Paris Fashion Week’s Wildest Moments Will Truly Shock You

Paris Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2025 season was basically the Fashion Girl’s equivalent of Disneyland. Designers turned the theatrics up a notch, making spectacles out of their runways. Louboutin, for example, mounted a massive mule-shaped water slide where models landed straight into a pool.

Celebrity and supermodel sightings were also practically commonplace. Unlike other legs of fashion week, supermodels turned up for Paris. Cara Delevingne, Kendall Jenner, and Naomi Campbell all graced the shows (some several times). Even Bella Hadid, who took a two-year runway hiatus, made her glorious comeback on Saint Laurent’s catwalk.

Naturally, the fashion itself was a sight to behold. Designer switcheroos ushered new eras for brands. After shaping Gucci’s style ethos for nearly a decade, Alessandro Michele debuted his first collection for Valentino. Meanwhile, the likes of Dior, Balmain, and Miu Miu launched certain buzzed-about pieces (see: “diaper panties” but more on that later). Buckle up, all these and more up ahead.

Bella Hadid Returned To The Runway

Nearly two years after her last runway show, the fragrance entrepreneur returned to the catwalk for Saint Laurent in a crisp pantsuit. As the label’s ambassador, she’s been fronting its campaigns and repping the brand on red carpets, so it only makes sense that Saint Laurent was the brand to pull Hadid out of her runway hiatus.

...& Her Sister, Gigi, Was All Over PFW

While Bella’s older sister, Gigi, tends to walk on a runway or two per season, she hasn’t done this many shows in a while. In Paris, the Guest in Residence founder strutted for Rabanne, Victoria Beckham, and Vetements wearing one of the most talked about dresses of the season: the DHL packing tape dress.

Ganni Made Its PFW Debut

Cult-followed brand Ganni has always called Copenhagen Fashion Week home, typically closing out the Denmark leg every season. For Spring/Summer 2025, however, the brand bid au revoir to the Danish capital and moved to France for its PFW debut. Of course, it was a smash hit.

Dior’s “Sneakiatorboots”

If Milan debuted “pantaskirts” at Bottega Veneta, Paris also released a new clothing hybrid at Dior. Behold, what can only be described as a sneakiatorboot. Part sneaker, part boot, part gladiator lace-up footwear, the shoe seemingly amid an identity crisis caused quite a stir among fashion’s elite. Get ready for it to be on every influencer’s feet come spring.

Cara Delevingne & Kendall Jenner At L’Oréal

Supermodels were aplenty this season, especially at the typically star-studded Le Défilé L’Oréal Paris — Walk Your Worth show where both Jenner and Delevingne strutted down the runway — the former in a sheer dress and the latter in a coat and undies. Elsewhere on the runway, Eva Longoria, Viola Davis, and Camila Cabello also modeled.

Balmain’s Trompe L’Oeil Face Looked Familiar

At Balmain, another Jenner made a splash: Kylie. Olivier Rousteing sent models down the runway in intricately beaded dresses that bore several faces — one of them was Kylie’s. Naturally, the Kylie Cosmetics mogul slipped into a strapless iteration for an Old Hollywood vibe that was so meta.

Miu Miu Debuted Diaper Panties

Each season, Miu Miu has been leading the no-pants charge with the label’s underwear offerings. From knitted knickers worn by Emma Corrin to bedazzled underwear favored by Sydney Sweeney, A-list fans of the pantsless look prefer to strip down to Miu Miu’s diverse wares.

For 2025, the label is introducing its latest take on the no-pants, underwear-forward look, and this time it’s all about the diaper panties. Several models sashayed pantsless down the catwalk wearing nothing but crinkly, poofy panties that resemble, well, diapers.

Alessandro Michele Made His Valentino Debut

For those who missed Michele’s unique whimsical touch on the runway, he’s back — at Valentino. Thankfully, the former creative director of Gucci brought his signature maximalist style sensibilities to the brand. Obviously, the show was bound to be well-attended and the likes of Michele’s longtime collaborators Elton John and Harry Styles sat in the front row.

Louboutin’s Show Was A Massive Pool Slide

Louboutin brought the fun to PFW when he turned his show into a swim meet. Instead of a runway, there was a giant teal mule that served as a slide where models (aka Olympic swimmers) slid straight into the pool. They proceeded to performed a synchronized routine, expertly displaying Louboutin’s iconic red soles. The designer himself slid into the pool — fully clothed — as his final bow.

Barrel-Leg Jeans Were Exaggerated

Controversial barrel-leg jeans are having a moment. On one side, style savants are calling it “universally flattering,” while, on the other, people say they are... not. If the Acne Studios show is any indication, the polarizing style isn’t going anywhere. The contemporary label sent models in exaggerated barrel silhouettes sure to cause a further divide among connoisseurs.

Riley Keough Performed At Chanel

Daisy Jones & The Six fans likely won’t see a second season, but Chanel gave its Spring/Summer 2025 audiences a glimpse of what the sequel could’ve been when it commissioned Riley Keough to perform. She closed the show with a rendition of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” while swinging in a massive birdcage — hauntingly beautiful.