Light filtered through the stained glass of the Institut de France, casting a dreamlike glow over a haunting scene, a lone cellist played softly beside an upside-down umbrella and a carousel of wilting sunflowers. This was not just a fashion show; it was a theatrical experience that marked another daring chapter for Vivienne Westwood’s legacy at Paris Fashion Week.
A Vision of Controlled Chaos
Andreas Kronthaler, Westwood’s creative partner and now the designer behind the brand, continues to shape her rebellious vision with confidence and flair. Since Westwood’s passing in 2022, Kronthaler has turned every collection into a conversation between past and present. For this season, he leaned into the playful madness that defined the brand’s DNA.
Leopard-print underwear met sheer, ribbed tunics with a medieval edge. Jeweled veils and glimmering lapels brought a touch of punk glamour, while floppy ’70s boots gave the models a daring strut across the historic venue. Each look carried that signature tension, between structure and spontaneity, rebellion and elegance.
The Language of Westwood Lives On
The lineup stayed true to Westwood’s world: draped dresses, off-kilter tailoring, and silhouettes that felt sculpted yet fluid. Colors clashed deliberately, acid greens tangled with reds until harmony emerged from disorder. One statement necklace captured the mood perfectly: it read simply, “CHAOS.”
Westwood revolutionized fashion on King’s Road in the 1970s, fusing tartan, corsetry, and distressed tees into the visual vocabulary of punk. That fearless approach still fuels the label today.
Since Sarah Jessica Parker’s unforgettable Westwood wedding gown in “Sex and the City,” the brand’s bridal creations have become icons in their own right. The crowd outside the Institut de France proved that her appeal endures, hundreds gathered, eager to witness the house that still dares to provoke.
Kronthaler’s Artistic Rebellion
Kronthaler has always thrived on distortion, twisting tradition into something defiantly modern. He transforms classic jackets with sculptural cuts, merges corsetry into knits, and reimagines tartan as both romantic and radical. This bold experimentation often walks the edge of excess, yet that tension defines the brand’s power.
The collection also revealed a new kind of maturity. While rooted in Westwood’s history, it looked forward, not backward. Historical tunics met futuristic fabrics; structured corsets coexisted with second-skin underwear. Every clash felt intentional, every contrast alive with energy.
A Poetic Farewell to Rebellion
As the show reached its finale, supermodel Heidi Klum took the stage, earning thunderous applause. Kronthaler followed, holding a massive bouquet of sunflowers so heavy he had to rest it before offering it to the audience. It mirrored the dying sunflowers that opened the show, a poetic reflection on beauty, decay, and renewal.
Even in chaos, Westwood’s world still finds grace. The house doesn’t seek perfection; it thrives on tension, humor, and courage. Under stained glass and the faint echo of that cello, the message was unmistakable, Vivienne Westwood’s rebellious spirit remains unbreakable, forever turning disorder into something profoundly beautiful.
