Lots of fur and leather, ever-expanding
shoulder pads and shoes, splashes of yellow: AFP looks at some of the trends
from Paris Women’s Fashion Week, which wraps up on Tuesday.
Fur
Back on the runways last year and in the streets for several months now,
fur (mostly fake) was absolutely everywhere in the Fall/Winter 2025
collections, whether as subtle embellishment or as the main material.
At Chloé, it appeared as a stole, on the sleeves of a jacket, on the lapels
of a long coat, or as a fox-tail-style charm on a handbag.
At Rabanne, it embellished large leather coats, transparent PVC trench
coats, and skirts, while Balenciaga and Alaďa used it for several long flashy
coats.
Real fur isn’t banned on Paris catwalks, unlike London’s, and animal-rights
activists including PETA and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation protested last
week in the French capital.
And leather
Alongside fur, leather was another of the star materials, to the extent
that it was hard to name a brand that didn’t use it, often for coats, but also
trousers, skirts, dresses and tops.
A staunch defender of animal rights, Stella McCartney has developed a range
in vegan leather, including a snakeskin-effect blouse and a skirt that
combines vegan leather at the front with wool at the back.
Big shoulders
Oversized jackets have been on-trend for several seasons now, and although
the waistlines are becoming slightly more cinched, the shoulders appear to be
growing.
With their stiff padding, many jackets looked like they had large hangers
inside.
Balmain, Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney, Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood
and Paris newcomer Matieres Fecales all sent models out with statement
shoulders.
“Shoulders are exploding,” fashion journalist Matthieu Bobard Deliere from
Elle magazine told AFP.
Big shoes too
The oversize trend is also spreading to shoes.
Victoria Beckham sent out models with long black patent shoes with ankle
straps to stop them falling off at her chic and mostly monochrome show on
Friday night, which was admired by her children and husband, football legend
David.
Large shoes and oversized above-the-knee boots were also spotted at
Vivienne Westwood by Andreas Kronthaler, Loewe, Balenciaga and Balmain.
Rays of yellow
In the bleak midwinter next year, watch out for flashes of yellow.
Though most designers stuck to a muted palette of greys, black and white,
with autumnal greens and browns thrown in, there was a proliferation of yellow
in pastels, egg-yolk or bright sunshine tones.
At Givenchy, new designer Sarah Burton showcased yellow on a bodysuit, a
coat, crop tops, a mesh dress and an impressive strapless tulle gown in her
widely acclaimed first show for the venerable Parisian house.
Tom Ford and Stella McCartney both had yellow evening dresses.
Deconstructing
Coats worn inside-out, trousers turned into dresses, skirts cut in half
with different lengths… “There’s a real trend of deconstructing clothing,”
explained fashion journalist Deliere.
The movement has been embraced by both up-and-coming designers and major
fashion houses.
At AlainPaul, sweaters appeared with just one sleeve, while Zomer presented
a reversible collection where dresses, jackets, shirts and coats were designed
to be worn back-to-front.
Some long blazers were worn in reverse at Givenchy, while Vivienne Westwood
featured skirts that were cut in half, long on one side and short on the other.(AFP)
