Paris Fashion Week: Rabanne, Acne Studios, and Balmain

BY Beatriz Leal

September 25, 2024

Check out Wednesday’s highlights.

This Wednesday (September 25), Courrèges, The Row, Zomer, Dries Van Noten, Cecilie Bahnsen, Rabanne, Acne Studios and Balmain presented their spring-summer 2025 ready-to-wear collections at Paris Fashion Week. The last three, hold more attention on the third day of the event.

Julien Dossena continued to build a wearable Rabanne wardrobe for the Spring-Summer 2025 ready-to-wear season. Tees, jackets, and shirts were layered repeatedly, paired with mini skirts or boxer shorts. After all, it’s Rabanne, so the outfits were far from basic, featuring silver foil finishes and blazers embroidered with silver discs.

Lingerie pieces received a futuristic twist with the foiling technique, echoing Paco Rabanne’s innovations from the 1960s. One standout look was a sparkly top made of geometric panels linked by metal chains, paired with beaded basketball shorts. Another highlight was the trio of bags, reimagined from a 1969 Rabanne design, crafted from materials such as white ceramic, Murano glass, and 18-karat gold. Each bag was complemented by a matching minidress.

The color palette ranged from blue, lilac, and green to metallics, pinks, and neutrals, with floral accents throughout.

Courtesy of FF Channel

Acne Studios’ new collection is inspired by an installation by artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase, which creative director Jonny Johansson saw at Sadie Coles HQ in London last year. The runway space featured a new installation by the same artist, reflecting Chase’s themes of domesticity, privacy, and “interior moments.”

The garments referenced interior design, with materials that blurred the lines between conventional fashion. Standout pieces included oversized, padded mock-croc tailoring, leather overcoats, and knit looks that appeared rumpled. Shrunken tops, made from what resembled boiled wool blankets, had frayed edges, while jeans with tight waists and wide hips were crafted from floral-patterned, waxed tablecloth material.

Evening looks featured layered jersey dresses with irregular edges, as well as a lampshade gown adorned with bows. The collection embraced exaggerated proportions, micro shorts, denim, and sheer fabrics, in a palette of neutrals, red, green, polka dots, and florals.

Courtesy of FF Channel

In Balmain’s Spring-Summer 2025 ready-to-wear collection, Olivier Rousteing revisited the sharp, structured shoulders and intricate details that first emerged during his time as assistant to Christophe Decarnin. The iconic marinière stripe, a classic French symbol and a nod to Rousteing’s Bordelais roots, also made an appearance.

The faces on dresses, jackets, and shorts were crafted using hundreds of thousands of hand-embroidered pearlescent beads. Some looks resembled vibrant mascara palettes, while many outfits mirrored the ridged, glossy bottles from the recently launched Les Éternels Balmain fragrance collection, which also inspired heels and bag hardware. Some models even carried the fragrances themselves.

“This show is me,” said Rousteing, embodying the essence of Balmain.

Courtesy of FF Channel