5 Paris Fashion Week SS25 Women's shows you missed

The Paris Fashion Week SS25 Women’s closed with the triumphant fireworks (both metaphorical and literal) of Coperni at Disneyland, marking the end of nine days of grueling marches through shows, presentations, cocktails, and events in Paris that understandably exhausted all the fashion insiders who regularly attend Paris. Many of these shows are famous, there’s no need to name them, yet the most exciting part of the Paris schedule lies a bit beneath the movements of these big commercial giants battling in the sky, tormented by constant gossip about which creative director will leave and who will arrive. There are excellent brands that truly offer new or at least exciting proposals, which risk being lost in the general chaos, in the social media pollution generated by front-row celebrities, the most decadent after-parties, and so on. So, now that fashion month is over, we can talk about five truly excellent shows that did not receive the attention they deserved.

Here they are.

1. Peter Do

Since becoming the creative director of Helmut Lang, the buzz surrounding Peter Do has strangely diminished. It’s understandable that the brand is small and independent and that, after establishing itself, it has created a fairly exclusive clientele; it’s also understandable that the type of work Do does can seem quite complex, niche, and expensive – yet it’s surprising that the U.S.-based Vietnamese designer isn’t more famous. His latest show at the Musée Guimet, amidst monumental archaeological remains and Southeast Asian artworks, with a live performance and even a custom perfume given to each guest, was superb. Peter Do remains perhaps one of the few young designers offering a new look, an established and recognizable language yet open to a thousand influences. His work on traditional dyeing techniques, the ingenuity of his constructions, the conciseness of his proposals, the cohesion, and modernity of his imagery – there’s no one else like him.

2. Abra

Abraham Ortuño Perez is the designer behind some of the most beautiful indie and mainstream fashion shoes of recent years (including the JW Anderson chain mule and Loewe’s balloon heels), and he’s simply brilliant. He also presented a rather concise collection, with thirty-three looks, which had the great merit of finding a theme, in this case, the stereotypical beach aesthetic, and remixing it in a pop key with frankly brilliant solutions. His fashion is chic yet humorous, with a lightness that high-end brands today can’t afford: humorous without being silly, commercial without being “commercial,” avant-garde but wearable. His brand has actually existed for a decade, but it’s incredible that it’s not a hot ticket in Paris – surely more people should follow his collections.

3. Alainpaul

Alainpaul was practically born yesterday, having been founded in 2023 and making its runway debut this season. However, his collection was a miracle of balance and delicacy, with the designer reinterpreting the world of dance and choreography in completely original ways, considering that several designers in recent years have followed the same inspiration with far more ordinary results. His sense of a clean silhouette and the absolute wearability of every look would already be quite remarkable, but what struck in his SS25 collection was Paul’s ability to create an extremely chic and simple sportswear, embedding it in an imaginary that will surely develop further in the future but already feels rounded and complete. A difficult feat in a world where nothing is original.

4. Uma Wang

Uma Wang is a Chinese designer who founded her brand in 2009. She can’t be considered an emerging designer, especially as her products are sold by the world’s most important fashion retailers, but her brand definitely flies under many radars, particularly those of the younger generation. And it’s a shame, as her latest show, held at the American Cathedral in Paris, was truly a stunning work on volumes and drapery, executed entirely in difficult earthy tones that would have challenged other designers. If gigantic ruffled dresses or heavy fabric drapery like anacondas aren’t for you, you must admire the women's tailored suits composed of enormous knots that are absurdly elegant.

5. Rokh

Rok Hwang is a Korean-born, British-naturalized designer who founded his brand in 2016, and if you count his years at Celine, Louis Vuitton, and Chloé, it’s hard to consider him a newcomer. In fact, his designs and brand have gained enough traction to lead him to collaborate with GU (Uniqlo’s sister brand) on a stunning capsule that, unfortunately, will only be available in Asia, it seems. Nonetheless, over many seasons, Hwang has developed a sartorial language that has brought a sense of polish and finesse to deconstruction, with a bold style, to say the least. But his hand is steady, and his eye is sharp, and that’s enough for us: watching his latest show, it’s clear you’re witnessing the language and aesthetics of a new generation.