Yahoo Lifestyle Patou’s Guillaume Henry Wants You to Tell the Story of Fall 2025
If you expected Patou’s fall runway show to pick up where “Tell Me More,” the brand’s first five-minute short film released Monday, left off, you’re in for disappointment.
Guillaume Henry is tired of chronicling who the Patou woman and what she does. “I just wanted visual effects without a story,” he said before the show. “This is a woman who passes you by and you catch her — or not. You’re the one telling the story, not me.”
More from WWD
Mindy Kaling Gives the Plaid Skirt Suit a Modern Makeover at Patou's Paris Fashion Week Show
Zooey Deschanel Revives the Red Trend in Tweed Minidress at Patou's Paris Fashion Show
Plus, there was also a different story Henry was more interested in telling: materials.
Among the new ones introduced this season were a coated felt embossed to look like high-gloss crocodile skin, a GOTS-certified cotton used for a bottle-green boxy jacket and trousers, and a fabric that looked like logoed ribbons woven together, made from plastic bottles collected on beaches.
Conscious, enthusiastic and driven were the three words that best described what the designer wanted to telegraph with polished, sporty outfits.
While narration went on the back burner, the allure of French cinema characters remained a major influence for Henry. Backstage, a whole board filled with stills from films dating back to the 1960s to the late ‘70s sat next to the one with the run of show.
For today’s woman, he offered cropped jackets with patent bands at the hem and sleeves; mini shift dresses; flirty little lace dresses cinched with wide belts, and debonair trousers with utilitarian details. Bags, too, were meant to be easy to carry about — a new model could even be worn holster-style.
On top of squared shoulders, boxy cuts and an “efficient” color palette — black, red, white and a dash of brown inspired by luggage — it’s metal elements that epitomized the city slicker mood of the season.
Along with glossy textures, they flashed as models strode around the room, echoing the photographer flashes that lit up front row guests including Katie Holmes, Mindy Kaling, Zooey Deschanel and Kelly Rutherford.
“When you see the city from the window of a car, there’s always these streaks of light that come through,” Henry said. “I want that woman to be followed by the light and for the light to watch to catch her.”
Launch Gallery: Patou Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
