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Ujoh SS25 Paris Fashion Week Runway Show

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Modern tailoring and lightness in the face of extreme weather


Today, we are excited to share the Ujoh runway show from the SS25 Paris Fashion Week. Ujoh is our new-in from Japan this Fall/Winter season. In fact, we have just received some amazing garments that we can’t wait to share. 

For Spring/Summer 2025, presented at the Paris Fashion Week, UJOH reshapes tailoring by focusing on structure and lightness through the cutting. And so, utilising signature techniques specific to the brand, the collection merges sleek design with effortless comfort, making it ideal for navigating a changing climate.

Indeed, the extreme weather in Japan is the inspiration for the SS25 collection, which addresses the need for adaptable fashion in a warming world. Designer Mitsuru and Aco Nishizaki explored how their unique pattern-making could evolve to meet the demands of higher temperatures. And it results in layered silhouettes that marry style with practicality. So, the collection showcases innovative, tailored looks incorporating breezy elements, offering wearers both sophistication and function.

SS25 Paris Fashion Week: Ujoh

Ujoh SS25 Paris Fahion Week


This season’s iconic items include cut-off jackets shaped to fit the body’s lines, straight-cut jackets, wide-legged trousers and skirts with deep slits that allow for and create movement. Specifically, asymmetry played a key role in the collection, with restructured sleeve-ties from shirts. All complemented by scarves that could be styled over or under layers for an effortlessly unique touch. Standout pieces included satin garments treated with the traditional Japanese Shibori tie-dye technique, creating creased patterns reminiscent of petrol spills on wet asphalt. Geometric swirl prints added another layer of visual appeal. These garments highlight the idea of reconstruction by adding elements to the spaces created through subtraction in the cutting process.

Textiles:
Matte organza, washed organza tailored inside out, and washed satin with shibori tie-dye treatment. 

Key colours:
Pinstripes in the brand’s signature shades of sand beige and slate grey. Along with bright colours such as leaf green, lilac, sky blue and terracotta, representing a positive mindset.

According to UJOH, modern tailoring is a balance between sharp craftsmanship and functionality, with a strong emphasis on pattern-making that defines the collection’s approach.

Ultimately, Ujoh’s SS25 collection from Paris Fashion Week offered an imaginative, well-considered response to the challenges of dressing for a warming world. But it stayed true to the brand’s sophisticated yet daring aesthetic.

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Hints of Sustainability at PFW

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Are these sustainability efforts credible?


On the last days of Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 24-25, hints of sustainability emerged. Yet, amidst these hopeful murmurs, recent revelations cast a shadow of doubt over the industry’s commitment to genuine change.

Stella McCartney’s fashion show opened with a call to action to save the planet. In the video, Mother Nature sends a message to humanity: “It’s About Fucking Time.” Perhaps gentle words are no longer sufficient to spur the necessary transformation. Indeed, the stark reality of increased pollution rates this year tempers our optimism.

Apparently, Stella McCartney, an environmental activist, operates through sustainable practices. In fact, the media present her as one of the brands more involved in the discussion around sustainability.

However, reports from Business of Fashion unveil staggering figures of unsold inventory weighing heavily on these conglomerates. We quote B.O.F.: “LVMH and Kering are grappling with billions of dollars of unsold inventory.”

Analysing sustainability hints and related news


Now, let’s compare the two pieces of news in an attempt to understand more about sustainability. In this juxtaposition, a disconcerting dissonance emerges.

LVMH and Kering are the largest conglomerates in the fashion industry. LVMH owns Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Dior, Fendi, Celine, Kenzo and many more. Kering owns Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, McQueen, Saint Laurent, and more.
Despite both groups having billions of dollars of unsold inventory, they have made countless new samples for the fashion weeks. No one tried to create beautiful presentations with fewer garments. Moreover, they are ready to churn out tons of new clothes and accessories for the Fall/Winter 24-25 season.

In 2019, Stella McCartney signed a deal with LVMH group to accelerate its worldwide development in terms of business and strategy. Before, the designer partnered with the rival conglomerate Kering. So, McCartney stands at the intersection of conflicting narratives.

Can a designer embedded within a behemoth corporation, driven by perpetual growth and overproduction, truly champion sustainability? Stella McCartney’s game recalls the manoeuvres politicians play. Perhaps sustainability in fashion remains a game of optics, a veneer to placate conscientious consumers.

Conclusion: unanswered questions


The hints of sustainability that emerged at Paris Fashion Week appear diluted, if not altogether illusory. The sobering reality of overproduction and the unsolved dilemma of excess inventory force us to confront uncomfortable truths about the industry’s commitment to change.

In conclusion, lingering questions remain with us: What fate awaits the mountains of unsold garments? Will they be incinerated, shipped off to distant shores, or left to languish in forgotten warehouses? And can we truly place our trust in designers who navigate the corridors of power within colossal conglomerates?

The answers to these questions may hold the key to unlocking a more sustainable future for fashion. One grounded not in superficial gestures but in substantive action and genuine accountability.

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Paris Fashion Week 24: What Was In the Air?

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Fashion shows: between power and creativity


What was in the air at Paris Fashion Week 24? Less excessive designs, except for a few brands. In general, more elegance and simplicity. As well as in Milano, collections seemed to be more wearable.

Every season, the fashion maisons presents high-budget commercial shows competing with the best location. Luxury venues contribute to making it a matter of power more than creativity. For instance, Eiffel’s background at Saint Laurent was impressive. However, we found intriguing the image of a worker-chic woman.

Above all, we applaud the Undercover brand, which really stood out with its essential but very evocative presentation. Its fashion show had the feeling of poetry with suits, sweatshirts, jewellery and chandeliers encapsulated in tulle. Also, the dreamy atmosphere piqued in the finale, with terrific x-ray terrarium dresses, was so mind-blowing, the chills it gave us!


Apart from the overall mood and the idea of style, we cannot understand the choice of switching Sarah Burton with the umpteenth young male designer. Sarah Burton’s collection for McQueen SS24 is absolutely stunning: a maxi red rose printed on a white slip dress or two evening gowns that seem like petals that fluctuate at every step, revealing the shade of colours. Isn’t the Kering group satisfied? Seán McGirr, the new designer, comes from JW Anderson, a move that gives the idea of a more commercial take. Perhaps they believe McQueen must reach a larger audience to grow and make more money, assuming McQueen can be a mass brand.

But what do these groups try to do? Such a move reminds us of the game played with Margiela. Perhaps they made it for a larger audience, but it’s not Margiela anymore. Will this be the path for McQueen, too?

In the end, celebrities and more celebrities. No big risk. The Paris Fashion Week 24 seems to be a matter of power and money more than creativity.

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Paris Couture Week

Sadness takes it all


Boring was the fil rouge of the Paris Couture Week, to the point of taking a nap. With very few exceptions.

The negative sentiment prevailed. Paris for couture has always meant creativity at its peak. Maybe clothes you wouldn’t wear every day – or not even once in a lifetime. But couture was the dream, the beauty of creativity skillfully made.
This time, brands told a flat story of bland uniformity. In order to sell in a difficult moment, they’d rather lose idiosyncrasy. What made them special. The reason we recognise them.

Infused with the fear of losing share, or determined to transform themselves into economic giants, they trampled on their own heritage.

Highlights from the Paris Couture Week


The tedious
Dior: perhaps wearable, but now it looks like many others. In fact, we still see Red Valentino in there more than Dior’s heritage.

Chanel: the DNA seemed watered down.

Gaultier: we understand the collaborations, but where’s the Gaultier spirit?

A partial exception
Schiapparelli: designs weren’t all his ideas, but, at least, the collection was impactful.

The exception
Valentino: this is Couture. Italian creativity. Suzy Menkes wrote that Piccioli had a strong statement to make: women are not all the same. Yes, definitely. But even more, whatever the body shape he represented, women were dressed with elegance. And now that elegance is not in fashion anymore, that stood out most.

However, the idea of showing diverse body shapes in couture is interesting. Yet you may wonder if all those women who bought couture so far had the same silhouette of the models. Of course not! But they bought it anyway. You don’t buy couture if you feel represented, you buy it if you can afford it.

Because that’s what couture is: made to measure – made to order for very few lucky ones.

In the end, we understand this is not a good time for creativity, and lowering the bar is a way to reach the masses. But transforming brands into a blob deprived of any identity makes no sense.

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Paris Fashion Week – En Plein Air!

Key takeaways from the Parisian fashion shows


A couple of messages seem clear from Paris Fashion Week. Apart from the most evident fact that nothing truly has changed. The idea of renovating a system, so discussed during the pandemic, changing its outdated foundations, providing new guiding principles and deeper values, has failed miserably. That’s what fashion ruled by finance does. Forget lesser productions with better quality – this is not for corporations.

Image of Paris during fashion week
Paris

So, what are the takeaways from Paris fashion shows? 

Paris Fashion Week: SS22 trends


Nature’s calling
Sea, trees, woods. This message seemed quite strong. Indeed, many designers have set up their fashion shows immersed in nature. As to celebrate something we all missed for over a year or more. Or a desire to reconnect with our so mistreated vital element.

Clothes have no gender
We saw male models walking the runway in skirts or dresses and females in man’s suits – interchangeable genderless outfits. Not that it’s something new. In fact, Gaultier already did it about 40 years ago. But perhaps, the time is ripe now for a wider audience. 

At this point, garments have lost their traditional gender connotation. An aesthetic that, from a historical viewpoint, has been developed as a reflection of patriarchy. We understand this is a big topic. Indeed, it requires a deeper analysis, a full exploration. So we will dedicate a whole post later on. However, coming from a Gaultier influence, we always picked out men’s pieces for women or vice versa. If a garment looks good, no matter if it’s men’s or women’s. From now on, we hope for a more open and free attitude towards how clothing is perceived.

Garments are not stand-alone pieces. They become alive once we wear them. Without our intervention, clothes are empty. It’s us and our personality that completes them. 

The way we represent clothes, the way we portray them is called style. 
It’s an individual posture, the reflection of who we are. 

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