“AW.25 is a code, a deck of cards waiting to be decrypted, the engine of a car powering up through the night.
Codes unlock mysteries – enigmas whose essence remain elusive, revealing themselves only with time.
In a time when questions remain unanswered and doubts grow, rediscovering and expressing one's values becomes both essential and profoundly challenging.
AW.25 is an invitation to explore what lies beneath the surface; to dig deeper, to understand better.“
- Patou

The Paris runway shows always bring exciting new creative ventures from our favorite fashion houses and designers. One of my most highly anticipated collections every year is Patou’s, one of my personal favorite fashion houses. Creative Director Guillaume Henry never fails to create vibrant yet understated, bold yet sophisticated, and ingenious yet timeless pieces in the form of collections that effortlessly champion and emphasize the beauty and grace of those who wear them.

This year for his AW 25 collection, Henry crafted a visual narrative featuring a star studded cast including Pauline Chalamet, Lily Taïeb, and Ruth Negga through a short film to accompany his new RTW collection. It’s the little details of garments which truly elevate the quality and experience that clothing can foster and this film perfectly honed in on those to make it abundantly clear that they are of utmost importance at Patou. The close up shots of clasps, stitching, and textures featured in the pieces seamlessly interwoven into the storyline showcase how intrinsic these details are to the overall narrative and creative experimentation of Guillaume Henry. Clothes are something we all interact with on a daily basis through touch, emotions, and comfort. We live every moment of our lives out in the pieces we choose, and Patou’s choice to weave that into their storytelling in this short film showcases how strongly they understand the power fashion has.

While Guillaume Henry took a narrative approach to the film accompanying the collection, he mentioned that the story behind the collection itself was for the viewer to tell. From previously chronicling who the Patou woman is through his collections he decided to switch things up this time around and have the viewers make that decision. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t an underlying theme to the show. Much like the short film, the theme of this collection was centered around the enigma and mystery of fashion.

One of Henry’s greatest strengths is his ability to create a collection that is so cohesive while exploring the bounds of his thematic commitment as much as possible. Bold exploration with colors, materials, and silhouettes are expected from any fashion house for a runway show, but Henry makes it look so easy and effortless with the looks he creates.

The contrasting details that come together within every look are what really carried Henry’s point across. From sheer lace and gauzy fabrics, thick and textured layers, large protruding collars, oversized silhouettes, slim silhouettes, and short skirts, this collection integrated a lot of seemingly opposite elements flawlessly. The red pop of color and shiny finishes which pulsed throughout the collection were some of my personal favorite touches as they added vibrance and upped the ante of the passionate and fast paced appeal of this body of work. Chunky metallic buttons and jewelry paired with chic but not too over the top bags completed every look. In the final trio of looks, Henry went all out in delivering ravishing, sparkling, and exquisite gowns that beautifully captured the essence of the collection: being unapologetically bold and confident while living life at full speed.

My favorite part about Patou looks are how inventive yet wearable they are. They push the boundaries every season and show us something we haven’t quite seen before all while remaining to be effortlessly integrated into anyone’s wardrobe. Guillaume Henry has shown us time and time again his deep understanding of the connection between clothes and how they can make you feel as he continuously crafts beautiful pieces that enhance the beauty and confidence of anyone who wears them. His ability to craft looks that champion the wearer while committing to his thematic pursuit each season is a testament to his creative eye but also his inspiring talent in fashion.