Greeted by a crowd of frenzied fans waiting outside Pavillion Cabon to catch a glimpse of Ice Spice, Chappell Roan and PinkPantheress, Andreas Kronthaler certainly stirred up a storm on the sixth day of Paris Fashion Week. Honouring his 30 years spent in London, the number 19 and its connotations of “energy, expansion and a new start,” sat at the centre of the designer’s FW25 Vivenne Westwood collection. 

Drawing from the wardrobes of era-crossing icons including Brigitte Bardot, Gertrude Stein, Cecil Beaton, Jerry Hall and Carey Grant, Kronthaler’s show notes closed with Shakespeare’s iconic As You Like It line – “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players” – and the collection was imbued with a sense of eclecticism reminiscent of the pastoral comedy. A series of tailored garments arrived in an array of Harris tweed, red herringbone, vibrant tartan and supple suede – in the words of Kronthaler, “There’s nothing more sexy than a suit!” Heavy knitwear and oversized skiwear worked in contrast to the organza creations that closed the show, presenting a series of dresses in extravagant, floating silhouettes. Playing on proportions saw ties sweep down to the knee and hats layered atop one another, while layering shifted garments into new forms; sparkle mini dresses sat over shirting and mesh tops peeked out from structured outerwear. As the last model hit the runway and Kronthaler took his bow, the designer threw yellow bouquets into the crowd to celebrate International Women’s Day.