Editor’s note: CNN Style is Paris Fashion WeekSee all the articles here.
Paris
CNN
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Paris is gearing up for the Summer Olympics, but sporting events aren’t the only high-profile happenings in the French capital. As fashion designers descended on the city last week for Paris Fashion Week Men’s Spring/Summer 2025, it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary. The menswear and haute couture shows (which are currently in full swing) were brought forward a week so as not to interfere with sport’s most celebrated event, and simmering political tensions ahead of a surprise general election called by President Emmanuel Macron have seen the city filled with near-daily protests in recent weeks.
Amid this, there was no shortage of political statements on the menswear catwalks, but perhaps the most vocal came from the American designers who showed in the city. Rick Owens’ spectacular show at the Palais de Tokyo featured a mostly all-white collection that mixed biblical references and Art Deco, and he sent out a diverse cast of models in what he called a “White Satin Army of Love” to urge solidarity with one another.
“Expressions of individuality are great, but we must also remember to express unity and trust in one another sometimes… especially in the face of the extreme intolerance we are experiencing in the world right now,” he wrote in the show notes.
Rapper A$AP Rocky also made his Paris Fashion Week debut with a secret show for his label, AWGE, which he launched earlier this year. The presentation, titled “American Sabotage,” took place at the Hôtel de Maison, an 18th-century mansion once home to Karl Lagerfeld, and was attended by Rihanna, of course, as well as Pusha T, Casey Affleck, and designers Jonathan Anderson and Willy Chavarria.
Guests were greeted with invitations decorated with anti-war signs and cakes shaped like guns and bags of cocaine, creating a dystopian atmosphere. Models wore American eagle flags on their heads, carried slogans like “Don’t be stupid,” and marched down the runway carrying plastic bags full of cash. In his show notes, the rapper declared his label “isn’t just a brand, it’s a movement.”
“We break boundaries and reflect and make a statement about the spirit and resilience of our community through every piece. It’s fashion with a purpose, where art meets activism,” he explained.
For his fourth show with Louis Vuitton, Pharrell also took up military symbolism, showcasing “Damoflage,” a mix of camouflage and Damier, the luxury brand’s signature checkerboard pattern. The show, held at UNESCO headquarters, featured map graphics and military berets, highlighting creative dialogue between travel, aviation, international diplomacy, and a graphic collaboration with creative collective Air Afrique.
And then there was Kidsuper, another spectacular show featuring giant marionette hands that made models teeter and teeter like puppets. “I wanted to explore interconnectedness and the invisible forces that shape our world,” designer Colm Dillane wrote in his show notes, asking the audience to “think independence” and the stories we each create for ourselves.
Elsewhere on the runway, designers brought subcultural style to the forefront. German magazine 032C showed a kind of techno couture that bridged the gap between party and office lifestyle. The minimalist and functional clothes ranged from neon orange workwear to vintage-inspired sportswear, chokers and XXL cargo pants, evoking Berlin’s legendary nightlife style.
Meanwhile, Junya Watanabe mixed tartan and heavy metal with ACDC, Scorpions and Black Sabbath T-shirts in a tailored wardrobe, while Doublet mixed a club-kid aesthetic with suits and graffiti tops. Models carried gold and silver pom-poms (either as props or clutches), adding unexpected accessories to casual and formal outfits alike.
![Band T-shirts from ACDC, Black Sabbath and Scorpion took center stage on Junya Wanatabe's runway.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-2158646666-2.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)
And, of course, there was queer fashion label Jeanne Julio, who created gender-neutral pieces entirely from deadstock, from feathered denim trousers to belted bandeau skirts. The designer hopes to offer a broader range of expression for men. “To me, punk today is… about doing things locally and responsibly… as much as it’s about challenging gender norms,” Julio explained in a post-show interview.
For the menswear shows, other designers joined Julio in redefining what menswear can be. The renowned luxury brand Comme des Garçons played with bright fuchsia tailoring and skirt-trousers, melding old gender distinctions. The layered, maximalist collection featured ruffles, giant lapels and tulle, evoking the elaborate and delicate court dress of France’s former royal court rather than functional fashion.
Meanwhile, Japanese brand Sacai brought experimental couture to everyday wear with a collection focused on the joy and freedom of discovery: skirts and shorts, layered suiting and giant puffed sleeves, while label Turk also played up the delicate with romantic lines, see-through shirts, floral motifs, candy-coloured silks and satins and pin curls worn by the models.
Last but not least, Etude Studio worked around what artists needed, citing Andy Warhol and especially Jean-Michel Basquiat as inspiration for its sense of “laid-back, unpretentious” elegance, explained the three designers backstage: Jérémie Egli, Aurélien Arnett and José Lamari.
Belgian designer Dries Van Noten stepped down from his eponymous brand after 38 years with his 150th and final collection. Shown on a silver-leaf runway, his shimmering, delicate creations were no “best of” or retrospective, but a final, sure-to-be-sold collection.
The show received a standing ovation as Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” set the tone for an ecstatic mood, and a giant disco ball appeared at the end of the runway to welcome guests into the party, celebrating Van Noten’s final show.