Highlights from this season's most spectacular couture collections
From Chanel and Dior to Schiaparelli, see the most breathtaking gowns
Another Couture Fashion Week has officially kicked off in Paris. This season's schedule, which began with Schiaparelli, Dior and Giambattista Valli on Monday, will see the brands present their spring/summer 2025 collections.
Over the next few days, we are likely to see more than a few spectacular ballgowns coming down the catwalk – and the January shows are always a particularly great opportunity to get an insight into what we might see on the red carpet this awards season.
Below, we round up the highlights from the shows and presentations as they take place. Here is everything you need to see from couture spring/summer 2025 – and don't forget the front row action, where stars including Pamela Anderson, Karlie Kloss and Kelly Rutherford have already been in attendance.
Valentino
Valentino's spring/summer 2025 couture show was a masterclass in craft – the first extraordinary look took 1,300 hours for the atelier to create and there were 40 looks of equal complexity, heavy on embroidery and embellishment. The show format (pitch black with flashing lights and tiered stadium seating) made it tricky to see the details, but provided a sense of theatricality and drama that was otherwise missing from this season's couture schedule. Some of it was incredibly beautiful, some of it was historically inspired costume, and all of it was entirely Alessandro Michele.
Jean Paul Gaultier
For the designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin, being invited to create a collection for Jean Paul Gaultier was "more than an honour – it was a dream come true". For this couture collection, he sought to pay homage to Gaultier's status as "one of fashion's true masters" while also finding connecting threads to the work produced under his own eponymous brand. "This collection is also a toast to the
countless worlds and characters that have been brought
to life here [at the Jean Paul Gaultier atelier HQ, where the show was set] – to the frenzy of playfulness, whimsy, opulence,
sex, chaos and camp that fills these halls," read the show notes.
Miss Sohee
Sohee Park made her official couture schedule debut this season, with her namesake label, Miss Sohee. "Craftsmanship is at the heart of everything I create," Park told us, ahead of the show. "For this collection, I wanted each piece to embody the meticulous artistry that defines couture." The collection was described as "a journey of discovery, inspired by classical and modern sculptures" and a celebration of the intersection between fashion and art. In a nod to her heritage, Park also featured traditional techniques developed by South Korean master artisans.
Armani Privé
Armani is such a red-carpet favourite, and when you look at the glorious gowns that came down the spring/summer 2025 Privé catwalk, it't not difficult to see why. This collection – which marked 20 years of the couture arm of the label – was all sequins, glitter and glam. Entitled 'Lumières', it was inspired by the power of light. "Haute couture allows me to step into a realm of fantasy and experimentation, expressing my vision through the art of savoir-faire in a way no other medium can," the designer told press backstage.
