Get A Life! Those are the late Dame Vivienne Westwood's famous words and the name of her online diary, which she began in 2010 and published in print six years later. In Paris on Saturday, the catchphrase became the sartorial starting point for Westwood's widower and the brand's creative director, Andreas Kronthaler, whose work aims to honor and expand upon its namesake founder's legacy.
"Life is beautiful with all its ups and downs," the designer wrote in his Spring 2025 show notes. "You have to give meaning to it." Here, Kronthaler found that meaning through ultra-feminine and flamboyantly elegant fashions. "The focus this season became womenswear, which put me on a new road," he explained. That new road was rather pared-back (for a Westwood collection, at least), with less prints, ultra-fine knitwear, an overall lightness and reduced color, minus those bright splashes of red and pink.
Kronthaler cited another quote from Philipp Ekardt in this season's notes: "Without fashion, sex 'tout court' might die. Or, to put it less dramatically: there is fashion because there isn't enough sex." So, this latest Vivienne Westwood manifesto leaned into its sensuality, much of which had to do with the garments' necklines, the designer said.
Classy shirting, regal gowns, formal blazers and satin bodysuits left the chest on display with oval and V-shaped cuts carving out the collar bones. Much of the line's tops and gowns were made from sheer textiles, leaving the torso entirely exposed, while billowing skirts, statement belts and crystal-clad cinches shaped the female form with flattery.
Still, there was an unwavering sophistication threaded through many of Kronthaler's garments—buttoned-up double-breasted suits, slimming pencil skirts and organza headpieces among them—that balanced out the label's entertaining accessories: headphones, cigarettes and massive chain necklaces, to name a few.
"Fashion is about beauty and joy; it links us to each other, which is important for the world we live in." Here, Kronthaler's Vivienne Westwood found the confident middle ground between the two.
See Vivienne Westwood's Spring/Summer 2025 collection in the gallery above, and stay tuned to Hypebeast for more Paris Fashion Week coverage.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast
