Much like most things these days, the luxury industry is navigating some rocky terrain. Trust in luxury goods has taken a dip with sales following suit, dupe culture is on the rise and the viability of the luxury market in the face of increasing costs and ethical concerns is in question. But the recent spring/summer 2025 Paris Haute Couture Week told a different story.

Fantasy, beauty, creativity and artistry were on full display during the first Fashion Week of the season. Opening his S/S show on January 27, Schiaparelli artistic director Daniel Roseberry promised an “escape from our complicated reality.” Entitled “Icarus,” his latest collection was right on the money. Embellishments, embroidery and extravagance dazzled on dramatic silhouettes and show-stopping pieces, shining a light on the unparalleled savoir-faire that defines couture. After all, if ever there was a time to get lost in a world of unapologetic elegance and theatricality, this is it.

“Despite the decline of the luxury industry and waning consumer trust, couture remains a vital force in fashion,” Imad Nehmé, a fashion commentator, stylist and luxury specialist, tells 3. “Its enduring presence is a testament to its deep cultural and historical significance. In an era of uncertainty, couture stands as fashion’s purest form.” 

Although it remains accessible to only the tiniest fraction of consumers (a few thousand people globally), couture informs ready-to-wear collections and hints at what we might see on the actual streets in the coming months. Below are the top five trends that could make their way—in some form or another—into your closet this season. 

Metallics

Armour — we need it these days, don’t we. The colour glittered, dazzled, shone and it may have even blinded a little bit at Armani Privé where models were encrusted in gold and silver beading on Giorgio Armani’s signature languid and draped silhouettes. As always, the designer—who was also celebrating 20 years of his couture label—cast his gaze eastward for pieces that drew inspiration from Asia while remaining true to the Armani look. 

At Gaurav Gupta, silver and gold were used as a healing statement, with two models covered (head and face included) in a metallic sheath to represent his partner Navkirat Sodhi’s traumatic experience following a 2024 fire that destroyed his atelier in Delhi. More metallics were seen at Chanel, Christian Dior and Elie Saab. 

Volume 

Nothing says couture more than a voluminous gown. That most dramatic of silhouettes evokes “both theatricality and modern glamour,” Nehmé says. And it was go-big-or-go-home at Giambattista Valli, who’s known for iconic dresses, like Ariana Grande’s pink confection at the 2024 Oscars,  where billowing skirts and capes took on a Poiret-like identity; while both Valentino and Christian Dior went east-west with exaggerated bustles that emphasized the female form. More volume was seen at Ashi Studio, Alexandre Vauthier, Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda and Alexis Mabille. 

Bows

Few embellishments walk the line of girlishness and sophistication quite like a bow. At Chanel, bows were used to cinch a dramatic tiered satin cape and to adorn Dua Lipa, who sat front row. Meanwhile at Viktor & Rolf, the embellishment was employed to hyper surrealist effect—think a cacophony of bows on a trench coat and a floor-length topper, running down slim pants or used as a singular oversized statement wrapped around the midsection using the sleeves of a jacket. More bows were seen at Valentino, with teal pussy-bowed blouses conjuring up images of the 1970s, and Zuhair Murad used black bows to cinch the waists of their voluminous gowns. 

Corsetry

Few items have the depth of fashion history as the corset. Simultaneously celebrated and reviled, it remains perhaps the most feminine yet contentious of pieces, which is why it comes as little surprise that it lives on in 2025. “It redefines structure and sensuality, blending historical craftsmanship with contemporary edge,” Nehmé says.

This season, corsetry took on various forms, from dark and witchy at Jean Paul Gaultier by Ludovic de Saint Sernin to Alice in Wonderland-inspired at Christian Dior. But at Schiaparelli, its statement was somewhat larger. Daniel Roseberry’s Icarus-themed collection was about “challenging the expectations of what makes a memorable moment.” And it’ll be a long time before anyone forgets his technique: futuristic, sculptural, geometric, architectural. But above all else, this corsetry was contemporary, even reinvented. More corsets were seen at Tamara Ralph. 

Yellow

It’s gray in Paris, meaning everyone could go for a shot of sun right about now. That most cheerful of colours trickled across the runways in a sweet, soft, buttery hue, from Schiaparelli and Armani Privé to Valentino. A carryover from the spring ready-to-wear collections, the colour was expertly employed to offset stronger tones like black and crimson at Schiaparelli and Valentino, or as a full statement in draped silk at Zuhair Murad. Staying within the warmer tones, unabashed head-to-toe gold looks were on the runways of Dolce & Gabbana, Alta Moda and Christian Dior. Yellow also dominated the runway at Chanel, Ronald van der Kemp and Julie de Libran.