Vogue Editors’ Closing Thoughts On A Debut-Filled Fashion Week

Summary

The Run-Through with Vogue

Episode: Vogue Editors’ Closing Thoughts On A Debut-Filled Fashion Week
Date: October 6, 2025
Hosts: Chloe Malle, Chioma Nnadi, Nicole Phelps
Guest: Claire Thompson Johnville

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Episode Overview

This episode gathers Vogue’s leading editors in Paris, fresh from the runways, to share firsthand reflections on a notably debut-heavy Paris Fashion Week. Key topics include high-profile designer arrivals, the fashion energy in Paris, standout trends, show critiques, memorable front rows, evolving debates about practicality and creativity, and the increasing importance of “reality-based” clothes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Balenciaga’s Headline-Making Show and Meghan Markle’s Appearance

(00:32–03:40)

• Chioma Nnadi recounts barely making it to Balenciaga, arriving just before Meghan Markle, whom everyone noticed:
  • "I was the last person to enter the room apart from… Meghan Markle. What an interesting sighting." (00:32)
• Nicole Phelps describes Markle’s impact:
  • "She truly, truly gasped when she walked by in her all white outfit." (00:51)
• Balenciaga’s presentation seamlessly blended elements from former designers Demna and Cristobal with new creative direction from Pierpaolo Piccioli, highlighted by intense "bug eye" sunglasses and a blend of couture shapes with casual, wearable touches:
  • Nicole: “Even though the shapes were sort of couture-ish, they were handled in an offhanded way... it didn't feel, I mean, it's fashion, but it didn't feel serious to me.” (02:34)

2. Celine’s Scenic Show and the Return of Skinny Jeans

(05:24–09:53)

• Described as “long and far, but beautiful,” Celine’s show embraced a chic on-the-go woman, monogrammed pillows, and standout styling:
  • Chloe: "Women on the go... a chic Selenian woman, grabbing her kid to bike to school. There were Celine bike helmets, which I love." (06:38)
• Return of skinny jeans draws debate, with both tailored and scarf-inspired looks featured.
• Scarves, a Parisian classic, are reimagined across houses, including Hermès and Celine, bringing fresh twists to heritage accessories.

3. The Parisian Mood: Positivity, Practicality, and Wearability

(11:02–13:22)

• Parisian editors noted “positive energy,” creativity, and a strong practical streak:
  • Claire: “There's a real anchoring in kind of reality and like what women actually want to wear.” (11:39)
• Wearable pieces (denim, miniskirts, great tailoring) were highlights, with Dior’s denim miniskirts and Balenciaga accessories singled out.

4. Standout and Surreal Runway Moments

(13:24–16:18)

• Margiela’s children’s orchestra charms and unsettles, while oddball accessories like mouthpieces spark lighthearted PTSD among editors.
• “Movement” as a motif, especially at Alaïa—“I loved about the Alaia show is just like, it felt electric. It felt like full of energy.” (14:43)

5. Trend Watch: Marie Antoinette, Leather, Sheer Styles, and Color

(16:39–20:16)

• Marie Antoinette references abounded (Saint Laurent, Dior, Erdem), with designers translating historical silhouettes in non-literal, modern ways.
  • Nicole: “It really moved beautifully. It was so cinematic... those will make some of the best pictures of the season, for sure.” (17:23)
• Counterpoint: Parisian toughness and realism—leather jackets, bracing outerwear, and bold color everywhere.

6. Debuts and the Art of Balancing Heritage

(21:11–26:35)

• Editors weigh in on why some debuts work:
  • Chloe: “Designers who… are able to thread the needle between referencing the codes of the house but also really making it clear what their stamp is.” (21:11)
• Tom Ford under Haider Ackermann, Givenchy under Sarah, and Schiaparelli under Daniel Roseberry cited as positive examples.
• Multidimensional casting and new model discoveries (Dior, Givenchy) generated excitement, especially around inclusivity:
  • Chioma: “The casting at Givenchy was quite… I thought was the most inclusive as far as size and age diversity.” (27:03)

7. Front Row Highlights and Fashion Week Culture

(28:45–30:24)

• Meghan Markle’s appearance at Balenciaga described as “the sort of front row appearance of the decade.”
• Other front-row luminaries: Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren (who gave a reading), Naomi Watts, and Naomi’s daughter, an emerging model.
• Editors debate etiquette of photographing celebrity guests:
  • Claire: “We were all like, should we—should we not film her?… You want to respect people’s… you know, they’re there for the show.” (28:58)

8. Logistical Challenges & Invitations

(31:08–33:33)

• Complaints (with humor) about traffic and travel between venues. Calls for better coordination.
• Show invitations especially creative this season:
  • Nicole: “The Balenciaga invitation was really special: it was a old-fashioned cassette tape.” (33:20)
• Claire reveals the tape is Pierpaolo’s heartbeat, adding:
  • “It’s definitely… not an anxious heartbeat, but… it wasn’t a meditative heartbeat.” (33:36)

9. Music, Accessories, Commercial Appeal

(34:11–38:33)

• Schiaparelli’s mix of Bowie, Lauryn Hill, Aaliyah considered best soundtrack; Dior, Givenchy, and Rick Owens also praised.
• Editors praise the strong focus on accessories—bags were more prominent and desirable than in recent seasons.
  • Chloe: “Makes me optimistic that there is gonna be commercial success for a lot of these debuts because it felt like there were a lot of things to buy.” (38:03)

10. Upcoming Shows & Anticipated Trends

(38:33–41:16)

• Editors express keen interest in Alessandro Michele’s Valentino and Duran Lantink at Jean Paul Gaultier.
• Deliberation on approaches to house archives—embrace, reinterpret, or ignore?
  • Claire: “I think there’s been this kind of overarching theme… of how the designers are gonna continue the elements that we love, but whilst creating their own thing.” (39:48)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nicole Phelps [02:34]: “Even though the shapes were sort of couture-ish, they were sort of handled in an offhanded way… it didn’t feel serious to me.”
• Claire Thompson Johnville [11:39]: “There’s a real anchoring in kind of reality and like what women actually want to wear.”
• Chloe Malle [21:11]: “Designers who… are able to thread the needle between referencing the codes of the house but also really making it clear what their stamp is.”
• Chioma Nnadi [28:55]: “It might be the sort of front row appearance of the decade… It’s so insane to see Meghan Markle at the show.”
• Claire Thompson Johnville [33:36]: (On Balenciaga’s cassette invitation) “It’s definitely… like, not an anxious heartbeat, but it wasn’t… a meditative heartbeat.”
• Chloe Malle [38:03]: “I do feel like that makes me optimistic that there is gonna be commercial success for a lot of these debuts…”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Balenciaga Show & Meghan Markle: 00:32–03:40
• Celine Runway & Scarves Trend: 05:24–09:53
• Parisian Fashion Mood & Wearability: 11:02–13:22
• Margiela & Alaïa Standouts: 13:24–16:18
• Marie Antoinette Trend & Fashion History: 16:39–18:55
• Debuts & Heritage Balancing Act: 21:11–26:35
• Front Row & Model Highlights: 28:45–30:24
• Traffic/Logistics & Invitations: 31:08–33:33
• Show Soundtracks & Accessories: 34:11–38:33
• Valentino & JPG Previews, Archive Approaches: 38:33–41:16

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Tone & Style

The editors’ conversation is lively and witty, peppered with wry fashion-world observations, friendly ribbing, and a palpable sense of excitement about the evolving landscape of Paris Fashion Week. There’s deep respect for both tradition and modernity—plus a welcome candor about the industry’s quirks (traffic, etiquette, burnout).

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Conclusion

This episode offers a sharp, insider’s perspective on a Paris Fashion Week marked by debuts, creative new directions, and optimism balanced with practicality. With sharp observations, backstage anecdotes, and a focus on fashion's interaction with both history and the present, the Vogue editors guide listeners through the week’s must-see moments, trends, and the shifting energy of the fashion world. Perfect for anyone eager to understand not only what happened on the runway, but why it mattered.

Transcript

[Nicole Phelps]

Where's Choma?

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I have not been able to crush that at all.

[Chioma Nadi]

Choma.

[Nicole Phelps]

Is she there? Hold on one second. I don't know.

[Chioma Nadi]

I'm gonna text her one more time.

[Nicole Phelps]

We found Shoma.

[Chloe Mao]

This is the run through. I'm Chloe Mao.

[Chioma Nadi]

I'm Shoma Nadi.

[Nicole Phelps]

And I'm Nicole Phelps.

[Chioma Nadi]

Well, I barely made it to the show, guys. So we just left the Balenciaga show, which was at their headquarters, and Somehow I left three minutes after Nicole and I arrived, 40 minutes later, and I was the last person to enter the room apart from dun dun dun. Meghan Markle. What an interesting sighting.

[Nicole Phelps]

She truly, truly gasped when she walked by in her all white outfit.

[Chioma Nadi]

She was sitting right by you guys, right by the Vogue team. I didn't actually make it over there. I had to just take a perch.

[Chloe Mao]

Wow.

[Chioma Nadi]

What is she? Did you get a good glimpse? Like, the skin looked good. She looks beautiful. She does look really beautiful.

[Nicole Phelps]

She really does. And sort of like a princess, you know? I was trying to put together the connections. I was backstage when she said hello to him and they embraced several times, and she whispered, I'm guessing, words of encouragement and congratulations in his ear, which many, many people were doing that backstage. Kristen Scott Thomas was there. Isabel Huppert, who was a Demna girl but is now a pierapa girl at Balenciaga, and, you know, just bunches of editors and journalists trying to hear him talk about which direction he's going to take it in.

[Chioma Nadi]

Wow. I mean, he got pretty much a standing ovation at the end. Came out looking extremely happy. I did like how he sort of thread the needle from Demna's Balenciaga to Cristobal's Balenciaga to his own interpretation of the house. The first model had these very intense blackout shades that were kind of bug eye shaped, that very much tipped were a nod to Demna's Balenciaga. But then the shapes were very much in keeping with Cristobal. And honestly, what we know already from Pipaolo, who's very much known as a couturier, very much in keeping with the spirit of the roots of the house, the origins of the house.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yes. And I think what made it work for me was that it really felt effortless. Like couture tends to be quite well studied and crafted and a lot of care goes into it. This is obviously not couture. It's ready to wear. And I just appreciated the fact that even though the shapes were sort of couture ish, they were sort of handled in like an offhanded way it didn't feel, I mean, it's fashion, but it didn't feel serious to me. And I like the way that some of the pieces were put with jeans culottes. There was a great pair of very narrow black, black trousers that were quite simple but super elegant. And you know, then like you said, we saw lots of very Pierre Paolo things with those bright colors paired with the muted ones, you know, that sort of like grayish lilac and then the bright, bright pink felt like a really him color combination. And I think that, you know, there's definitely a customer for that kind of elevated but sort of not pretentious evening.

[Chioma Nadi]

I always love the way he dresses because he always wears, you know, simple black trousers, a T shirt, very great sneakers, but everything is quite precise and there's this kind of casual elegance to the way he dresses and it very much comes through in the clothes, like you said, paired with jeans. As someone who's been wearing jeans all week with pretty much everything for day or night, I feel very seen. He wants women to feel comfortable in their skin and I do love that. And there was also a lot of this movement that we've been talking about all and this texture that we've been talking about all week, which is always interesting to me. Cuz you're like, how do they all. How do they all know it is.

[Nicole Phelps]

Something in the water in Paris? Must be.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

In a quarter mile.

[Chloe Mao]

Arrive at your destination.

[Chioma Nadi]

So this is Chelsea, a producer on the show. And I'm walking around right now trying to find Chloe and Chioma. Hi.

[Chloe Mao]

I'm just trying to.

[Chioma Nadi]

I'm meeting up with someone for the vote. I am marching up a giant hill on my way to meet up with them to hear about how the Celine show was. Oh, there's Chloe.

[Nicole Phelps]

Hi.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Hi.

[Chloe Mao]

Sorry, are we recording?

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

We are.

[Chloe Mao]

Choma Nicole and I and Claire Thompson Jeanville started out the morning at the Paris Vogue offices with a podcast recording. And then Choma Nicole and I had a really lovely breakfast with Simone Belotti, the designer of Jill Sander. And he was so charming and elegant and just seems like a really lovely man. We're so excited for what he's up to. And then like good soldiers, we boarded our train. Actually our gotten our car to the Parc de Saint Cloud, which is a beautiful park on the outskirts of Paris. This is all to say we went a long way for Celine and it was a beautiful show location and beautiful day and weather.

[Chioma Nadi]

But it was long. Yeah, it was long, it was far, but it was a Beautiful show. And they got lucky with the weather. It was gorgeous. We were sat between kind of in an alley of trees and there were moments when the sun came through, so it was kind of nice. And they did provide lovely blankets, which was fun.

[Chloe Mao]

Blankets and monogrammed little pillows.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah, pillows have been a running theme throughout this season in a way.

[Chloe Mao]

And there was a six person campus band called tws. Tws. And they all came and bowed to Anna and introduced themselves one by one. And then she said, I am Anna. And it was a great moment on video. And I thought the show was fabulous. Brian Malloy styled it again. I thought he did a great job. It felt like women on the go. Sort of a chic Selenian woman, you know, grabbing her kid to bike to school. There were Celine bike helmets, which I love. The little tiny leather sneakers that almost looked like soulless Keds in, you know, very thin, you know, calfskin leather and what else? Choma.

[Chioma Nadi]

They're very same Serge Gainsbourg jazz shoes that they became very popular last season. I mean, it's so funny because a friend of mine was like, oh, skinny jeans are coming back. And I can actually say, yes, they are coming back. I love the denim last season and I loved it this season. I'm not a skinny jeans girl, but there were some quite persuasive versions in there. And then also some more tailored styles that were cropped to the ankle. I love the styling. I love the sort of beads that were poking through at the. At the collar. Reinterpretation of scarf dressing with these rouge tops, gathered tops that had the scarf print or bags that had the scarf print on them.

[Chloe Mao]

I feel like there's been a trend of sort of reinterpreting scarves and using scarves different. I mean, Hermes yesterday, the scarves were sort of threaded through little leather brassieres and scarf print was put onto knitwear. Today, scarves were tied around the quite heavy wooden block invitations. And then the scarves were really integrated into the look. Some of them that were sort of patchworks together. Scarf tops. I do think it's interesting, these houses that have a real history with silk scarves, finding ways to reinterpret that and still make that feel relevant.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah. I mean, it's funny walking around Paris, I do notice that women have a way of wearing scarves of all ages, across all generations. It's really fun to see. So scarf dressing is such a Parisian thing and it's great to see.

[Chloe Mao]

Yeah, it is a very Parisian thing.

[Chioma Nadi]

To see it reinterpreted. And the many ways that you can wear scarves. And I've seen this week people dress draping it over over their pants, which I think was started at the last dreeshow, which I think was an excellent styling trick. I think it's lovely when you can go to a show and take something and wear something immediately. Take an idea from it that you can take immediately. I love like crafty beads and yeah. And those kind of necklaces that you pick up on a vacation. And they had lots of them layered and fun beaded earrings that you probably would have made as a kid at school. So there was some things that accessible about the show.

[Chloe Mao]

We are going to take a quick break.

[Chioma Nadi]

We'll be back. Hi, it's Cho Minardi. If you're not on the Vogue app yet, what the hell are you doing? You can follow along with me and other editors as we talk about everything happening in fashion. Think you're already a fashion expert? Well, find out how your Runway IQ stacks up against the Vogue community with an all new Runway genius leaderboard. So download the Vogue app today and you'll never miss a moment.

[Chloe Mao]

I'm putting the finishing touches on my fall wardrobe and hopefully you are too. Luckily, there's still time for you to get great deals at Macy's VIP Fall Fashion Preview Sale Shop now through October 5th for 30% off of the best shoe, clothing and accessory brands, plus 15% off beauty shop@macy's.com or in store.

[Chioma Nadi]

We're reporting live from the Paris offices and we're joined by our dear colleague, Claire Thompson Johnville, who is head of editorial content at Vogue France. Hi, Claire.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Hi. Happy to be here.

[Chloe Mao]

Okay. It has been a very long, very eventful Paris Fashion Week. We are recording this on Sunday morning, Paris time. And we have seen so much. We have a few very important things left to see. For example, Chanel, which is going to cap the week off on Monday evening. But before we discuss what we are looking forward to, I want to hear what people are taking as the big picture from the week. Claire, what do you feel like is the French take on all the debuts and the general fashion vibe?

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

The general fashion vibe. I mean, I felt a lot of, like, positive energy just in general, really wearable, a lot of clothes. I think that, you know, there's a lot of creativity, but there's also a real anchoring in kind of reality and like what women actually want to wear. And yeah, I mean, I just always want everybody to win, you know, so, like, Balenciaga is just so happy to see, like, A standing ovation and like the guys at Loewe. So my takeaways are pretty positive. I think the mood is pretty upbeat.

[Chloe Mao]

Claire, I wonder if you could give examples of what are some great reality based but clothes. Like what were some pieces that you saw on the Runway and you were like, oh, I can see who is wearing that and I would wear that.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Well, I mean, you know, I think maybe it's the Glaswegian in me, but I love a sort of a denim miniskirt. I love a pair of jeans. You know, I love a great tailoring.

[Chloe Mao]

I really like the denim miniskirts were from Dior.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Dior, obviously. Yeah. I mean I loved Victoria Beckham, I have to say. I mean Alaia, I love the jeans with like the open backs or loads of great shoes. The accessories at Balenciaga. I love a Balenciaga city bag. Who else?

[Nicole Phelps]

Well, Margiela was definitely grounded in the real world and I think maybe people were a little surprised because Glenn Martin's debut couture collection was so fabulous and fantastic. Fantastical. Yes. And then you got to see a little bit of the grounding that he's had in Diesel for all these years. Like really great denim pieces and cool tailoring which felt very Martin. Margiela.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah, I love the slip dresses too.

[Chloe Mao]

The children's orchestra, really.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I had people who had PTSD after that who were like, the noise, the noise.

[Nicole Phelps]

No, it was delightful.

[Chioma Nadi]

It was my favorite part of the week.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Oh my God, you're like missing your kids.

[Chloe Mao]

Yes, totally. I was like, this is so charming. And then they gave the recorder out to everyone. I brought it to my 8 year old niece who plays the flute. And so she was playing it for me last night at dinner before Balenciaga. But I thought that was so joyous. The mouth thing was not for me.

[Chioma Nadi]

No, I didn't like those.

[Nicole Phelps]

The mouth thing is they had this sort of brace, the kind of thing that you would wear during cannibal lecture.

[Chioma Nadi]

I would have PTSD from that. I was thinking, oh my God, I need to get my. My implant. That's all I could think about. My tooth implant. I'm late.

[Nicole Phelps]

But they were like the four little stitches that, you know, was Martin Margiela's signature.

[Chioma Nadi]

And ah, that was the.

[Nicole Phelps]

That was the reference. And yes, it was sort of a weird juxtaposition with a lovely children's orchestra.

[Chioma Nadi]

That was like demonic. They all look kind of crazy. But it was. I get it. I get what he was trying to do.

[Chloe Mao]

Claire, tell me about Alaia what do.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

You want to know?

[Chloe Mao]

Well, you were saying about that Peter said that the clothes were.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

The clothes were crying.

[Chloe Mao]

Yeah. What does that mean?

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I have no idea, but I thought it was kind of beautiful to say that. You know, there was those boots. I think there were, like, fringed boots. And the sort of the movement as a theme, just in general, I've sort of. I feel like movement and kind of moving with the body has really been, like, a strong theme this season. What I loved about the Alaia show is just like, it felt electric. It felt like full of energy. I always love it when the girls. You can tell that the girls love what they're wearing. The setup of the show as well was incredible, with the mirror on the ceiling and then the video projection of the faces. And, you know, like, I love that juxtaposition between. He's so architectural. He's technically such a great designer, but the girls are very natural. And I always feel that with his woman, it's very flattering to the body. It feels like he's a designer that actually likes women. So that was my sort of takeaway from Elai. I always feel uplifted when I come up out of one of his shows.

[Chloe Mao]

Yeah.

[Nicole Phelps]

Save maybe for the little sort of jumpsuits where the hands were stuck in the garments.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah. There's been, like, weird moments, like. And I don't know if you should jump to that, like, Courreges with the, you know, like, hat thing, like, covering.

[Nicole Phelps]

Maybe it's a cocooning thing. We've heard that word.

[Chioma Nadi]

Right.

[Nicole Phelps]

I mean, with Louis Vuitton at Nicolas Ghesquier talking about wanting to stay inside sort of as a protection from the world. And then you did get. Get that with some of the. Some of the silhouettes at places. Simone carrying a pillow, wrapping yourself up.

[Chloe Mao]

That's true. That's a positive spin on bondage. Let's talk about wider trends of the week. And Vogue Runway does such a good job of distilling the trends. But, Nicole, are there any trends that you see already presenting themselves?

[Nicole Phelps]

Marie Antoinette. Yeah, everybody's talking about Marie Antoinette.

[Chloe Mao]

And it really.

[Nicole Phelps]

In Paris, at least, it started at Saint Laurent, where Anthony Vaccarello had this very distilled message. Three silhouettes. It was the leather jacket and the pencil skirt for day, a sort of a nylon trench slash shirt dress for day. And then evening were these, you know, grand ruffled ball gowns in the sort of historical style. Big, big shoulders, big skirt. But those two were made out of this, like, parachute nylon. And so they're walking outside underneath the Eiffel Tower in the wind. And it really moved beautifully. It was so cinematic. I mean, those will make some of the best pictures of the season, for sure.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah, it was so great. I wasn't at the show. I saw that on my phone, and it just had such impact. I understand that there was an insane floral arrangement on the Runway, too. I do think it's funny because there was a Marie Antoinette exhibit that opened in London, and it was really impressive to see pieces from her wardrobe and to kind of get into the history of Marie Antoinette. But I do think she is a strange icon for now.

[Nicole Phelps]

Oh, my God.

[Chloe Mao]

Mary Antoinette and the revolution.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah, Mary Antoinette. Like, where's the revolution? Is what I'm thinking. But, yeah, it is interesting.

[Chloe Mao]

Yes, I agree. Also, there was a lot of that, like, the panier skirts at Dior, even in London with Erdem. One of his references with Marie Antoinette.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah. Simona would like those kind of those shapes. I think the interesting thing is that are all these. These historical references and how designers are interpreting them. And it's not sort of straightforward reference. It's like a high collar at Dior, which I thought was really cool to see and felt very buttoned up. And they're not literal, but they are. They do kind of like shift your eye a little bit because you're like, oh. Like, this is such a historical silhouette, but done in interesting ways. I think it's been interesting to see different designers lean into those historical moments and maybe that nostalgia for completely opulent time. I don't know what it says about us now, but, yeah, it has become so much part of the. It's funny when someone becomes so much part of the zeitgeist.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I kind of felt like not the opposite, but maybe it's because I'm, like, French. I saw there's, like, leather jackets everywhere, like, perfectos everywhere. And, you know, even at Givenchy, like, you know, the sort of little gowns and everything's like, got, like, a leather jacket over the top and Saint Laurent. So I don't know, I kind of see this. I loved Hermes as well. The little leather bras. We're talking about the scars, the leather bras with, like, the scarves over the top. So I don't know. I saw, like, a toughness as well in the collections.

[Chloe Mao]

Loewe also a lot of tough leather and sort of bracing for the outer world.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah. And, you know, I'm always like. I'm, like, desperately listening to Nicole. Cause I'm working on Vogue collections. So, like, the themes. But I definitely thought, you know, like, red was a bit. I've seen red everywhere, you know, so it's great to have a bit of color.

[Chioma Nadi]

Thought color was everywhere.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Color was everywhere. Color and sheer, you know, a lot of sheer. Yeah. You know, I loved Mugler. I thought, you know, I was happy for him. I thought he did a really great job. Like, sheer gowns, you know, the juxtaposition between this very, like, tough, real life silhouette and then the gowns for, like, you know, we all need to dream and, you know, have an aspirational moment. So.

[Nicole Phelps]

So just jumping in. The hymn in question at Mugler is Miguel Castro Freitas. Right. And he is a guy who I've never met but has been in the business for.

[Chloe Mao]

Incredible resume.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yeah, an incredible resume.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

So, yeah, no, I met him actually with Anna before the show a while ago, a few weeks ago, and I, you know, was very impressed by his resume. And obviously he's, you know, done the work, but. Yeah, so that's why I was kind of keeping an eye on that show in particular. But I thought it was technically great. I mean, you know, I loved the suits. It was, you know, I think it's always great to have, like, a strong connecting theme. And he definitely worked within, you know, specific color palette. But there were definite dresses I could see on the red carpet. You know, these kind of long, like, frothy, sheer, very flattering dresses that I thought would really connect, you know, especially, like, sort of Parisian style.

[Chloe Mao]

I think it's also important to talk about what we think overall has worked for debuts and what has been more challenging. Like, I think it's been really interesting and it's easier to sort of see as we're seeing so many of them together, but how the designers who feel maybe daunted or overwhelmed by the history of a house or the designers who have come before them have been less successful than the designers who really are able to thread the needle between referencing the codes of the house but also really making it clear what their stamp is.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I was, you know, brushing up on my notes in the car on the way here, and I was absolutely obsessed with the video that Jonathan worked on for Dior and, you know, this idea of kind of a horror. It was a mix of, like, scenes from horror films mixed with archives of the designers. And I thought that was such a clever way to incorporate, like, the pressure or, like, the anticipation or the expectation that you have taking such a big house mixed with the kind of irreverence. I thought that was really clever. And I think that's a sign of, you know, there's this whole generation of these creative directors. Like, I think Jonathan's 40 and, like, you know, understands, like, the sort of commercial aspects of the business, understands, like, digital, and is obviously, technically, like, a great designer. So to sort of have a nod and a wink to that, I thought was really. Was really clever. And I definitely want to work with that video guy.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yeah.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Probably can't afford him, but, yeah, it.

[Chloe Mao]

Was Adam Curtis, Right?

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah.

[Chioma Nadi]

Tom Ford was a really excellent example of a creative director, in this case, Heyda Ackerman, who really managed to take the codes of the house but also infuse himself.

[Chloe Mao]

Yeah, it felt very him.

[Chioma Nadi]

It felt very him. But it also was, like, totally Tom Ford. And I think it's so difficult to tread that line with such confidence. It was definitely one of the shows of the season for me. It felt there was drama, There was a real exploration of what it means to be seductive in different ways, whether that's in a completely naked dress or in a really fabulous suit.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I love those trenches that look, you know, when you turned around, you could see. Yeah, no, that was beautiful. I loved that show. Yeah.

[Nicole Phelps]

And such a lesson for all of these models who are coming up in the business, and, you know, they're encouraged to be very flat on the Runway. And that show was so good because the models had so much attitude. You know, they were really. I just totally think that a show can be a lot more. If the models are sort of engaged and. And alive somehow.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah. I was talking to Daniel Roseberry last night. He was front row at Balenciaga about his collection. And, you know, for someone who's very, like, known for being quite theatrical and sort of couture, and seeing how he's kind of evolved in this last collection to something much more anchored, like in. I keep saying reality, but, you know, those gowns, you know, made me think also of Heiter. You know, there's, like, the sheer. I think the girls. There's not so much like acting, because somehow I find it sometimes a bit cringe when the girls have to.

[Nicole Phelps]

Well, you have to be good at it. There's a lot who aren't good at it.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Right. But, yeah, there's definitely room to play a little bit as well this season, so. Yeah. But I totally agree with you, Chioma. Like, I loved Tom Ford. It's probably one of my favorites.

[Chioma Nadi]

Schiaparelli, I thought, was really great, too. I thought there was a lot of. I love the silhouette that more languid Silhouette. Because I think it's in the past, we've seen Daniel focus much more on sort of a waist whittling, corset or something that really adds this very dramatic silhouette. And there was this sort of loosening, much more fluid line that I thought was really beautiful in the dresses and the color and the. And I thought the way the models, too. He's so great at identifying models who can connect with the audience. They always look out into the audience, and it can be quite. It can be quite kind of unsettling for the audience because these models are basically making eye contact. They're basically flirting. Yeah. And then obviously, you had Kendall who closed the show, and then Kylie was on the front row.

[Chloe Mao]

Yeah. Just speaking of models of the season, I do feel like by the end of Paris, you really are familiar with faces that have felt like the stars of the season. And for me, as has been the case, like the last season or two, but really, I feel like she cemented her status this season was Alex Khonsani. But also my favorite new is this adorable girl who illustrates all the looks she wears that Jose wrote about for Vogue Business. But Luna Johannan, and she is just. She was. Looked beautiful at Vuitton, and she's been all over the place, and I'm really excited about her. Anyone else you guys love?

[Nicole Phelps]

I don't think I've learned their names yet, but there are definitely some new faces that I really like.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I thought Dior was so strong at the casting. I love a new face, you know, and I think traditionally French Vogue has always been very, like, models. So I felt really excited because I think it's. Is it Pierre Giorgio who does the casting for Duo? No, I think it's Ashley.

[Nicole Phelps]

I think.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah, it's Ashley. Wow. She's great. I mean, it's always so exciting. Just have, like, new ideas, and there's that, like, toughness, you know, I was talking to Anna about it. She's like, what's the story? What's the story behind, like, the new girls? You know, they've only just started. Like, that's the. Yeah, that's the story. You know, like, that energy as well, like from the streets and kind of. I always love a sort of a teenage stomp. So I don't know anyone's names yet.

[Chioma Nadi]

There was a. There was a girl at Givenchy who I feel maybe wasn't a model because the casting at Givenchy was quite. I thought was the most inclusive as far as size and age diversity. And there was one. One girl who I Feel like I've seen this girl on the streets of London. Like, she had.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

The girl with the leather.

[Chioma Nadi]

She had, like, bleached eyebrows.

[Chloe Mao]

Chom and I both turned to each other.

[Chioma Nadi]

Who does that girl feel like? Maybe she's an artist. She looked really familiar to me.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yeah, she was great. I love that haircut, that buzz cut.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah, yeah. So it is. It is, to your point. It's really exciting when you see a new face, you're kind of intrigued to find out more about.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I mean, not technically new faces, but, you know, I do love an Isabel Marant girl. I love that, like, sexy, like, let's say athletic. More figure. You know, there was practically nobody. Diversity, let's be honest, in this. These shows. But, you know, the daughter of Nicole Kimmin. No. Naomi Watts.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh, yeah. Kai Shri.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Obsessed.

[Chloe Mao]

Yeah.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

So, like, fizzy and, like, cool.

[Chloe Mao]

She's a dancer.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I mean, you can tell.

[Chioma Nadi]

Did she walk a show.

[Chloe Mao]

And Naomi was front row, like, cheering her on.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah.

[Chioma Nadi]

Naomi was at that mugler as well.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah. And I also love Lennon Sorrenti at Isabel Maran in, like, just like a bikini. So Isabel. But just in terms of attitude, you know, it's nice to have some, like, personalities because I feel like we have, you know, there's Kendall and Alex and Vittoria, who we all love. You know, she was front row at Balenciaga. But it's nice to, you know, feel the energy of, like, the.

[Nicole Phelps]

The.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

The new breakthrough ones.

[Chloe Mao]

Yeah. I mean, what. I would say that if we're ranking how stacked the front rows were. Balenciaga, I feel like Megan Markle just sort of takes things into a different.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

We were all. You made me laugh, though, because we were all like, should we. Should we not film her? Should we film her? Should we?

[Nicole Phelps]

Not everyone else was so.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I know. I like. It's because it's complicated as well. You know, it's like you want to respect people's. You know, they're there for the show.

[Chloe Mao]

Not on the front row.

[Nicole Phelps]

Chloe and I both gasped when we.

[Chioma Nadi]

I know it might be the sort of front row appearance of the decade. I don't know. It's so insane to see Meghan Markle at the show. I mean, literally rippled through the crowd as I was leaving. Cause I could see her, but there were people that didn't have, like, eyesight on, didn't have that line of sight onto her. And then Katie Graham behind me was like, did you see Meghan Markle? And everybody was, like, talking about it. It was like, I never heard.

[Chloe Mao]

I used my New iPhone.

[Nicole Phelps]

Super silly.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I saw that. You made me laugh. I saw that on your Instagram.

[Chioma Nadi]

People are so, like, blase about, you know, celebrities appear because we're so used to it. But I think having like an almost princess on the. On the front row. Yeah.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I have to say as well, Anne Hathaway looks so amazing.

[Chioma Nadi]

She always looks good.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah. I'm trying to think of other front row people. There was Helen Mirren.

[Nicole Phelps]

Stella. Yes.

[Chioma Nadi]

Love Helen.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yes. And what a great reading of Come Together. She did.

[Chloe Mao]

I know. That was fun. I feel like Dior had a lot.

[Nicole Phelps]

Of very Divy and Bond. I know that Mark Colgate was.

[Chloe Mao]

Mark Colgate was very activated about that.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I think Chanel's gonna kill it with the front line.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah, I think so too. I think so too.

[Chloe Mao]

And more after a quick break. Lights, camera, fashion. This year, Vogue World is heading to Hollywood. The scene, the legendary Paramount Pictures Studios lot.

[Nicole Phelps]

The plot.

[Chloe Mao]

Cinema's most iconic costumes meet fashion's biggest designers. Think Edward Scissorhands tailoring and Marie Antoinette opulence. It's drama, it's decadence. It's a costume department come to life.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Life.

[Chloe Mao]

The countdown starts now. Learn more about the live stream event of the [e-mail]. and cut. We are recording this again on Sunday mornings. Everyone's looking forward to Chanel and you know, they are announcing today that I.O. edebiri is a new ambassador for the house. And I think we'll see some other ambassadors coming out that everyone will be very excited about. But yeah, it's at the Grand Palais.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Thank you, Matthew.

[Chloe Mao]

Yes, I know, Matthew.

[Nicole Phelps]

We love a convenient location.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah. I mean this.

[Chloe Mao]

Okay, Claire, this is a question for you. Do you feel like it's been more far flung than usual or are people just grumpy this year?

[Chioma Nadi]

I think the traffic's worse, don't you?

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Both.

[Chloe Mao]

Okay. Because I feel like it's unfair going back and forth like the Raband Mugler situation was not fair.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

No. I just think in general they need to. I'm gonna speak to the Federation about it.

[Chloe Mao]

I've been advised there should be some coordination.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah. Especially because, you know, it's the end of quite a long haul for a lot of sort of journalists and especially those late shows, you know, at 8 or 8:30 that are in far flung locations. It just doesn't feel like realistic and it sets you up for, you know, not for a fail, but like it doesn't put journalists or reviewers in the best mood. So perhaps, you know, strategically it might be a good idea to look at that. Yes.

[Nicole Phelps]

The win of the week was going from Tom Ford to Bal Man. It was a five minute walk around.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I'm recording a podcast in between because that's how we roll at Vogue.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yes.

[Nicole Phelps]

Five minute walks. Please agree.

[Chloe Mao]

I also feel like. And Nicole, correct me if you think I'm wrong, but it felt like more exciting invitations than in years past. Like, I know invitations are always kooky, but this felt like the most creative.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yeah, I was gonna say that it felt like the. Just the debuts. But then we did get a Chloe ashtray, I think.

[Chloe Mao]

Very heavy.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah.

[Nicole Phelps]

But definitely to me, the Balenciaga invitation was really special. It was a old fashioned and cassette tape. And I have to confess, I haven't yet listened to it.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I listened to it in the car.

[Chloe Mao]

It's Pierre Paolo's heartbeat.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Oh, it's his heartbeat.

[Chloe Mao]

Yes. I think it's cool, but it is very interesting.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

It's his heartbeat. No, it's strange because it's very like, it's so cool. The actual object and then the cassette and everything. And even just the act of putting in. I was like, oh, my God, I can't remember how to do this. Yeah, I've never done this. I'm so young. But yeah, it was like kind of a slightly sweaty heartbeat. I want to say like a kind of a. Like not an anxious heartbeat, but it wasn't like.

[Chioma Nadi]

Did you recognize it as a heartbeat instantly? Because I.

[Chloe Mao]

So did you recognize it?

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

My boyfriend thought it was the ocean, but it definitely. It's definitely. But you knew it was a heart could beat because there was heartbeat written on it. But it's not a meditative heartbeat. I mean, I know from, you know, like healing sounds. It wasn't a meditative. It wasn't a.

[Nicole Phelps]

The pressure's on. Wow.

[Chioma Nadi]

I mean, it's very creative. I mean, as far as music, I definitely think Schiaparelli was. Had the best. Had the best music. They opened with David Bowie doing Peter and the Wolf, kind of introducing Pete and the Roof, which just had. I have so many childhood memories about that film. And then I have a lot of memories about Lauryn Hill. And there was great.

[Chloe Mao]

That was really fun.

[Chioma Nadi]

It was really fun. Yeah. And then the Aaliyah and the One in a Million, which is just like one of my favorite songs ever. So I just felt myself. I was like, this is like karaoke for me. So, yeah, Schiaparelli was best soundtrack of the.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Of the week. I loved again, I keep like Shout out to Dior, but I love like Ethel Kane and Then there was a bit of, like, Lana Del Rey. That really got me. It's like all my kind of playlist hits. But, yeah, the music was. Even at Givenchy, I feel like there was a similar song. Was it Mia?

[Chioma Nadi]

Oh, yeah. I love that. Yeah, it was Paper Planes.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah, exactly.

[Chloe Mao]

I love Givenchy, and I think Sarah's a really good example of someone who's not overwhelmed by the history of the house and really has been very clear, setting expectations and clarity around. Who is the Givenchy woman? What is the cut of what she's wearing? What does she look like? And I think that. I don't know. I mean, it feels reductive to say this, but it is true that you see that collection, you think, oh, it makes sense that it's designed by a woman or one of the few ones. Like, it looks like the way women actually want to dress. Like that little. Like, actually the look Rooney Mara was wearing front row. It's like the mini dress, the lace mini dress with the leather motorbike jacket and the. So you can just get up and run out of the black tie event and hop on your motorcycle.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yeah, I did love that. A really short, short dress with flats feels so, so fun and fresh.

[Chloe Mao]

Yeah.

[Chioma Nadi]

And what an epic front row. I've never seen Jenna Ortega in person. And let me tell you, teeny, tiny, she's like a living doll.

[Nicole Phelps]

She looked really pretty, I think.

[Chioma Nadi]

Yeah, she looked really pretty.

[Nicole Phelps]

I wanna give a. Speaking of good soundtracks, shout out to Rick Owens and that Jefferson Airplane song, Don't yout Want Somebody To Love. Oh, I think that was a very good message too, because he had these, you know, his tribe come down the stairs and then walk through the fountain at the Palais de Tokyo to that song. And it just sent a message to me of, like, stronger together, you know, which is a good message for the moment.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

But again, for Rick, you know, going back to this theme of, like, leather and sheer and flattering in some ways. You know, I did think that I saw myself in a lot of those silhouettes. You know, quite often the designers are quite theatrical. And then you have to imagine what the commercial, like, interpretation would be. And I could really read it.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yeah, that first series of dresses, just, like, very beautiful sheer.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Yeah. And it felt like really like, his codes and, like, why we love Rick as women. So I'm gonna be running to that story.

[Chloe Mao]

I feel like there were a ton of really appealing, very chic bags. You don't always see a lot of great bags on the Runway. Sometimes it feels like an afterthought and I feel like all the designers did a really good job of focusing on accessories. And there. I feel like at a lot of the shows, like the Loewe.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yeah, I was gonna say top handle bag.

[Chloe Mao]

I was like, oh, that's the bag you want. I do feel like that makes me optimistic that there is gonna be commercial success for a lot of these debuts because it felt like there were a lot of things to buy.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yes. Jack and Laz very proud of the new one handle, Amazona, which is apparently its name. And they said that it fits a laptop, which you'll like.

[Chloe Mao]

Chloe, love to hear that. I would love a second handle, but I'll support that.

[Nicole Phelps]

There is a shoulder strap. Okay.

[Chloe Mao]

Today we have Celine, we have Valentino. Any expectations from Alessandro Michele?

[Nicole Phelps]

He told me that he's trying to simplify.

[Chloe Mao]

Yes. Anna and I actually went to a preview yesterday, and it's like, very sophisticated, quite structured, a lot of separates. He's very into blouses and skirts. It felt very clean 80s Valentino, which I think is exciting. I mean, plenty of sequins. Fear not.

[Nicole Phelps]

But.

[Chloe Mao]

But I mean. And his sort of, you know, fantastical type of romantic sequence. But. But yes, it was very much a structured skirt and top. 80s silhouettes.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Where's that show?

[Chloe Mao]

It's at the Institute de Montdarabe.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Oh, okay.

[Chloe Mao]

And then Jean Paul Gaultier is Duran Lantic's debut. I hope everyone has listened to Nicole's fantastic conversation with Duran.

[Nicole Phelps]

He's such a interesting thinker, and he told us that he has locked the door to the archive that he really wants to create based on instinct and zeitgeist and.

[Chloe Mao]

Well, that's a different approach than we've been seeing from a lot of people who are. Have been really delving deep into archives so that it is interesting to compare how people approach these.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

I was reading a review, forgive me, I'm not sure if it was yours, but again, Dior. I keep talking about Dior, but when Jonathan talked about having a memory box with pictures and bits and bobs in it and then opening the box and taking a few bits out and then closing it and not looking at it for a long time, and I thought that was a really interesting way of looking at the archives. I think the designers, you know, even Balenciaga, you know, when Pierre Paolo was. I was reading the review this morning about, you know, sort of continuing, not ignoring his predecessors, and he talked about Nicolas, which I thought was nice, but then sort of like continuing Nicolas. Nicolasquier, of course, Balenciaga for a long time. But I think there's been this kind of overarching theme, even if I hadn't really said, of, like, how the designers are gonna continue the elements that we love, but whilst creating their own thing. And I haven't really felt like, during these shows, like, a disappointment or a shock. Sometimes there's such a weight of expectation that you're really disappointed. I like how things are evolving, and I definitely feel like in the fashion industry as well, at the moment, there was a kind of general feeling of we needed to be creatively surprised or excited, and I definitely feel that way at least. What day are we? Day five?

[Nicole Phelps]

Day seven.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

It's like fake it till you make it.

[Chloe Mao]

Thank you so much, Claire. Good luck getting Celine.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Thank you so much. Merci beaucoup.

[Chloe Mao]

All right, bye, everybody. Ciao. From the French Vogue offices.

[Nicole Phelps]

The run.

[Chloe Mao]

Through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma and Stephanie Kariuchi, with help from Emily Elias. It's engineered by Pran Bandy and James Yost. It is mixed by Mike Kutcher. Chris Bannon is Conde Nast's head of global audio.

[Claire Thompson Johnville]

Hi. This is David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker. This fall, join us in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the New Yorker at the New Yorker Festival, returning October 24 through 26. We'll be joined by Salman Rush, Sarah Jessica Parker, George Saunders, Zadie Smith, Rasheed Johnson, Keanu Reeves, and many others. Tickets are on sale now, and we'll be announcing more events soon. You can learn [e-mail] festival. That's thenewyorker.com festival from PRX.