These are the best collections from Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024-2025.
Chanel
Chanel
After the announcement of the departure of Virginie Viard from the house of Chanel, the Fall/Winter 2024-25 haute couture collection was presented by the brand’s Fashion Creation Studio. Paying tribute to Paris’s Opera House, Palais Garnier, this hotspot of performance and elegance has always played a key role in the Maison’s story. Presented at the beautiful location, the collection revealed itself in the outside corridors surrounding the auditorium, transformed for the occasion into red velvet opera boxes. Regular points of interest around the location were transformed as part of a set design by the French director Christophe Honoré.
Throughout the collection we see the worlds of Haute Couture and opera come together. Garments are presented in opulent materials that delicately rustle, such as feathers, tassels, cabochons and embroidered flowers. Precious braids, lacquered jersey, supple tweeds, silky velvet, illusion tulle, taffeta and duchesse satin also make for an elegant and understated collection. The volumes are diaphanous, the sleeves puffed, and the flounces pleated. Richly embroidered, the collection imbues the House codes with a romantic twist.
A Chanel suit with box pleats revisited in burgundy tweed is trimmed with white satin, a black corduroy tuxedo and a white blouse features an embroidered plastron. A black suit with a long culotte and a short is paired with a fitted jacket with shoulders swathed in black feathers and dancing among long coats, voluminous capes and evening gowns.
The collection evoked a modernised stage tradition and a certain science of pageantry. A palette of black, gold, silver, ivory, fuchsia, pale pink and celadon hints at the most splendid of soirees.
Against this vibrant backdrop, the collection showcased the technical expertise, virtuosity and sensitivity of the Chanel Haute Couture ateliers, where some 150 people work in six ateliers at 31, rue Cambon, next to the CHANEL Fashion Creation Studio and close to the Palais Garnier.
Dior
For Dior’s latest haute couture collection, Artistic Director Maria Grazia Chiuri paid tribute to the Olympic Games, which took place in Paris this summer, manifested through a feminist lens. As the notes explained; “the Dior haute couture autumn-winter 2024-2025 line comes to life against a backdrop of hard-won political freedom for women’s bodies.”
The house defined the games as “the sacred embodiment of competition” and described the latest collection as “a fitting tribute to all athletes who, from antiquity to the present day, have overcome prejudice and obstacles to ensure a level playing field in sports contests.”
In the collection, there were silk dresses magnified by embroidery, transparent metallic tank tops edged in satin, and ensembles where the skirt revealed a pair of pants at each step. The silhouettes throughout the collection reflect the power – both experimental and reflexive – of couture, its virtuosity in rethinking the allure, the elegance of a woman at once delicate and strong.
Alongside the collection, Chiuri showcased the works of the late great artist Faith Ringgold, who passed away earlier this year. Much of Ringgold’s body of work portrayed African-American women, and for the show, Dior’s creative director chose to showcase the house’s latest collection within a structure covered with the reproductions of Ringgold’s 1971 work, “Woman Freedom Now,” a political work used at demonstrations for pro-Black and pro women’s rights protests during the era.
Atop the notes accompanying the collection, Chiuri reiterated a message of female strength, through a key quote from Ringgold – “You can’t sit around and wait for somebody to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it.”
Schiaparelli
Schiaparelli’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 haute couture show was an ode to the house’s founder, Elsa Schiaparelli, and the legacy she left within the world of Surrealism and high fashion.
Elsa was one of the key figures in the early 20th-century arts and fashion communities in Paris, by March of 1932, her reputation was already made as an entrepreneur who could blur the lines between fashion and art, and even life and art.
Discussing the collection in the show notes which accompany the collection, Creative Director Daniel Roseberry explains: “The context of this collection, which honours Elsa’s singular gift for rebirth, is second only to its form. Each piece is clear in its silhouette and its technique: you can see every look’s origins, how each moved from sketch to study to fabric.
“As well, each look here is meant to elicit some type of emotion, albeit – to paraphrase Hemingway – an emotion that is deeply controlled. Each gown, each bustier, each shoe, every piece of folded velvet feather, or triple organza spike, seeks to catch the eye and hold it. The larger design, too, is meant to arrest but also to some extent mystify, to keep its secrets.”
Indeed, as Roseberry highlighted when discussing the power and influence of Elsa, and the house’s enduring legacy, he looked to the words of the famous Surrealist artist Salvador Dali. The Spanish artist once said, when discussing the house: “No one knows how to say Schiaparelli, but everyone knows what it means.”
Armani Privé
At the Giorgio Armani Privé Fall/Winter 2024/25 show, the house revealed a shimmering collection. Colourways included gold, platinum, white and black across exquisite textures, such as tulle, deep velvet and silk.
The entire collection was inspired by pearls, and their association with the moon, water, wisdom, purity and love.
Explaining the inspiration behind the collection, in the notes which accompanied its release, the house said “Sensing a widespread need for serenity and constantly seeking a calm and intimate quality, Giorgio Armani builds his entire collection and accompanying narrative with pearls this season.
“He imagines women of quiet and seductive allure and dresses them in sculpted jackets with powerful shoulders and flowing trousers, with wrap-around overcoats, liquid tops and skirts, or in long dresses that trace the figure and allow each trembling, delicate movement of the body to be perfectly perceived.”
Throughout the collection there were embroidered details that play with light, some pieces including pearls themselves. Classic Armani codes were showcased in this collection too, through classic uses of colour and precious materials. Ultimately creating a gentle and enchanting vision for Haute Couture FW24/25.
Elie Saab
Elie Saab’s Fall/Winter 24/25 Haute Couture collection “An Enchanted Serenade” evokes surreal fantasy and harmony, capturing magical moments in the twilight air. The Lebanese designer harmonises opulent textures and majestic airs to create a sense of romance and mystery.
Strikingly sleek silhouettes dance with abstract motifs and the bold earthly tones of Khokhloma. In long leather gloves, the enigmatic goddess conducts the music into atmospheres of soft velvet and glistening ocean blue. Shimmering beads and gold lurex embroidery intricately intertwine across strapless bustiers, like elaborated wood arches of ancient pagan temples. Resonant ruby organza ripple and wave into voluminous mermaid tales, while black satin cascades into sumptuous blossoming lapels that unfold like layers of matryoshka dolls. With a strong gesture of her hand, she commands the melodious tune to flutter from blackberry to orchid ostrich plumes.
As the mystic nocturne reaches a crescendo, silver sequins shimmer in a nightly ombre which reflect her ephemeral presence with every sparkle of the moon. Long stoles in wispy pearl ostrich feathers outline the glistening constellations of her tulle skin. The melody lingers and the refrain starts to fade into silence; she begins to dissipate into a haze of cream lace, leaving behind a lingering sense of wonder.
Zuhair Murad
For his latest collection, Zuhair Murad’s woman embodies the power of nature. She is stong and unstoppable, and her beauty lies in the power to always emerge stronger. This resilience is expressed through creations where traces of past pains are translated and elevated into delicate embroideries. Sutures rendered in sparkling crystals bring together the edges of a slit gown, that invites light in.
A reimagined animal print elevates sensuality, a sensual camouflage rewriting the instinct for survival in feminine form directly on the skin. 3D smoke spirals from bottom to top on a gown with heightened shoulders, emanating from a meditative cigarette or a barely tamed fire. Crystals intertwine with nervous, knotted nets as if to exorcise tension. But everywhere, too, pearls mimic champagne bubbles, sparkling around irregular, whimsical, joyous tears.
The palette, ranging from nude tones, from incarnadine to red, or feline hues of brownish-orange, also prominently features blacks, gunmetal greys and steel greys which are often used for armour. Leather plays a significant role in the choice of materials. The finest textures, silk dupion, chiffon, satin, crêpe cady, embroidered tulle, velvet, and jersey, sublimate the theme by enhancing pigments and reflections.
Through a vibrant, deeply inspired collection of elegant sensuality, Zuhair Murad pays tribute to all women who have long fought until they became powerful versions of themselves, revealing through their past pains only their invincible beauty.
Balenciaga
For the house’s Couture collection, Balenciaga showcased a tribute to subculture dress codes. Key pieces in the collection included everyday wardrobe pieces lined in silk scuba satin and t-shirt prints were constructed with oil hand-painted drawings. Elsewhere, a variety of pieces were uncycled and reconstructed, including body-conscious twisted gowns and an all-you-can-wear bell-shaped ball dress.
Through the show notes in Paris, Artistic Director Demna explained his inspiration for the house’s latest collection: “I chose four permanent components of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s last two decades of collections and applied them to my design aesthetic in order to create a bridge between Balenciaga’s signature elegance and silhouette and my own personal style.” These four omnipresent codes were ¾ length sleeves, a focus on silhouette profiles and cocoon shapes, extravagant headwear and fabric innovation. Other key looks in the collection included a white column dress made of melted and upcycled plastic bags, moulded onto the body. Another, was a gown made entirely of one piece of leather – without any cut edges, darts or seams and held together with a giant safety pin.
ASHI Studio
For the ASHI Studio Fall/Winter 2024-25 Haute Couture collection, prepare to be taken on a journey to another world. Title Sculpted Clouds, this collection is a follow-on from last season’s Sculpted Ink collection and further explores movement in-between worlds. A surrealist, dark reverie sets the stage for a heroine dressed in abstract ideas and objects representing departure and the dreams attached to it.
Clothing made of sculpted silk velvet, cashmere, and treated wool cloaks the heroine in capacious volumes. Wisps of horsehair appear like a stallion’s mane, free and mythical. Cloud-like evening bags take extra-large shapes to become dresses. A gown shrugs like drapes, as if made of actual pieces from inside the home.
The monochrome palette—representing darkness and light—underscores the sculptural silhouette. Midnight black reflects infinity. It shimmers like stars or glistens like slick, wet velvet. Cream and ecru tones ground the collection in the present. Between burned feathers, wild wisteria blossoms in the shadows.
“My Fall 2024 collection is born of pure emotions translating the human experience. At the creative onset, feelings appeared like flashes to me—courage and determination, grace, and protection. I imagined a world where the soul moves from one place to another. My muse is the woman who is always searching. She embraces her fate, whatever it may be,” says creative director Ashi.
Tony Ward
Tony Ward’s Fall/Winter 2024-24 collection, “Nymphs Rebirth,” was inspired by mythical creatures of the most elegant kind. Taking cues from nature’s beauty, the designer used sequins, beads and metallic leaves as a metaphor for creatures and natural elements. The colourful offering, reminiscent of a parade of fairytale princesses, features draping fabric, delicate layers of stitched petals and faded embroidery on sheer tulle. Thousands of beads, pleats and crystals offer an iridescent, glowing effect that would make any woman feel a thousand dollars. Flared skirts are accentuated by layers of blended silk and metallic leaves, silk organza flowers were offered as a gift to the audience.
The colour palette takes cues from nature too, with celestial blue, sage green, and cherry wood red taking centre stage. “Every time you look at her you will remember: she exists within you, and you exist within her. She is the daughter of the earth in all its forces, in all its power, in all its fabrics.” The show notes concluded.
Tamara Ralph
Tamara Ralph’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 Couture collection marked the first anniversary of the house, which launched its surprise debut in Paris last year. The house’s third collection, is titled “Lost in Love” and is a celebration of Ralph’s love of the city of Paris with exquisite vintage references throughout. French elegance sits at the heart of the collection, showcased through delicate lace and crystal stockings that exude exquisite magnetism and refinement. Sequined pearls cascade down garments, adding a touch of opulence. Midnight elements emerge through luxurious fabrics with black crocodile effects, creating an enigmatic sense of mystery.
Mirrored materials shimmer with unmatched savoir-faire, reflecting light and creating an intricate interplay of illumination that highlights the meticulous craftsmanship of each design. Rich hues of ruby red and pale pink symbolise hidden passion and enchantment, whilst fine rose detailing lends a captivating and charming allure to the collection.
Orchids, symbols of eternal beauty and devotion, embellish select pieces, further enhancing the narrative of a blossoming romance set against the majestic Parisian backdrop. Each garment in this collection epitomises the pinnacle of craftsmanship, showcasing fastidious detailing, masterful tailoring and a profound dedication to the art of haute couture.
Discussing the new release, the designer said: “I am delighted to return to Paris for my seventeenth season of couture, which also coincides with the first year anniversary of debuting my namesake brand. The past year has been an incredible journey, and I continue to feel honoured and grateful, knowing that I am doing what I love most and sharing this infinite passion with the world.”
Giambattista Valli
Giambattista Valli’s latest haute couture collection is inspired by America’s West Coast effortless glamour and relaxed mood. A collection full of colour and emotions it offers a playful yet feminine take on couture that captures attention. As always, dresses are at the centre of the designer’s work, some made of tulle, others voluminous, some decorated with flowers and others in bright eye-catching hues.
Flowers decorate many of the looks. On the chest or the sleeves, flowers are worn in a ‘more is more’ capacity. Features also decorate many of the looks, while dresses feature long trains as an extension of the feminine silhouette.
As always, Giambattista Valli’s creations embrace the beauty and depth of the feminine woman.
Maison Margiela
The Maison Margiela 2024 Artisanal Collection paints a picture of the practices and occurrences that shape the character reflected within the way we dress. Borne out of an internal exploration founded in consciousness, it is a technical and philosophical study of presence and sentience. Creative Director John Galliano captures a moment in time, as night-time revellers run through Paris. A moonlit walk along the Seine. He creates a sense of mystery, representing what goes on behind the dimly lit windows of Parisian homes. Imagining a late-night walk, he captures the spirit and the mysteriousness of the French capital. Presaged by a cinematic prelude seeped in the eerie, rainy ambience of Paris by night, the show manifests in a multi-disciplinary staging simultaneously filmed, edited and broadcast to physical and digital spectators.
Silhouettes are sculpted with body-modifying corsets and cinchers underpinned by prothèses. Posing as heavy-duty wardrobe staples, featherlight jackets, coats and trousers are constructed through the technique of milletrage: a mirage created from a filtrage composed of a mille-feuille of organza and felt under a wool crêpe printed with a trompe l’oeil of the texture of a classic gentleman’s cloth. It is draped in a voilette of tulle, illusorily printed to appear moon-faded, sun-bleached, tobacco-stained or oily as if illumed by the reflection of water at night. Exercised through emotional cutting, the garments are imbued with the unconscious gestures that shape our expressions: a caban pulled over the head in the rain, a lapel raised to cover the face, a trouser hoicked up to evade a water puddle.
Created over twelve months in the haute couture ateliers of Maison Margiela, the collection introduces several new techniques developed by John Galliano. It further evolves and refines established haute couture practices emblematic to the dressmaking of the Creative Director at the Maison.
Georges Chakra
For his Fall/Winter 2024-25 Haute Couture collection, Lebanese designer Georges Chakra captures the essences of the enchanting city of Verona, Italy, translating its rich operatic heritage into a visual symphony of grandeur, opulence and beauty, capturing the magic of iconic operatic legends.
The collection’s colour palette is directly inspired by the Arena di Verona opera house. From deep browns and reds to maroon, caramel, and regal blues, all balanced with classic black, anchoring the collection in timeless elegance. Bold red awakens passion and intensity, with accents of gold, blush, and rose gold.
Flowing silks, opulent velvets, delicate lace and fluid chiffons create movement and lightness, while innovative materials such as faux cuir ajoure, tressage de tulle with gold rings, raffia fringe, panne de velour métallisée, and tulle in silver and gold lamé, are reminiscent of a starlit night.
Dramatic oversized coats unveil layers of intricate design, creating a sense of theatre with each movement. Sweeping trains on gowns further enhance the dramatic impact. The influence of 1950s cuts is evident, bringing glamour and magic to the collection.
Beadwork contrasts with organic patterns and geometric designs. Embroidery is richly textured, with intricate motifs that add depth and dimension to luxurious fabrics. Beads, sequins and threads are expertly hand-applied, forming delicate floral patters and bold linear shapes. This emphasis on embroidery underscores the timeless artistry of couture and the unparalleled skill of the artisans.
Alexis Mabille
Alexis Mabille’s fall/winter 2024/25 collection “Champagne” celebrates the joy of life. Envisioned as a celebration, the collection radiates with the brilliance of its fabrics. From the fluidity of crepe, the sensuality of jersey, the structure of satin, the shimmer of lamé, the vibrancy of the palette, the whisper of velvet, and the sparkle of sequins, it’s all about radiance. This is “a collection made for a woman who is playful, delicate yet fatal, dazzling and effervescent — like a bubble of champagne.” Explained the show notes.
Highlight looks include a Blouse-bustier in white glittered organza, paired with a long skirt in black double-faced satin, with a belt featuring a large tied panel. Elsewhere, a long flowing dress in silver brocade with an asymmetrical neckline and split sleeve.
In evening wear, a long bustier sheath dress in nude mousse crepe is inlaid with a silhouette of a black cat, which has its tail wrapped around the neck, while an eye-catching long hooded sheath dress with bat sleeves is presented in elegant brocade gold.
To close, the French designer presented a catsuit in white micro-sequins with a neckline veiled in beaded tulle, with a black garter bow.
Georges Hobeika
Lebanese designer Georges was inspired by the vision of a nocturnal garden. The notes which accompanied the collection described it as “like a walk through the serene surroundings of nature, lit by the last rays of the sun and the milky glint of the moon… Just as a flower exhales its sweetest scent at dusk, the collection uses the tipping point between day and night as the inspiration for a display of bravura.”
The codes of the maison – drama, embroidery, sparkle – take centre stage in this collection, with a focus on textures and shapes. Within the collection, iconic gowns and two-piece tailleur sets are worked in a range of rich fabrics and treatments, replicating the sensuality of soft petals and the glint of dewdrops on flowers and leaves.
Rich, luxurious fabrics feature throughout, including silk velvet, duchesse satin, mousseline and tweed. The colourways within the collection also reflect this theme of twilight within a garden. The play of darkness and light inspires a game of contrasts, with monochrome silhouettes featuring lace cut-outs and inserts, “as if wild vegetation were creeping round the body,” explains the house.
Elsewhere, outdoor evening hues of purple, blue, pink, orange, green and yellow appear in the collection. Georges Hobeika created a decadent gown with three-dimensional floral details and sleeves crafted from tulle with pearl detailing.
