Courrèges, Rabanne, and Miu Miu A/W 2025: The Art of Balancing Playfulness with Sincerity
Something that I’ve battled with in recent years has been finding a blend of sincerity and joy within fashion. Since COVID, fashion has fallen into a pit of deep irony. Streetwear, especially, has fallen victim to this, with shock value preceding developing a quality, meaningful product. Brands such as GRIMY KIDS have made waves with their racial slur and “I love meth” t-shirts. Psych Ward has also gone viral due to their infamous 9/11 jeans and vintage-styled racecar t-shirt mocking the death of Princess Diana. Although streetwear has been affected most by this pandemic of irony, high fashion has not entirely avoided this issue. It is impossible to discuss modern ironic fashion without mentioning Demna and Balenciaga.
From absurd oversized silhouettes to ridiculously layered looks to re-imagined corporate logos, irony has been a hallmark of Demna’s tenure with Balenciaga. Shows such as his A/W 2016 Balenciaga debut and A/W 2018 remain prime examples of the fresh, disruptive perspective many grew to love from Demna. However, this novelty has seemingly worn out as the years have passed. Most recently, his A/W 2025 collection highlights how this once unique viewpoint has grown stagnant and uninspired. The collection was a directionless mess, jumping from traditional business wear to shredded stringer tank tops and sweatpants to misplaced Puma collaborations alongside evening dresses and extravagant coats. I understand that subversion and irony are significant components of Demna’s design language, but he has pursued this goal in recent years without much deeper thought. He’s become lost in his mess of irony, feeding more into the shock value appeal than his initial purpose of disrupting the conventional norms of high fashion. In current times tainted by political unrest and great distress, fashion craves to recapture the sincerity and vulnerability of times before dominated by names such as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Tom Ford. Rather than ironically detaching from reality, we must ground ourselves in authenticity while still finding joy and hope within all the chaos. For many, this may sound overly ambitious. Is striking a proper balance between playfulness and sincerity realistically achievable?
When looking back on Fall 2025’s Paris Women's Week, Courrèges, Rabanne, and Miu Miu provided an answer to this question - a resounding yes, presenting collections that strike the balance between playfulness and sincerity that I’ve been searching for.
Miu Miu models seen walking the runway for Fall-Winter 2025 show titled “Femininities” (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Over the past few years, Miu Miu has been fashion’s wonder child. Unprecedented growth and taste-shifting trend-setting have recently defined Prada’s little sister brand as they trailblaze their own path within the industry. This collection feels like a child who has entered their grandmother’s closet and jewelry box. Eccentric earrings, 1950s-esque bullet bras, wallpaper print dresses, silk nightgowns, pointed toe heels, and lots of fur all encapsulate the ladylike elegance that reminds many of the fashion of their grandmothers. This retro look resonates incredibly well with this new consumer, who is hyper-fixated on vintage and turning old looks new. It expands upon the Miu Miu world of playful, childlike innocence without compromising Miuccia’s profoundly personal viewpoint.
Eccentric gold earrings, bullet bras, wallpaper dresses, silk nightgowns, pointed-toe heels, and an excessive amount of fur defined this Fall 2025 season for Miu Miu. (Photos by Salvatore Dragone/Gorunway.com)
They take looks that feel very old, but reimagine them in a contemporary context through masterful styling by Lotta Volkova and a design team that deeply understands what cuts and shapes attract the modern consumer. A wide range of techniques showcase Miu Miu's youthfulness. The contrast in color palette between pastels and bright pops of pinks, purples, and reds offers tension between the push and pull of a sense of nostalgic familiarity and youthful rebellion. At times through styling, other times through cut, Miu Miu establishes a motif of wearing the garments off the wearer’s shoulder, emphasizing this theme of youth by presenting this childlike styling habit on garments reminiscent of a prior period.
These off-the-shoulder looks comprise one of the prevalent motifs within this show, highlighting Miu Miu’s ability to achieve a playful youthfulness through styling and cut. (Photos by Daniele Obberauch/Gorunway.com)
Miu Miu has excelled at creating experiences rooted in authenticity and sincerity that remain deeply playful. Scrunched textures also play into this sentiment through thoughtful styling and design to showcase garments that look like they just barely don’t fit right, as if they have been passed down to the wearer from an older relative or family friend. Garments scrunching at the sleeves and torso, socks scrunched from top to bottom, and leather boots that scrunch past the ankle up to the shin provide a silly, rushed feeling, and a childlike flavor to this show.
Scrunched textures play a significant role in the narrative of this collection, adding a sense of youthfulness, nostalgia, and familiarity. (Photos by Salvatore Dragone/Gorunway.com)
“We really wanted to create elegance with nothing, through the everyday, through the direct manipulations of simple pieces,” creative director Miuccia Prada said when asked about this collection. Miuccia, a doctor of political science and outspoken progressive over the years, understands as much as anybody the need for sincerity within such trying times marked by regressive governments and political turmoil. As a fashion designer, she also understands the desire to find joy and beauty despite these challenges. Miucca’s duality positions her as the perfect proponent of this playful, yet sincere future. This balance allows fashion to maintain its position within culture as a space for meaningful political and societal commentary while remaining joyous in all its beauty.
Rabanne model seen walking down the runway at their Fall-Winter 2025 show. (Photo by Launchmetrics Spotlight for The Impression)
In the case of Rabanne, the playfulness lies within secret, exploration, and discovery. From the opening look featuring a trompe l’oeil coat lined at the cuffs with faux fur, as well as faux fur tails peeking through the lower half of the coat, Rabanne provides excitement and sparks a desire to explore what is beneath the outer layers of each look. Through layering, tailoring, and styling, the house fosters a sense of mystery within the collection, teasing elements of inner layers, while never directly revealing any secrets. Mystery is an inherently youthful trait, rekindling childhood memories of navigating a largely unknown life, exploring new experiences, and traveling to new places. The allusion shared an authentic human experience, establishing a deeply sincere and personal tone while remaining playful and joyous.
Layering is a feature within this collection, through styling and trompe l’oeil designs. (Photos by Salvatore Dragone/Gorunway.com)
The motif of a key magnifies the collection’s idea of secrets. Twelve out of the thirty-four looks features a key necklace, predominantly worn under the garment, then emerging through a circular hole above the chest. This key symbolizes this discovery through childlike exploration of the world and the self through lived experiences. Though the general viewer may be able to see some of the inner layers as they emerge beyond the constraints of the outer layer, only the wearer, the owner of the key, truly knows what lies beneath these layers and understands the secrets of these garments.
Keys are a motif throughout Rabanne’s Fall-Winter 2025 show, appearing as necklaces in over one-third of the looks featured. (Photos by Salvatore Dragone/Gorunway.com)
An intimacy is established between the wearer and the clothes, providing a sense of cheekiness in knowing something nobody else does. Creative director Julien Dossena described the looks to Vogue as, “it’s as if you’re normal on the outside, but nuts inside.” This contrast between inner and outer serves as commentary on the psyche of portraying a specific image to the public, while restraining other aspects of your life. The presence of more profound discovery beyond the surface level is a shared experience between both humans and the ensembles in this collection. Much like getting to know someone, viewers are drawn to peel back the layers of these garments and explore what lies beneath the exterior.
Rabanne's ability to invoke a sense of playful imagination through these looks without compromising seriousness, sincerity, and craftsmanship is a challenging feat. Contrasting textures and colors, and the blend of intricate tailoring, complex layering, and masterful styling send the viewer on a journey exploring the depths of these looks and what lies beyond the eye. Rabanne Fall 2025 is a shining example of fashion’s push away from irony towards sincerity, while still holding dear the playful and joyous nature that can be fostered through fashion.
Model seen walking in the Courrèges Fall-Winter 2025 show. (Photo by FF Channel)
Courrèges stood out as the house that could best strike this balance between playfulness and sincerity during Fall 2025’s Paris Women’s Week. For Courrèges, playfulness can be found through the three main pillars of this collection: togetherness, optimism, and celebration. The first look opens the collection with an allusion to the confetti that has filled the air. Streamers that get cut into confetti inspired Di Felice; enlarging and re-imagining them to wrap the dress around the body like a scarf. These sweeping scarf-like silhouettes became the focal point of the design language of this collection. As seen throughout the collection, Di Felice offers different takes on the streamer inspiration, such as dresses, crop-tops, skirts, denim jackets, sweaters, and leather jackets that all highlight the house’s fixation on this sweeping silhouette within this season.
Sweeping silhouettes inspired by confetti streamers dominated this collection, establishing celebration as the prevailing feeling within this collection and the foundation from which the collection was built. (Photos by Courrèges)
The accessories within this collection also serve to emphasize this nature of playfulness. Retro-futuristic glasses reminiscent of Star Trek are shown prominently throughout the collection, adding a sense of spirited nostalgia, while still looking forward. The season’s bags utilize a silly, subversive design, providing a zipper opening with the sole purpose for the wearer to put their hand through to hold the bag. These added fun touches enhance the celebration and optimism that Courrèges put forth in this Fall 2025 show.
The accessories within this show, such as retro futuristic sunglasses and handbags with silly design features, add to the joy and playfulness surrounding this show. (Photos by Courrèges)
As models entered the runway, red, blue, pink, and silver confetti filled the air, swirled around, almost like they had life. Unlike most common occurrences with confetti, the confetti did not fall to the ground. It continued to whirl around for the entirety of the show, picking up pace as the show progressed. Models walked through the middle of this vibrant storm of celebration, then looping around the perimeter of the rectangular colorful chaos before exiting the runway. Creative director Nicolas Di Felice explained to WWD the concept behind the confetti, saying, “it’s this idea of bringing in color when everything is grey…It gave me joy and reassurance. It also reminded me that celebration is important, now more than ever. We know that in times of great societal change, parties bring people together”. This sense of celebration, regardless of how big or small the cause of celebration may be, emphasizes Di Felice’s persistent themes of togetherness and optimism since taking the creative helm at the house in 2020.
Through sweeping silhouettes, fun accessories, and a brilliantly staged confetti storm, Courrèges can inject the fashion world with a sense of joy and playfulness, while anchoring that celebration in meaningful discussion regarding the emotional sentiments of the time, ensuring that sincerity and vulnerability remain at the forefront of their mission. Courrèges’ colorful elevation of the little things in life will be remembered for years. This show symbolizes a turning point in fashion, marking the industry’s official embrace of joyous and playful design, while remaining authentic and personal.
These shows exemplify a push towards a more playful and sincere future, while rejecting the ironic notions permeating fashion culture post-COVID. In times of such emotional unrest, people crave authenticity and a reason to find joy. Miu Miu, Rabanne, and Courrèges have marked that shift, providing lively shows rooted in earnestness and meaningful commentary on personal shared human experiences and emotions. Fashion plays a huge role within culture, posing an intriguing possibility that this movement morphs into something beyond simply fashion. How will this earnestness, vulnerability, sincerity, playfulness, and joy spill over into people's everyday lives? Will it at all? Only time will tell, but I can say for sure that there is a unique movement brewing within fashion, and it is renewing my love and hope for the future of this industry
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