In Paris, women of character with Carven, Barbara Bui and Isabel Marant

The woman reveals her temperament at Paris Fashion Week dedicated to women’s ready-to-wear. The collections for spring-summer 2025 seen on the catwalks this weekend have, in fact, revealed its multi-faceted nature and its free spirit through looks that are both strong and refined. Particularly within the three houses Carven, Barbara Bui and Isabel Marant, all led in creative direction by women of character.

Carven receives at home, in the fifth floor apartment at number 6 of the Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées, where the founder Marie-Louise Carven had set up her couture salon in 1945, just above the boutique. The guests are scattered throughout the rooms. With their worn parquet floors, old wallpaper on the walls and the view of the Grand Palais, these rooms have remained practically unchanged and are still occupied today by the studio and the teams of creative director Louise Trotter, in charge since 2023.

The entrance, living room, bedroom, kitchen and a wardrobe left ajar immediately create a family and intimate atmosphere. The impression is that the models hesitate between going out or staying at home, with outfits that seem improvised. One puts on a cozy, fluffy wool bathrobe coat, the others, wearing mules or slippers, dress in a sheet pinched here and there nonchalantly, in a grandmother’s nightgown or a embroidered cotton jumpsuit. Further on, the dress appears to have been made from pillowcases.

Large rectangles of cotton, silk or even denim are assembled as is and fitted with straps to create floaty and comfortable dresses or tops to layer over fine tunics. These clothes open and flare slightly at the back as if, if they were too big, they were falling backwards. Some tops are bordered at the waist with voluminous gathered basques, just to add movement to these monochrome silhouettes with their minimalist design. Everything is delicate and exudes a natural elegance.

With two strokes of a pencil, Louise Trotter modernizes Ms. Carven’s typical fresh and casual sleeveless dresses. She breathes lightness and freedom into everything with pieces that are both easy and refined: loose jackets without buttons, loose blouses with rounded shoulders, Bermuda shorts and short pants, square tops.

A few details are enough to create a look, like these tulle opera gloves or these scarves at the end of which thick fringes have been tied which, beyond the neck, also wrap around the waist of superb coats in cashmere. Other chic details include this row of pearls which define the collar of a sleeveless black faux fur top and extend into a necklace on the back or this crystal chain, which holds a pair of black glasses.

On your way out, you can stop in the shop, at the bottom of the building, to discover the curious spirit of the Carven woman until the end of October through a project designed by Louise Trotter. She is exhibiting a selection of objects (a chair, a lamp and a vase), works of art and books that she selected as part of two collaborations, one with Joel Muggleton of the design studio LS Gomma and the other with collectors and creators David Miro and Tea Sirbiladze of Paris Image Unlimited.

For next summer, Barbara Bui offers a complete and balanced wardrobe between tailoring, denim, a fantasy section with variations on the bandana theme and for the evening sublime lamé suits as if cast in mercury and golden draped jersey dresses, as well as organza jackets and pants, which play on transparencies in a graphic way. “It’s very pure, but irreverent, because we show all the interiors and the construction of the jacket,” says the designer, in great shape, who welcomes us at her headquarters and showroom in the Marais.

The collection is divided between strong pieces and essentials that are easy to combine with each other, with that little rock and chic twist, which has defined the brand since its beginnings. The banker costume in particular is misused. The traditional costume is worn with a bustier in the same dry striped fabric. The navy jacket with fine stripes is also available in silk and has zips along the arms and in the back for a more summery and sensual touch.

This presentation is an opportunity for Barbara Bui to unveil the collection of gold jewelry that she created with Aurélie Bidermann, called “Ekkaï”, which develops around the snake motif. It is composed of a long necklace, a cuff bracelet and a climbing ear jewel. “A mutual friend introduced us and we were a good match straight away. Their way of working with jewelry is very qualitative. I really like it. I like jewelry that is quite present and gives strength,” explains Barbara Bui.

“Aurélie Bidermann’s work is more feminine, while I have a rock soul. We mixed the two worlds,” she continues. The line will be launched in November in the boutiques and e-shop of the two houses in a price range from 170 to 690 euros.

Isabel Marant ends Sunday’s day with pep, in the gardens of the Palais Royal. A delirious audience rushes to the entrance, hoping to meet a few K-pop stars, while the guests take their places around the fountain. The stylist swapped the large tent, which usually houses her fashion shows, for an open-air podium, despite the temperature which has dropped precipitously in recent days.

Never mind! Isabel Marant has no equal when it comes to warming up the atmosphere with her energetic and sunny fashion. Especially since with the exotic theme chosen for next summer, his collection seems especially designed for the hot weather. To the rhythm of the percussions, the models tumble into a warm light as if projected into the depths of the jungle in ultra-short outfits animated by all kinds of fringes and cut threads, the waist highlighted by leather belts.

Bare legs, in laced gladiator sandals up to the knee or in fringed Indian slippers, the girls hesitate between the safari style, the bohemian-folkloric spirit or the squaw style. Their dresses reach the buttocks, their leather micro-shorts are decorated with metallic studs that sparkle in the night, long fringes cover poncho-looking blouses. Boleros are embroidered with ethnic motifs, which can also be found woven into precious fringed dresses.

Suede is in the spotlight, available in black, camel, chocolate or burgundy. It is used to make jackets, pants, shorts, as well as little dresses with openwork edges like lace. Thin strips of skin intertwine in long collars and on the sides.