Paris couture week spotlights glowing dresses and fairy-tale themes

PARIS: Paris Haute Couture Week wrapped up with a mix of experimental design, childhood-inspired references, personal tributes and celebrity appearances, with designers also reflecting broader industry pressures linked to conflict in the Middle East.

Among the most striking presentations was Dutch designer Iris van Herpen’s luminous mini-dress, which appeared to be made with glowing green cabbage leaves. No vegetables were used. Instead, the garment had been charged inside a particle accelerator, turning it into what was described as a metastable reservoir of energy, with its visual patterns created by electrical discharges. The piece stood out as another example of van Herpen’s continued use of new technology and unconventional materials.

Schiaparelli also embraced illuminated fashion, presenting several glowing looks. These included a silicone-moulded corset paired with a shimmering fringed skirt that was lit from within.

Designers revisit childhood imagery

Several collections drew heavily on fairy tales and childhood motifs. At Chanel, Franco-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy incorporated visual cues from stories including Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks, using embroidered climbing plants and coats designed to resemble straw.

Robert Wun, a rising star, also turned to childhood references. His collection featured allusions to Cinderella and the Big Bad Wolf, presented in a spooky Tim Burton-style vision using bright primary colours.

Transformation and Indian representation

French designer Alexis Mabille focused on change and movement in his Dual collection, in which every piece was reversible. Showing beneath the concrete vaults of a parish hall on the outskirts of Paris, he transformed heavy coats and black velvet column dresses into gold or silver outfits almost instantly, drawing a strong reaction from the audience.

India’s growing presence on the official Haute Couture Week calendar was another theme of the event. Manish Malhotra became the fourth Indian couturier to join the schedule and used his show to pay tribute to his recently deceased mother. Fellow Indian designer Rahul Mishra drew attention with dresses inspired by the Ajanta Caves, the Buddhist rock-cut cave complex in Maharashtra.

Speaking to AFP about Indian participation, Malhotra said:

I think it was long overdue. India is so culturally rich in terms of texture and textile, architecture, jewels, embroidery.

War and market uncertainty

The war in the Middle East, triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, has disrupted designers in the region and weakened sales across the global industry. Syrian designer Rami Al Ali, who has experienced Iranian missile and drone attacks in his home city of Dubai, said the conflict shaped his thinking during the season. He used feelings of solidarity and a desire for peace arising from the fighting as inspiration.

Al Ali told AFP that the coming months would be important for the sector’s outlook.

We're waiting over the summer because it's another quiet season. We'll see in September and October, but we're very hopeful that it's going to go back to semi-normal.

Male celebrity presence draws attention

Haute couture shows continued to attract large numbers of celebrities, but this season’s noticeable male turnout stood out in particular. That was linked to increasingly blurred gender lines in fashion and rising interest among men in couture-style dressing.

Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny attended the Schiaparelli show in a pastel yellow suit, while Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal was seen at Chanel and British actor Josh O’Connor attended Dior.