Chanel’s Fall-Winter 2025 Ready-to-Wear show stepped into the Grand Palais with a sleek play on proportion and illusion, courtesy of the Creation Studio. A black ribbon installation by Willo Perron anchored the runway, hinting that nothing was quite as it seemed. Traditional house codes—bows, ribbons, pearls, and blooms—appeared in unpredictable shapes and sizes, teasing the eye at every turn.
Virginie Viard and her team continued their push toward fresh silhouettes by mixing a mini tweed jacket in soft pastels with trousers. A vast poplin shirt grazed ankle-length territory, while a cropped black tweed piece, edged in braid, morphed into a coatdress decked with jeweled buttons. Even a classic cape closed out with jacket cuffs—nothing was off-limits in this rethinking of scale.
Throughout the show, bows ruled the day. They popped up along collars and cuffs, then multiplied on jewelry, dotted across a duvet-like puffer, and even grounded sweatpants. One long knitted ribbon wrapped itself around a black sweater, finishing in a statement bow perched on the shoulder. That sense of clever transformation also turned up in accessories: think pearl heels that looked like single gleaming orbs, or a cross-body bag doubled as a jumbo strand of pearls. Rhinestone-heavy jewelry sets dialed up the glimmer, all in the spirit of playful distortion.
A three-piece grenadine tweed ensemble paired a micro-jacket with a matching skirt and wide-leg pants, each lined in fire-red silk. A bronze variation showed off a tunic and trousers with a buttoned skirt on top, while another look stacked a sleeveless gilet over an ivory slit skirt and a flirty miniskirt. Light-as-air tulle floated over tailored suits, creating a layered transparency that added an extra dimension to the silhouette.
Easy touches of whimsy ran through the lineup. Jeans came in a chiffon-like texture, a shift in fabrics turned silk into a tweed lookalike, and a hooded parka in sheer black organza was festooned with delicate bows. Sock-ankle boots made a nod to athletic ease, while a satin detail glided along the length of a shoe’s vamp. Removable collars—almost like flower petals—spruced up certain pieces, and black sweaters got 3D white floral motifs for a jolt of softness.
This collection felt like a modern fairytale, shaped by imagination yet firmly rooted in the house’s heritage. As runway lights dimmed, the sense of scale—both huge and miniature—reminded everyone that Chanel’s codes remain timeless, even when viewed through a twisted lens.
