PARIS (AP) 鈥� On an ordinary Parisian market street on an ordinary rainy fall day, Stella McCartney鈥檚 high-octane show on Monday was anything but. Guests gasped as the drizzle ceased, the clouds parted, and the sun emerged moments before the show 鈥� a heavenly metaphor, perhaps, for McCartney鈥檚 optimistic and nature-inspired display.
Here are some highlights of spring-summer 2025 ready-to-wear shows in Paris:
McCartney鈥檚 street fare
The designs were dazzling, fusing sparkle, wit, and sharp tailoring to capture a disco-ready sense of fun.
VIPs including Natalie Portman, Greta Gerwig, and Paris Jackson couldn鈥檛 resist tapping their feet amid the most infectious soundtrack of Paris Fashion Week thus far. Models strutted with clever hairstyles swaying theatrically, reminiscent of Gerwig鈥檚 own film, Barbie, adding another playful element to the spectacle.
Savile Row tailoring was reimagined in true Stella style 鈥� strong-shouldered jackets paired with slimline blazers and exaggerated belt loops, while voluminous trousers and cheeky boxer culottes kept things playful. This isn鈥檛 new territory for McCartney, who often reworks classic tailoring with an edge.
Pinstripe suits got a glamorous upgrade with clean satin lines and shimmering lead-free crystals, paired with cropped sporty jumpers 鈥� another of her signature juxtapositions of high fashion with an easygoing vibe.
Fluid draping was another runway star, from gravity-defying asymmetric silk gowns to vegan leather skirts folding over themselves. Cream bombers with wing-like cutouts and sheer dresses injected an ethereal flair.
Cloud-like creations were a showstopper.
鈥淲e had some of these clouds in the knitwear (made of) a yarn that鈥檚 made out of recycled plastic bottles, which is amazing,鈥� McCartney said backstage.
Bird motifs took flight, literally and figuratively. Doves painted across silk and origami-inspired details were visual treats 鈥� harking back to McCartney鈥檚 years-long message to remember to protect nature.
鈥淪tella Times鈥� newspaper and Helen Mirren
McCartney鈥檚 show kicked off with Helen Mirren delivering a 鈥楽ave What You Love鈥� manifesto鈥攎ore a direct punch than a gentle plea. Inspired by Jonathan Franzen鈥檚 鈥楾he End of the End of the Earth,鈥� Mirren鈥檚 voice rang out, urging action before it鈥檚 too late. Birds, which are disappearing, were the symbol, a reminder of what鈥檚 at stake if we don鈥檛 get our act together.
Guests were also each given a newspaper made for the show humorously called the 鈥淪tella Times鈥� that spelled out a tongue-in-cheek, yet serious, message about sustainability. McCartney's advice to readers to spur on positive action: 鈥淩ead! Because I don鈥檛 think people read anymore.鈥� And 鈥済et a copy of our newspaper. I鈥檒l give you all of the information you need to know. Be more conscious, be more curious, and find out the facts of fashion to be more the future of fashion.鈥�
McCartney has long been ahead of the game regarding eco-conscious fashion. She was one of the first designers to champion sustainability, well before it was on anyone else鈥檚 radar. With fashion being one of the world鈥檚 biggest polluters, her 91% conscious materials and animal-free production were another sign that the designer is taking the message seriously.
Sacai鈥檚 raw construction and deconstruction
A giant wooden structure of a house 鈥� just raw beams on display 鈥� set the scene for Sacai. It wasn鈥檛 just a striking venue, rather it served as a metaphor for Chitose Abe鈥檚 ethos: deconstruction and reconstruction in the most unexpected of ways. Like Abe鈥檚 clothing, the exposed beams represented an unfinished, yet powerfully architectural take on form and structure.
An urban T-shirt dress was paired with a black leather jacket sporting a ruffled, leg-of-mutton arm, a detail more often reserved for historical gowns. It was the embodiment of Abe鈥檚 dualities: urban biker meets historical drama, masculine melds into the overtly feminine.
Throughout the collection, the clever fusion of seemingly incongruent parts was front and center. A crisp white shirt was fused with a dark pleated skirt, set just under the bust. It was all one garment, and this mash-up exemplified Abe鈥檚 inventive approach to pattern-making. Her concept of hybridization 鈥� combining garments so they look like one thing from the front and another from the back 鈥� is more than a gimmick. It鈥檚 Abe鈥檚 groundbreaking way of challenging the very fabric of what fashion can be.
Another look was simplicity at first glance: a white toggled hoodie. But in true Sacai fashion, the back featured a floor-length, floppy skirt insert, transforming what could have been mundane into something extraordinary.
Volume and silhouettes were in abundance as well, with flattened, boxy shapes taking center stage.
The modest pieces 鈥� like the long black skirt fused into a white shirt 鈥� were emblematic of her recent exploration in monochrome and shifting her dissected garments into elevated territory.
Isabel Marant Embraces crafty Amazonian spirit
Isabel Marant blended South American craftsmanship with the raw energy of an Amazonian warrior, her craft-heavy aesthetic on full display in a powerful celebration of femininity. There鈥檚 no 鈥渜uiet luxury鈥� here. Marant has always been unafraid to explore new territories, and this season she ventured into the tribalist punk influences of the early 1980s, blending it seamlessly with her love craft.
The runway was ablaze with sunset hues: rust, mauve, pink, and purple rippled across tasseled skirts and knot-constructed dresses, evoking the warmth of a Latin dusk. Marant is celebrated for embracing authenticity, and here she let her heritage sing loud and proud, with flat moccasin boots and suede satchel bags that harked back to the bohemian spirit she has championed for decades.
Marant鈥檚 strength lies in her ability to craft looks that marry accessibility with audacity, and the embellishments told this story well. Heavy gold bangles adorned models鈥� wrists as they strode in braided and embroidered silk dresses. The weathered black-gray denim blousons and studded black leather shorts hinted at a rebellious streak.
This season marked another chapter in Marant鈥檚 evolution as she leaned even further into craftsmanship 鈥� embroidered leather, blanket-stitched suede, and intricate knotting that felt deeply personal. The weighty, luxurious materials were balanced with slouchy, relaxed silhouettes. There鈥檚 an unpretentious ease here, a reminder that while Marant鈥檚 designs are fiercely statement-making, they are made to be lived in. It鈥檚 not about loud for the sake of loud, but about a woman standing confidently in her own skin.
Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press
