French fashion has long been a powerful force in the industry and few do it better than legacy fashion house Louis Vuitton. This year, Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière took French fashion to new heights by balancing two opposites softness and power for the Spring-Summer 2025 collection. 

“Sartorial soft power can also be a striking back-and-forth between two contradictory yet harmonious opposites. The suppleness of structure. Intractable lightness. Mastering vibrations. Spidery depths. Ethereal opulence. Razor-sharp delicacy. Resolute femininity. The mechanics of fluidity…” the French fashion house stated in their show notes.

The runway, made entirely of iconic Louis Vuitton trunks, vibrated with contrasts, such as fluidity and structure, intertwined with delicate fabrics that met sharply tailored structural silhouettes, creating a tension that felt almost electric. It’s a celebration of opposing forces, softness balanced with sharpness, delicate yet strong. A moment where suppleness gains strength and fragility is power.

Structured jackets with sculptural shapes made of light fabrics moved with the model down the runway. The movement and delicate nature infused into this collection are key to balancing the oxymoron of soft power, offering a genius release of what would have been rigid silhouettes. The movement in this collection offered a rhythm of contradictions. 

Laurent Grasso’s series of paintings “Studies into the Past” were brilliantly embedded into selected pieces of the collection, adding layers of artistic depth. Grasso’s art is inspired by the exploration of time and history, its integration into key pieces brought an element of visual poetry. The use of these paintings brought a mystical element to the collection, combining metallic colors with movement, while echoing the house’s traveler DNA.

Texture was a defining element throughout this collection with jewels and tassels embedded into many garments in the collection. Layering of different fabrics and necklaces, and manipulated textiles like pleated skirts, and fringe skirts also contributed to the movement and texture the collection relies on.

Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection redefined classic French fashion by incorporating elements of contrasting contradictions bringing something new to a timeless aesthetic.