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Black for Fall 2025–Winter 2026, Classic Haute Couture Fashion We Love
Each summer, Paris Haute Couture Week brings together the fashion industry’s most discerning eyes for a show of the latest bold and beautiful fashion art designs for the upcoming Fall/Winter seasons. Set against the city’s historic grandeur, the FHCM presented a curated selection of runway events from well-known and emerging maisons that explored what’s to come for this season of couture. One striking thread tied all the collections of the Fall 2025–Winter 2026 together: the powerful use of black.
Embraced as a statement, black appeared in everything from sculptural gowns to sharp tailored suits, underscoring its timeless elegance and enduring versatility. Blacks classic depth provides the perfect canvas for rich textures, intricate craftsmanship, and unexpected accents. From each handcrafted garment to the concept-driven shows, this season highlighted haute couture’s continued status as fashion’s highest form of artistry.
Black is fashion’s most classic color and a must-have for seasons to come. Read on for our favorite black looks from across the artists of the Paris Haute Couture Fall 2025 Winter 2026 fashion shows!
Iris Van Herpen, Dressed In Black
Iris Van Herpen’s “Sympoiesis” collection for Fall/Winter 2025/26 roots in organic human experimentation. Her runway extravaganza during Paris Haute Couture Week showcased the new line’s bioluminescence set against a completely black room, emphasizing sustainability in couture. The black dress below radiates modern classicism.
Georges Hobeika
“The New Order” Collection features sculpted gowns and classic silhouettes, all set against a gorgeous palette of black and warm tones. This collection embodies elegance, blending bridal with everyday stunning—a true reimagination of the timeless design of Georges Hobeika.
Imane Ayissi
In a small Parisian Salon, Imane Ayissi unveiled “Ikorrok”—meaning “fallow” in Ewondo—a brand-new collection that runs deeper than just material. Imane Ayissi used Paris Haute Couture Week as an opportunity to demonstrate nature’s rest and renewal rhythms, heavily utilising the color black as a symbol of grounding and strength.
Rahul Mishra
“Becoming Love” by Rahul Mishra is a deeply emotional collection unveiled in Paris, showcasing love’s seven stages, from attraction to complete surrender. Black is a recurring element in this collection, emphasizing introspection whilst being used as a backdrop for his delicate silhouettes.
Schiaparelli
Designer Daniel Roseberry’s collection of “Back to the Future” debuted at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in the Petit Palais. Rendered in the classic black and white palette, the new looks included tweed suits, embroidered boleros, and bias cut gowns. Each look took inspiration from Paris’s elegance pre-WWII.
Chanel
Chanel transformed their Salon d’Honneur into a homage to 31 rue Cambon in Paris. Black served as a grounding counterpoint to the ivory, green, and crimson tones —seen in tweed suits and feather-lined jackets. Many motifs are woven throughout, paying tribute to the brand’s rich Parisian history.
Stéphane Rolland
“Argument” by Stéphane Rolland showed us just what a difference rhythm can make in a show like this. Taking place at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Stéphane’s new line was bold, daring, and emotional. Every piece, step, and movement was methodically timed—creating a show-stopping moment for his rich, black pieces. The play of gold against black is one of the color’s most powerful amplifiers. We say yes to the black and gold!
RVDK
If there is any brand that knows detail, it’s RVDK. Ronald van der Kemp’s “Call of the Wild”, displayed in a shadowy underground location, was a true work of couture ethos and Amazonian inspiration. Hand-layered silk mousseline, contrasted with embroidery and feathering, is a true calling to the spirit of the rainforest.
Juana Martín
Staged in the Université Paris 1 Panthéon‑Sorbonne, “Fervor” demonstrated true intensity and emotion. The Juana Martín FW25/26 collection leans heavily on black ruan, a matte fabric traditionally worn by Nazarenos. With a heavy echo on Andalusian Holy Week, the collection displayed crucifix motifs, veils, and other details to invoke a deep devotion in this new line. Metallic silvers and golds play beautifully against both blacks and whites.
Julie de Libran
Tucked away on Paris’s Left Bank, Julie de Libran unveiled “When Nature and Love Take Over”– a collection of structured tailoring and lingerie-inspired components, all anchored by a draped, satin black dress. In this lineup, Julie has created a flawless relationship between strength, nature, and sustainability.
Ashi Studio
While the color palette was glittered with pastels and neutrals, black is truly what punctuated Ashi Studio’s newest collection. A jet-black horsehair skirt was the show’s starting note, and it evoked a sense of timelessness that many other pieces aspire to do. Black is an emotional anchor in this collection.
Giorgio Armani Privé
At the stately Palazzo Armani in Paris, the “Noir Séduisant” collection was unveiled. This new line held infinite shades of black, creating a new structure of masculine and feminine in each look. Fluidity and structure were in the spotlight this year, with luminous embellishments leaning in to elevate these looks. This year, Armani took black and elevated it to a whole new level.
Robert Wun
Set at the gorgeous Théâtre du Châtelet, Robert Wun transformed this space into a canvas for his dramatic collection. The entire collection, enveloped in black, immersed the audience into a new abyss-like space that amplified each look to the highest degree of emotional drama.
Franck Sorbier
“Eldorado”, Franck Sorbier’s newest collection was unveiled in a sculptural ceremony in Paris. Drawing inspiration from the Inca, Franck contrasted gilded Inca themes with numerous shadowy details to pay tribute to the gladiators. In this collection, black represents power and confrontation.
Balenciaga
This year, Demna Gvasalia gave us his final bow with his Balenciaga couture collection on Avenue George V. The collection features tailored archetypes with exaggerated shoulders, all steeped in a deep rich black. And a sparkly black look worn by the one and only Naomi Campbell.
Yuima Nakazato
Yuima Nakazato’s “Glacier” collection debuted at the Palais de Tokyo, thrilling the audience with an artic new collection with thoughtful shadows of black. Her overall palette was based on icy blues and greys, but touches of black emerged through crocheted metal paneling and shadowed seams. The black in this collection symbolizes an absence of warmth, framing the human need for layers both physically and metaphorically.
Elie Saab
In a grand marble setting, Elie Saab’s “The New Court” made its debut. Each model descended the marbled stairs, with black and gold juxtaposing the pale color palette. This dramatic authority adds structure and a modern twist to this romantic line.
Viktor&Rolf
Viktor&Rolf unveiled their “Angry Birds” collection, where each look began in black before transforming into an extravagant feathered ensemble. Black acted as the quiet foundation for each of these looks, revealing a sense of restraint before the glory.
Zuhair Murad
“A Sheer Desire” by Zuhair Murad was debuted at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and was filled with timeless and inspiring designs. Each of his glowing palettes of gold and nude held striking black accents, creating a sense of mystery with each dark look.
Maison Margiela
This year is special for Maison Margiela as the new creative director, Glen Martens, made his debut with a couture show in the subterranean rooms of Le Centquatre’s basement. This unique collection featured striking black masks of metal, lace, and other materials. Black served as the deconstructed, waiting to see what it could become for the coming season.
Ardazaei
Taking place at the renovated Fondation Cartier, Ardazaei’s “The Folded Sea” channeled the energy of the sea and its many depths and textures. This gorgeous collection features a diverse palette of colors and iridescence, yet black still emerged. It created punctuation in many pieces, adding depth and symbolic protection.
Peet Dullaert
At the L’Opéra-Comique, Peet Dullaert unveiled his “Silent Symphony” Collection—a new line rooted in stillness and quiet. The whole collection and palette was anchored by jet-black tuxedo silhouettes, cut to reveal vulnerable pieces of the body to create fluidity.
Rami Al Ali
This year made history for Rami Al Ali, not only being the first designer from Dubai based on the Haute Couture schedule, but also his collection, “Guardians of Light – The Living Craft of Damascus,” was a true masterpiece. Touches of black appeared inn every silhouette.
Germanier
Swiss designer Kevin Germanier closed Paris Haute Couture Week with “Les Joueuses”—a funky and upcycled collection featuring bold colors and new techniques. The collection was dominated by color, except for one ensemble that was all black and made of Japanese paper.
Wrapping Up Black for Fall 2025 and Winter 2026, The Forever Classic
We love pulling out black fashion ensembles in the Fall and Winter seasons. We actually love black every season and everywhere, including in our home decor, hello black velvet sofa, and black glass and brass sconces.
Words by Daisy Simson
Feature Image: Detail of Georges Hobeika Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2025/2026, Paris Fashion Week, July 7, 2025 | Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images
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