The best looks from the Haute Couture Fashion Week

By Camille Bois-Martin.

Published on 14 July 2025. Updated on 15 July 2025.

The best looks from the Haute Couture Fashion Week

Seen as the unofficial start of vacation for many fashion journalists, this Fall/Winter 2025-2026 haute couture Fashion Week wrapped up last Thursday, July 10th. With nearly thirty shows presented in four days, this new season has offered plenty of breathtaking designs, showcased remarkable craftsmanship and opened a space for the artistic directors’ boundless creativity.

From corsets and revamped little black dresses to spectacular looks and must-see bridal gown, Numéro has selected the most stunning silhouettes spotted on the haute couture catwalks.

The most spectacular couture looks

Haute couture often rhymes with spectacle. It provides a larger space for experimentation and boundless creativity then the ready-to-wear collections. It allows designers to push the limits of both their ateliers’ craftsmanship and of their own imaginations. While Iris van Herpen remains the queen of mesmerizing runway shows with her gorgeous, innovative designs, her peers have also delivered bold creations. 

Take, for instance, Glen Martens’ debut show for Margiela, where models walked the runway wearing oversized masks that blocked their vision. Or else, the saddle-inspired bustier gown at Schiaparelli, followed by another dress embroidered with pearls and eyes. Not to mention Rahul Mishra’s rose sculptures hanging like mobiles from the models’ shoulders and the inflatable balloon outfits at Germanier.

The essential bridal gown

A staple finale of every Haute Couture Fashion Week show, the bridal gown is the ultimate showcase of craftsmanship and luxurious fabrics. It also serves as a powerful expression of a house’s aesthetic identity. As poetic and sculptural as we would expect at Iris van Herpen and cloaked in lace at Balenciaga with a bold maximalist silhouette. Lavishly adorned with embroidery and gemstones at Elie Saab, it’s pared down to the bare essence at Margiela – a veil, a corset, a train, with no embellishments. Meanwhile, Robert Wun adds surrealist arms, and Yuima Nakazato adorns the chest with a solid silver bowl.

Flowers blossom out at the Fashion Week

These timeless motifs that withstand the test of time for decades one season after the other are usually reserved for Spring/Summer collections… Yet, against all odds, flowers blossomed abundantly in the Fall/Winter 2025–2026 couture collections. Embedded into a skirt at Ardazaei, printed onto a stunning Balenciaga trench, adorning the embroidery of an Elie Saab gown or an Armani Privé suit ensemble, or even becoming the sole material of a Rahul Mishra look, floral patterns are everywhere.

Suits become couture

A staple of every wardrobe, the suit is reinvented season after season, brand after brand. But when enhanced by the craftsmanship of haute couture, this piece seems to reach an entirely new dimension… While the suits at the Schiaparelli couture show remains our favorites, we are also captivated by the flawless tailoring at Balenciaga and the wrap-around version at Ardazaei.

The corset

As the V&A Museum in London is about to open an exhibition dedicated to Marie Antoinette’s style this fall, it seems that many designers have dived into old wardrobes. Proof of that is is the abundance of corsets flooding the collections, which also echo the current lingerie trend. Sculptural at Iris van Herpen, cloaked in satin at Ashi Studio, adorned with pearls at Rahul Mishra, or crafted from velvet at Elie Saab.

The little black dress

Timeless and refined, the black dress is a must-have, especially when tailored to perfection. At Chanel, it comes with a white lining and a gold belt adorned with two large pockets. At Armani Privé, it comes in leather, or with bows and draping at Elie Saab, and in satin at Schiaparelli and Margiela.

Glamorous looks

While vintage clothing has remained one of the strongest trends in recent years, a new wave has emerged – the old Hollywood aesthetic. This polished and glamorous style, at the crossroads between Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo, has also taken over the runways at the Haute Couture Fashion Week. At Chanel, it appears as a long-sleeved golden gown. At Schiaparelli, it comes as an exaggerated strapless silhouette. As a Klimt-inspired “painting dress” at Rahul Mishra, or as a more literal and elegant version, at Georges Hobeika, Elie Saab, and Zuhair Murad.

Coats with rich adornment

As expected for the Fall/Winter 2025-2026 season, coats made frequent appearances throughout the couture collections of this Fashion Week. We particularly love the refined embroidery at Ashi Studio, though we’re equally captivated by the flawless fitted cuts and shiny fabric at Balenciaga. Special mentions go to Chanel’s timeless tweed coat, Margiela’s long biker jacket, and Schiaparelli’s trench made of embroidered organza.

Timeless sequined dresses

Ideal to wear at a cocktail party, on a red carpet, or for any other elegant event, the sequined dress remains a glamorous, bold classic that we all love. Balenciaga offers a sleek, yet impactful version of it with the strapless black dress worn by Naomi Campbell.

Meanwhile, Armani Privé, Zuhair Murad, and Elie Saab present a series of stunning jewel-like silhouettes. At Germanier, rhinestones coat the models’ bare skin in a futuristic version, while Robert Wun opts for vivid, mesmerizing hues.

Looks adorned with feathers

Often coined as outdated, feathery adornments are obviously making a comeback on the runways. They are present in the collar details of Balenciaga’s couture looks, the capes and jackets at Chanel, the plunging necklines at Ashi Studio, as well as in Robert Wun’s exquisite tube dress and Margiela’s lacquered skirt.

The red dress is on every catwalk

Flattering on every skin tone and hair color, the red dress offers undeniable elegance with just the right touch of sensuality. A notion that designers clearly master. Chanel’s ateliers showcase it in a tweed total look, jsut like by Demna at Balenciaga or Robert Wun. Let’s not forget Georges Hobeika’s voluminous ruffled strapless gown, or Schiaparelli’s stunning dresses in semi-sheer or scale embroideries versions.

Accessories from the Haute Couture Fashion Week

Since the devil wears details, no true haute couture show is complete without accessories that are as intricate and luxurious as the garments themselves. At Yuima Nakazato, jewellery sometimes becomes a top, as a symbolic accent to the Japanese designer’s deeply political silhouettes.

Balenciaga’s collection features pieces by Lorraine Schwartz, including silver jewellery sets and golden bags. At Chanel, accessories reflect the central theme that inspired the show, like the bouquet of golden wheat stalks carried by the bride. The audience was also amazed by Margiela‘s striking masks – some were inlaid with gems, others were crafted from sheer tulle.