, and unapologetically “her” collection. Serre’s always features a catsuit that shrouds its wearer’s identity, and this time around, it was made in head-to-toe leather and tattooed with the brand’s iconic crescent moon print, which felt like an elevated evolution of the visual cues that cemented her popularity. Serre also showed subversive lingerie-inspired pieces paired with sporty outerwear and even had a mini dress made entirely of watches.

Gabriela Hearst

There was a real sense of comfort in the clothes that Gabriela Hearst showed for her fall collection. The focus was not so much on the soft and cozy (although the super rich textures and materials would certainly provide that) but more so that these clothes shed the preciousness and pretense that far too many brands concern themselves with and solely focus on wearability. One could see an entire wardrobe based on these pieces, which is what makes a collection a success.

Zimmermann

The Zimmermann show was a delightful mix of nostalgia and modernity, with models clad in autumnal-colored clothes that were a bit of boho meets English countryside. Standouts included sturdy outerwear in tweeds and slick leathers worn with free-spirited slip dresses trimmed with delicate lace, dark washed denim trousers, and knee-high riding boots, giving an overall effortless effect.

Louis Vuitton

Nicolas Ghesquière took his girl on the go for fall with a collection inspired by transportation and transformation. Ghesquière knows how to keep things moving, and his collections for Louis Vuitton always feel forward-thinking, so this idea of travel was the perfect catalyst for his pieces. Held at a secret train station, the models wore glittering skirts, embellished sweater dresses, and cocoon coats that had a real sense of movement and a sense of true individuality.

Chanel

As the last collection before Matthieu Blazy's debut, the in-house design team at Chanel delivered charming clothes that upheld and remixed the brand's dress codes. Tweed twinsets and chunky knits came in poppy shades like cherry and pistachio, denim turned into floaty, sheer pieces, and, of course, a splattering of bold baubles. Sautoir necklaces and chain belts added sophisticated shine to the looks, and some handbags were even made to look like a giant strand of pearls strewn across models' shoulders.

Saint Laurent

Strong silhouettes took hold of Anthony Vaccarello's collection for Saint Laurent, with nary a "le smoking" suit in sight. After dressing Zoe Saldaña all awards season, Vaccarello let his eveningwear and outerwear prowess shine bright with this collection, where models sauntered about in jewel-toned silk sheath dresses and coats cinched at the waist with contrasting sashes, dropwaist leather jackets with bold shoulders, and roomy turtleneck sweaters worn over floor-sweeping ball skirts.

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