In case you came across a scene that looks like something out of a pagan ritual, with a strange long-haired man standing on the sides, chances are you were at this year’s Paris Fashion Week Men's S/S 2025. As is the case every year, designers and design houses from all over the world gathered in the tiny alleys of Paris to showcase their latest and greatest summer collections last week. But should you flip through the archives to get a low-down on all the hits and misses? Not really. We cut the clutter to bring you the seven important highlights from this year's fashion week.

A$AP Rocky: The Fashion Killa

His shades might be Dior, his pants might be velour, but what A$AP Rocky brought forth last week was all him. One of the main highlights of the week was the long-anticipated debut of the rapper, whose creative agency AWGE hosted the "American Sabotage" show, debuting the rapper’s collection. With designs referencing political discontent in his country to some that just looked cool, the AWGE show had everything from Rihanna in the front row, activism-inspired clothing, and of course, an impeccable soundtrack.

Dries Van Noten's Swan Song

“And then there were five,” was the sentiment on the high street when Dries Van Noten bowed out after almost 40 years and many collections in the industry. Born into a family of tailors, Van Noten rose to popularity as one of the members of the Antwerp 6, a group of six famous graduates from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, which has given us artists from Vincent Van Gogh to Martin Margiela. Over the years, the Belgian designer built a reputation for being one of the most forward-thinking and consistent designers in the industry, with a loyal following equal to perhaps very few.

Among his peers, which included Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Marina Yee, Dries’ work always stood out for his forward-thinking exploration of storytelling, colour, and craft. This was ever so evident in his swan song last week. In a rather fitting turn of events, model Alain Gossuin, who walked in the designer’s first show, opened his last, with pieces finished and made out of mixed metallic and iridescent fabrics with floral prints and navy wool. 

Rick Owens’s Hollywood Act

Rick Owens does what Rick Owens feels, and what the master showman was feeling this time around for his S/S 2025 was something that looked like a crossover between Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and Ari Aster’s Midsommar. A fitting nod considering the show was a homage to the golden era of Hollywood historical epics, of course, finished in the usual avant-garde Rick Owens style.

Loewe: A Radical Act of Restraint

Jonathan Anderson’s renaissance at Loewe continues well into S/S 2025, with the theme “less is more.” This was exemplified when, as per reports, “objects from a group of artists he admires for their singular vision were positioned on the catwalk space – a copy of Susan Sontag’s Against Interpretation lay on the floor beside a Charles Rennie Mackintosh chair.” The models themselves appeared with strange head contraptions, their faces covered by feathers.

Pharrell Williams’ Fourth Louis Vuitton Show

The Pharrell hype train continues to go full steam in the offices of LVMH, with the new Men's Creative Director debuting his fourth Louis Vuitton collection at the UNESCO building in Paris. Said to be put forth as a “celebration of humanity,” the focus of the outfits was designed to match the diverse skin tones of the models. Silhouettes ranged from cropped pilot jackets and zip-collared knitwear to a few football-inspired looks, with the Euros underway.

Issey Miyake and Quiet Luxury

Issey Miyake opted for a quieter approach this summer, with its ‘Up, Up and Away’ collection said to be inspired by the wind itself. Influences of it could be seen on the brand’s pleated fabric, which has seen huge popularity in the last few years, thanks to its rather understated design, which was caught in the “quiet luxury” frenzy. Also in the lookbook were lightweight coats and multi-purpose raincoats that came with internal straps, allowing them to transform into backpacks, among other items.

An Hermès Beach Vacation

Speaking of quiet luxury, Véronique Nichanian’s S/S 2025 was focused solely on enjoying the ocean breeze, as aquatic colours dominated the collection. Other highlights included neckerchiefs knotted through shirt collars, strappy sandals, and softly sketched prints of a horse on a shirt.