Couture Spring/Summer 2025 (part 2 of 3)
Bayleigh Guo reports on the Spring/Summer 2025 couture collections by major fashion maisons
Gaurav Gupta
Gaurav Gupta’s collection, titled Across the Flame, was deeply personal, drawing from his traumatic experience with a devastating fire and the healing journey that followed. The collection symbolised resilience, survival and love, with dramatic, sculptural designs featuring voluminous draping, intricate embroidery and striking silhouettes. A key piece, the Twin Flame dress, represented a spiritual bond through a deep- orange silk design embracing two models. The show’s intense energy was amplified by a powerful performance, with Gupta’s designs serving as a tribute to strength, rebirth and the transformative power of love.
Jean Paul Gaultier
Drawing inspiration from a Seal and Mylène Farmer music video and a 1997 Gaultier show, Ludovic de Saint Sernin crafted a provocative lineup blending myth, maritime fantasy and couture mastery, expressing three elements – underwater, underworld and underwear. Highlights included corseted mermaids, feathered cupids and latex gowns mimicking crocodile skin. The collection merged Gaultier’s signature style with de Saint Sernin’s sultry aesthetic, reinterpreting haute couture with bold craftsmanship. This may mark the final guest-designed season, closing with de Saint Sernin in a cinched corset – true to Gaultier’s legacy.
Julie de Libran
This collection stood out for its Parisian opulence, featuring dresses that shimmered with Art Deco influences and armour-inspired details. The designs ranged from fringed metallic chains to feathered capes, blending glamour with a subdued, intimate atmosphere. The collection emphasised a conscious approach to production, with a smaller number of distinct, versatile looks catering to diverse client needs. De Libran’s designs celebrated both personal expression and timeless elegance, with a nod to the next generation of couture through a greater size range. The show was a heartfelt tribute to her late friend, model Dayle Haddon.
Miss Sohee
Sohee Park’s collection emphasised sculpted, sensual silhouettes inspired by petals and shells, blending seduction with modesty. “As a woman designing for women, I love to accentuate the body’s natural curves,” Park said, and this season she was drawn in particular to the beauty of undergarments. Striking a balance between theatrical elegance and contemporary sophistication, the collection captivated with its fusion of Western glamour and Eastern grace, catching the attention of celebrities and fashion elites.
Rahul Mishra
Inspired by Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot, this collection reflected on Earth’s fragility and humanity’s insignificance. Personal grief and environmental concerns, particularly Delhi’s pollution crisis, have influenced Mishra’s designs, in which he has featured elaborate 3D architectural motifs depicting urban decay. Birds symbolised renewal, while circular mirror embellishments added a surreal touch. The show concluded with gold-embroidered gowns, culminating in a striking uterus motif symbolising nature’s regenerative power. Blending craftsmanship with deep philosophical themes, Mishra’s collection was a poetic meditation on loss, hope and renewal.
Also see: Couture Spring/Summer 2025 (part 1 of 3)
