Haute Couture Week’s Highlights Will Pull You Out Of Your Midyear Slump

While, for many, the summer months are typically reserved for a much-needed reset and a return to a slower pace. However, as one also knows, fashion never sleeps, and the mid-year mark calls for designated design houses like Chanel, Dior, and Schiaparelli to charge Paris with their one-of-a-kind masterpieces for Haute Couture Week. Unlike ready-to-wear offerings, labels must follow a strict set of requirements, including presenting made-to-measure, custom handcrafted garments for individual clients and maintaining a Paris atelier with at least 15 full-time staff members. As a result, the twice-a-year event is often a true feast for the eyes, allowing labels to spread their wings creatively, and showcase exceptional craftsmanship and artistry. Case in point: Haute Couture Week Fall/Winter 2025.

Taking place between July 7 - 10, the summer spectacle is already off to a jaw-dropping start thanks to houses like Schiaparelli and Iris Van Herpen. The former kicked things off on a high note, with creative director Daniel Roseberry presenting a vintage-inspired showcase with a Jetsons-like edge. The latter on the other hand, glowed all on its own — literally — employing bioluminescent algae to light up its handcrafted offerings.

If you’re in need of a cure to your midyear doldrums, ahead, see all the highlights from Haute Couture Week as they unfurl.

Day 4: July 10

Street Style Stars Heat Up Paris

While the shows may have predominantly wrapped up, the sartorial prowess on the streets is still unfolding. Scroll through to see what familiar faces like Sabrina Elba, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Davidson Hudson, Mary Leest, Tina Leung, and Gili Biegun have been stepping out in.

Day 3: July 9

Glenn Martens Takes The Lead At Margiela

Following in the mammoth footsteps of John Galliano and Martin Margiela, Glenn Martens is now officially man of the house at Maison Margiela. The third designer to lead the label, stepping in after Galliano’s decade-long run, Martens was off to the races on Wednesday. The former Diesel and Y/Project creative director wasted no time in showing what he’s capable of, biting into the challenge of spearheading his first-ever couture collection (save for his foray as a guest couturier with Jean Paul Gaultier) for Margiela Artisinal. The result honored the mystery-tinged, Gothic legacy of the house, where beauty shares a spotlight with the strange and subversive. It was also a mind-blowing example of Martens’ aptitude for fabric manipulation and ability to offer up entirely new silhouettes that will influence all the way down to the street. As for who’ll be the first to wear one of the epic ‘plastic’ creations off the runway? Perhaps Cardi B, who was nodding enthusiastically front row.

Lisa Rinna Made Us Do A Double Take

You can always count on Viktor & Rolf for a viral couture catwalk moment — and increasingly, you can count on reality star turned front row fixture Lisa Rinna for one too. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills diva, whose ties to high fashion have been strengthened as the matriarch of models Amelia Gray and Delilah Bell Hamlin, popped up at the Dutch designers show on Wednesday in an trench coat and exaggerated shirt collar ensemble from last season’s collection. Despite erring into avant garde Inspector Gadget territory, she also looked right at home in the outfit.

Lara Stone Returns To The Runway

Elie Saab called in a favor from Lara Stone, enlisting the aughts-era Dutch supermodel to walk the spectacular Fall/Winter 2025 Couture show. The mom-of-two was in good company, sharing the spotlight with her peers Isabeli Fontana and Sasha Pivovarova, as well as Stella Maxwell and Tanya Diagileva.

Demna’s Swan Song For Balenciaga

Demna’s final show for Balenciaga — he presents his first show as Gucci creative director in September — was quite the send-off. From Kim Kardashian’s Elizabeth Taylor-inspired runway moment to the star-studded front row (Nicole Kidman! Cardi B! Lorde!), all the stars gathered to witness the end of a prolific era.

See the celebrity arrivals here.

Day 2: July 8

Armani Privé’s Nocturnal Notions

This was a particularly memorable show for Giorgio Armani, as it marked the first for which he was not present. Monitoring from home in Milan, where he was recovering from an undisclosed illness, the designer was still very much involved in the ultra-glam presentation, titled Noir Séduisant. An ode to Armani’s favored shade for evening wear — black — the glitzy collection was a lavish display of everything we love about Armani: flawless tailoring, effortless sensuality, glitzy embellishment, and endless sophistication.

Chanel Prepares For A New Chapter

While still housed in the brand’s go-to venue, Grand Palais, Chanel’s Haute Couture show on July 8 was one of its most intimate presentations in some time. The exclusive “salon” vibe captured in the museum’s Salon d'Honneur aimed to channel the label’s iconic 31 rue Cambon address, with cream-colored drapings and plush carpeting. It also marks the last collection ideated by the Chanel creative team before Matthieu Blazy’s debut in October, which is likely why the designs read like a love letter to traditional Chanel codes: classic cream tweed styles, breezy chiffon blouses, and lace detailing.

Day 1: July 7

Schiaparelli Goes Back To The Future

For his latest couture installment, creative director Daniel Roseberry explained in show notes that he wanted to “blur the line between past and future,” leaving no trace of modernity in-between. To achieve this, he leaned into vintage details like ribbons sourced from the 1930s and ‘40s, intricate embroidery, and Old World silhouettes (Corsets! Bustle skirts!) and set them against futuristic shapes and angles.

Iris Van Herpen Is Feeling Blue

An illuminating first for a runway show, the Dutch designer’s Haute Couture show included a dress embedded with 125 million bioluminescent algae (co-created with biodesigner Christopher Bellamy of Bio Crafted), which allowed it to emit a bluish glow and tied together the collection’s ethereal, nature-focused theme.