Paris, Printemps/Été 2025

There was a sense of restraint in the air, a suspended breath – not in anticipation of shock, but of a calmer, more rooted emotion. The SS25 season arrived like a promise of renewal: color, silhouette, craftsmanship. And among the many voices, Belgium was not whispering. It was speaking loud and clear.

Then came Courrèges, under the direction of Nicolas Di Felice, a label deeply marked this season by Belgian influence. The show evoked an urgent, minimalist futurism: monochromes, architectural cut-outs, controlled transparencies. The staging – a large tilting disc, water, reflections – conveyed the infinite loop between past and future, classic codes and bold reinterpretations. The opening piece, a cocoon coat enclosing the hands within the garment itself, evoked both shelter and exposure.

Beyond these big names, Belgian creativity also expressed itself behind the scenes: the appointment of Meryll Rogge as artistic director of Marni illustrates how Belgian education (Antwerp, Brussels) continues to supply major houses with ideas and leadership.

Amidst all this, Chanel – now under the inspired direction of Matthieu Blazy, who brings a Belgian sensibility and heritage – played its part with mastery. For SS25, through haute couture, Chanel restored its codes: intertwined C's, archival references, tweed, feathers, a femininity made of restraint and brilliance. The show was not about revolution, but about stewardship – enlightened guardianship: preserving what defines elegance, and giving it new life.

Belgium at SS25 was not a detail. It was a framework. The risk, today, is no longer in flamboyance, but in sincerity: drawing on heritage, training, craftsmanship, and personality to redefine contemporary luxury. We saw exaggeration and minimalism, not as opposites, but as a dialogue. And that is where the energy of the moment lies.