Alaïa FW25 Was Totally Tubular
Filled with gravity defying pleats, face framing tubes, and floating waistlines, Pieter Mulier reminded us of the power of sculptural transformation.
No, it’s not a face donut, and it’s also not a pool noodle, it’s Alaïa’s “Summer Fall” 2025 collection. Designed by Pieter Mulier, this season’s runway emphasized feelings of metamorphosis, forming chrysalis-like cocoons in some places and flaunting geometric beauty in others.
The collection marks the brand’s first time on the official Paris Fashion Week schedule (as you can see from its season title “Summer Fall,” Alaïa has never been afraid to go against the norm). Last fall, the brand skipped Paris altogether, staging the first ever fashion show inside the Guggenheim Museum in NYC. This time around, Mulier thoughtfully expanded on Azzedine Alaïa’s dedication to sculpture, geography, and fashion.
Throughout the runway, fabric tubes encircled the models’ heads, framing their faces as traditional portraits and nodding to the Alaïa’s timeless legacy of honoring feminine beauty. Alongside tubular face frames, pleated skirts extended out from the body and gently levitated around the models’ waists using the brand’s signature cardboard method.
Elsewhere, thick horizontal tubes were sculpted into woven and fur jackets, expanding on the Charles James’ jacket iteration from last season. As the model’s butterfly-like transformation was complete, fur coats and pleated dresses swayed down the runway with a feeling of gravity-defying perpetual motion while fringed flower shoes popped out from underneath.
The runway also included bronze sculptures cast by Mark Manders, a Dutch artist whose work has long fascinated Mulier. Manders’ sculptures represented Azzedine’s Tunisian heritage and the global Alaïa woman.
To commemorate the collection, Alaïa will also be releasing a short film directed by Shayne Laverdiere on March 5. The film highlights the creative process of a runway show, from castings to each design’s inception.
In the meantime, you can check out the Alaïa Summer Fall 2025 runway in the gallery above, and stay tuned to Hypebeast for more Paris Fashion Week.
