In an era when the ankle is no longer scandalous and popular culture has largely desensitised us to nudity, it may be time to reimagine the way in which the feminine form is framed in fashion.
British experimental psychologist JC Flügel once observed that fashion tends to spotlight a particular erogenous zone — whether it’s the hoisted, squeezed bosoms of the Empire period or the bustled, frilled hips of the Victorian era. This season, designers at Paris Couture Week appeared to shift the focus once again, this time to the upper body.
Iris Van Herpen
Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen continued to merge science and artistry with her“Sympoiesis” collection. Inspired by scientist James Lovelock’s Gaia theory, which posits that Earth’s living organisms form a synergetic, self regulating system, Van Herpen created a series of gravity-defying gowns in soft peach, blue, grey, and green. One look traced the body in organic spirals, culminating in an intricate collar of lace. Another resembled fabricdrifting with the current as a resin-coated silk wrapped around her body before cresting into the air, framing the model’s face and shoulders in a poetic, aqueous sculpture.
Maison Margiela
The fashion world held its collective breath as Glenn Martens debuted his first couture collection for Maison Margiela. Drawing on the decaying Gothic glamour of his hometown, Bruges, Martens presented a show steeped in texture, mood, and eerie elegance. Models walked in tones of rust, gold, grey, and brown, with prints reminiscent of 17th-century Flemish embossed wallpaper. If shoulders weren’t directly exposed — as in the opening look’s off-the-shoulder clear-plastic ensemble — Martens pulled attention upward with circular caped hoods, sharply sculpted blazers, and hauntingly beautiful masks.
Ashi Studio
For Saudi Arabian couturier Mohammed Ashi, inspiration can be found in chaos. This was how he described the themes behind his most recent collection, prompted by Patrick Süskind’s Perfume, a novel that combines murder and 1800s romanticism. The results were dramatic: neoclassical details, velvety textures, and flourishes echoing the ornate interiors of French châteaux. Designs alternated between corseted bandeau dresses, high embellished necklines, and oversized collars, often emphasising an hourglass shape and balancing the classic and avant-garde.
Balenciaga
Demna Gvasalia’s final collection for Balenciaga was tinted with quiet nostalgia. A study of the dress codes of la bourgeoisie, the collection featured stark tailoring with high-collared necklines for women and oversized, tuxedo tailoring for men. Gvasalia’s signature sculptural shoulders were on full display, enhanced by Nosferatu-esque necklines and broad shawl collars. Lapels were exaggerated, flipped up and turned out, subtly nodding to the historical Medici collar while drawing focus to the décolletage.
Robert Wun
No Paris Couture Week is complete without a boundary-pushing collection from Hong Kong-based designer Robert Wun. For Autumn 2025, Wun delivered theatrical, story-driven looks that could rival any season of American Horror Story. His opening ensemble, a padded gown and cape smeared with blood-red handprints, set the tone. Wun emphasised the upper body with sharp, exaggerated shoulders and ghostly trompe-l’oeil arms emerging from bodices. Accessories, as always, were anything but subtle: fascinators, sculptural headpieces, and cascading feathers crowned each look.
From the August edition of Wanted, 2025
