A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE HERITAGE HOUSE
- BY KRISTOPHER FRASER
- 8 OCTOBER 2025
- 5 Min
Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga
Among New York, London, Milan, and Paris, Paris Fashion Week stands out for showcasing some of the most storied heritage brands. Historic fashion houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior predate even the top editors and celebrities sitting in their front rows. Through world wars, economic crises, and the passing of their original designers, these legendary houses have truly withstood the test of time.
Like everything else, fashion is constantly evolving, and it must keep up with the times. Women in 2025 aren’t dressing like their grandmothers did in the 1950s. At Paris Fashion Week, with so many creative director debuts, there was a clear lesson in how to reinvent heritage.
In 1947, Christian Dior introduced the iconic New Look with his debut collection, featuring a dramatically cinched waist and a voluminous skirt. Jonathan Anderson, in his highly anticipated debut for Dior, reimagined the New Look. The blazer was paired with bubble skirts that nodded to Dior’s original DNA but were redesigned for modern dress codes. Cutoff denim skirts met tailcoats, and dresses featured precise architectural construction. If this is just a preview of Anderson’s Dior womenswear, we’re in for many delights ahead.
Photo: Courtesy of Dior
Pierpaolo Piccioli has taken the reins at Balenciaga, and while he hasn’t completely abandoned all of former creative director Demna Gvasalia’s house codes, he has gone deep into the archives to build his own vision. Piccioli revisited Cristóbal Balenciaga’s signature ball gown and cocktail silhouettes, adapting them into looser, more modern fits that offered the new Balenciaga woman both daywear and eveningwear options. Even before the full collection debuted, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, appeared in a white cape-tailored ensemble that spoke to both her royal elegance and what to expect from Piccioli’s Balenciaga. Like Cristóbal, Piccioli clearly has an affection for a voluminous skirt.
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
One of the most anticipated debuts of Paris Fashion Week was Mathieu Blazy for Chanel. Blazy had teased his direction for the brand with minimalist custom looks for brand ambassador and actress Ayo Edebiri, but Paris Fashion Week marked a full unveiling of the universe he’s building at Chanel. Appropriately, the show’s stage was designed as a solar system.
Blazy opened with a checked wool pantsuit featuring a cropped jacket, paying homage to founder Coco Chanel and her habit of borrowing clothes from her boyfriend, Boy Capel. Fans were eager to see how he would reinterpret the label’s signature tweed suit, and Blazy didn’t disappoint. He presented frayed and fringed versions with relaxed silhouettes, signaling that this was no longer our grandmothers’ Chanel.
Paris Fashion Week marked the arrival of several new creative directors at major houses—and many of them delivered. This season officially ushered in a new era of fashion.