Beauty at Haute Couture will always celebrate a woman’s poise, but this year’s looks are tinged with something more modern and tender
Haute Couture Week has come and gone, but behind the lace and miles of tulle were beauty details and statements from which we’re still reeling. At a time when it seems strength is equated to minimalism, couture beauty went the other way—deliberate and decadent. From ribboned hair to the classic red lip, the runway revived the essence of a lady on her own terms.
RELATED: Paris Haute Couture S/S25: Schiaparelli Reaches for the Sun Without Getting Burned
Bow, Baby, Bow
Bows have long been shorthand for femininity, dating back to the powder wigs of Versailles to the flirtations of coquette-core. This season, they make a bold return. At Giambattista Valli, Pier Paolo Lai went full drama with oversized bows perched on low ponytails, finished with glossy finger curls. Meanwhile, Zuhair Murad took inky ribbons, and tied high ponies at the base, along the length, and at the tail, leaving thrice the impact.
Rouge Revival
Chanel’s beauty direction this season reimagined French girl beauty for 2025. Makeup artist Lisa Butler worked with three Chanel reds—21 Rouge Rencontre, 449 Sophistiquée, and Sensuelle—some softly blurred, others sharp. It felt like a reiteration that femininity in all its undone and sultry glory never disappears; she just waits for the right shade to bring her back.
Big Hair Energy
It was everything sixties in the Tamara Ralph corner. Accompanying the feline wing were retro beehives courtesy of hairstylist-to-the-stars Larry King. In the Elie Saab show, height was subdued, but a timeless French tuck brought all the allure to the table. With a generous amount of mousse, sweeping, and backcombing later, the tresses were a contemporary nod to the likes of Bardot. The runway proved Dolly right: the higher the hair, the closer to heaven.
Cool Girl Shadow of the ‘90s
It’s the ‘90s—you’re leafing through a magazine, a choker around your neck, and exuding that effortlessly aloof cool. Fast-forward to the Armani Privé show, where amid the opulence of crystals and luxurious sets was beauty with an undercurrent of ‘90s makeup. Barely-there brows and a wash of cool gray and silver eyeshadow were nods to the cool ladies of the Y2K precursor.
Haute couture has always channeled a refined, graceful femininity, but this season wakes up the bolder, cheekier, and more empowered version of the lady within, and she has more attitude than we’re used to seeing.
Featured Image and Photos: GIAMBATTISTA VALLI, THE IMPRESSION, ZUHAIR MURAD (via Instagram)
