Paris Fashion Week is winding down, and with it the spring 2025 shows come to a close. Though the traveling is over, now is the time when the work really begins: sifting through thousands of runway images to whittle down all the latest trends and the most gorgeous clothes that will keep us going early next year. But before we get to that, Nicole Phelps and Virginia Smith, Vogue’s global head of fashion network, sit down to talk all things Paris Fashion Week.
Fresh off the Gabriela Hearst show, where the Lumineers played a set, the longtime colleagues dove into one of the season’s most awaited shows: Alessandro Michele’s debut at Valentino. “It was sensory overload in the best way possible,” declared Smith. “You could see the very clear differences of what he did at his old brand and what he’s doing at Valentino,” added Phelps. Of course, sitting across from Harry Styles at the show certainly added to the excitement of the proceedings.
It was also a season of sophomore collections, where Chloé’s Chemena Kamali continued to build her “fully realized” vision of the Chloé woman, and Seán McGirr got a second chance to make a good impression at Alexander McQueen. “This was a good step forward for him,” Smith stated, citing the great tailoring that opened the show and his foray into eveningwear—a.k.a. red-carpet gowns—that will surely prove very popular. In Loewe’s latest collection, Jonathan Anderson once again showed off his singular sense of humor with his “ultimate concert tees” embellished with a surprising material that needs to be seen up close to be believed.
But what’s the thing that fashion people love more than fantastic debuts and clothes with insane construction? Gossip! And this season, the subject that’s still on everyone’s lips is who will be named to the top spot at Chanel. “I’ve never felt more rumors swirling around us in a Paris Fashion Week than I have at this moment,” said Phelps. “I mean, it’s insane. Every time I see someone, they say, ‘Oh, I have it from a really good source,’ and we’ve all heard the same names, and honestly I have no idea who’s going to get that role,” added Smith. But rest assured that when the time comes, you’ll first hear the news from Vogue.