It’s known that CHANEL epitomizes the larger-than-life luxury of Parisian chic, so it’s only fitting they unveil a larger-than-life centerpiece at the house’s SS25 ready-to-wear show. At the heart of Paris’s Grand Palais, CHANEL presented a colossal ivory birdcage, adorned with the CHANEL logo and flanked by models draped in feathery dresses and flowy trousers. The show, inspired by the brand’s namesake, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, and her own miniature decorative birdcage, encourages us to spread our wings, making sure to ruffle some feathers in our wake.

Courtesy of the house’s design team sans Creative Director at the moment, the Spring/Summer 2025 collection plays on notions of freedom and flight. Lightweight, mesh ensembles give the illusion that models are on the brink of taking off, and for the daring, baby-blue bouclé bras and belly button-baring tops promote a fashion license free from the long-reigning guidelines of decades past.  

Melon-colored shorts and champagne-pink pastels retain CHANEL’s playfulness, while sweeping chiffon capes and monochromatic jumpsuits conjure fiercer narratives. Multicolored feather patterns are seen on a number of the collection’s pieces, cascading down wide-cut trousers and floor-length capes, and oversized black bows tie together preppy patterns with mod silhouettes. Models stride down the runway to the beat of CHANEL’s curated SS25 Spotify playlist, a mix of synthy, alt-rock tunes, in 70s era, black-and-white platform heels. 

Ever loyal to the founding fabrics of the fashion house, this year’s show would not have been complete without the timeless tweed looks so characteristic of CHANEL’s collections. The fashion powerhouse regales in the sporty yet chic undertones of the classic CHANEL look, accentuating clean-cut, tailored silhouettes with accessories emblematic of the ornate and delicate.  

The fashion house’s Paris show was a frilly, feathery knockout, and the little birds flying around our heads are clad in CHANEL.