welke shows beïnvloeden de mode van komende seizoenen?

After saying goodbye to Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga, the Haute Couture Week in Paris was an important event in July 2025. The autumn-winter 2025-2026 couture collections show a fashion image that is traditional and technological at the same time. Recycling is central (Glenn Martens for Maison Margiela, Germanier), with respect for nature (Ronald van der Kemp and Iris van Herpen) as a core of an innovative creative process.

The absent ones were striking, largely due to the shifts at the big fashion houses: Jonathan Anderson (Dior) keeps his first haute couture collection for January 2026. Duran Lantink (Jean Paul Gaultier) Shows in September 2026, which ends the model of Gast-Regerdies and the return to Prêt-Eà-Porter. Alessandro Michele (Valentino), Matthieu Blazy (Chanel, despite presenting a collection) and French houses such as Alexis Mabille and Julien Fournié were also absent.

Balenciaga: Demna Gvasalia’s last show for Gucci

The last show of Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga took place in the intimate setting of the historic salons of the fashion house (Avenue George V, Paris 8th). Intimate, however, it was only partly in part, given the crowd that gathered to see the many stars in the front row (Aya Nakamura, Katy Perry, Nicole Kidman, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Cardi B, etc.) or walking in the show (Kim Kardashian, Isabelle Hupmi, Naomi.

In contrast to this ‘Look at me, I am famous’ atmosphere, the names of the employees were mentioned during the show, ending with Demna, followed by the song ‘No Ordinary Love’ by Sade. A reflection of the ‘extraordinary’ fashion that Demna creates. The show was an overview of his characteristic style (also to be seen in the exhibition that was dedicated to him): suit suits for women with oversized shoulders and structured couture dresses, oversized jackets for men and a tribute to the nightdown of Elizabeth Taylor in the film ‘Cat on a hot tin Roof’ for Kim K.

A nod to his preference for Streetwear, which was absent in the show, was Demna Gvasalia’s appearance on the catwalk in a black hoodie, an extra large pants with camouflage print and a cap (under the hood, for the style). Backstage would have said: “Dressed in a hoodie and jeans, with a baseball cap, it feels like I’m coming out of the closet” (Source The Cut). A smart way to suggest that everything will change if he becomes creative director at Gucci, the first show of which was announced in March 2026.

Maison Margiela and Germanier: The future of fashion is recycling

The first collection of Glenn Martens for ‘Artisanal’, the name for the couture collections of Maison Margiela, embodies the link between Couture and Street Culture. As a tribute to Martin Margiela, the founder of the brand of the same name, the new creative director in the cellars of the Centquatre (Paris 19th) showed the last location where Martin held a show.

Building on the DNA of the house (recovery, upcycling, anonymity, the reuse of objects), he opted for a decor of torn wallpaper walls and masks for the models, made from crushed metal boxes, lacquered paper and tulle (a openwork fabric, formed by a network of fine polyestraadaden). He created looks of wrinkled plastic bags and an impressive gold dress, made from recycled computer threads and cables.

Glenn Martens showed that Couture is the way to adapt to a new, necessary way of making fashion, both ecologically and ethically. The future of fashion lies in the ability of fashion houses to adapt to the remaining natural resources. To paraphrase Malraux: Recycling is the only way ahead. Couture plays an essential role in this, mainly because of the traditional, experimental and artistic character.

Recycling is precisely the power of Swiss designer Kevin Germanier, who tells FashionUnited: “The day that my couture no longer consists of recycled materials, you no longer have to come to my shows”. In the press release about his ‘Les Joueuses’ collection, he adds: “We live in a difficult time, politics, social and economic. My role is to bring light and that is what drives my work. This collection is a direct answer to that. I wanted joy on the catwalk”. This, to contrast with a certain reluctance to process leftovers.

Silhouettes of UpCycled leather, previously used for the Eurovision Songfestival 2025, his characteristic technique of weaving recycled beads, a final dress of recycled Japanese paper, feathers from earlier creations, the message is consistent, up to the decor of plastic balloons, “, but the alignis, but, but but those, but those, but that, but that, but that I use, but that, but that I use the declaration, but that, but that I use the declaration, but that, but that I use the declaration, but that, but that I use the declaration, but that, but that, but that, but that, but the ones, but that, but the ones, but that, but I am out of the lights of the world, but that, but that, but the ones, but that, but the ones, but that, but the ones, but that, but I am out of the description of the declaration, but that, but that I use, but that, but that I use the FashionUnited.

Ronald van der Kemp and Iris van Herpen: Couture makes nature, recycled or alive, a creative material

Another important player in change is the Dutchman Ronald van der Kemp, who only uses leftovers and recycled luxury fabrics. For his couture autumn-winter 2026 collection, ‘Call of the Wild’, he went one step further with an ode to nature, in particular the Amazon forest, and an exploration of biomimicry. “We are not realizing how many solutions we already have,” said expert Alain Renaudin during Paris Good Fashion.

This renewed connection with nature is clearly from the Netherlands, with another renowned designer: Iris van Herpen. She emphasized the relationship between people and sea, and the vulnerability of this essential ecosystem, through a multi-sensory experience of sound, light and scent (in collaboration with perfumer Francis Kurkdjian).

Iris van Herpen used textile fibers created in the lab, made by microbial fermentation of vegetable materials. These biodegradable, innovative and luxurious fibers are ecological alternatives for silk or cashmere.

The showpiece of her show, entitled ‘Sympoiesis’, which means ‘co-creation between species’, a living dress was made with 125 million natural organic lencies algae. Grown in a food gel, they respond to movement by radiating cyan blue light. A shining example for the fashion industry from the road to creative fashion with heart. And a future.