Celebration was in the air at Rochas, where Alessandro Vigilante continued to build on his vision of eccentric femininity with the fall 2025 collection.
The French house is not only turning 100 this year but the designer tasked with its revamp nodded to grand balls for fall 2025, especially those hosted by Hélene Rochas, the founder’s third wife and the multifaceted muse of Vigilante.
As he continued to deep dive into her world, Vigilante drew inspiration from the legendary event she hosted at the Grand Cascade de Bois de Boulogne in 1965 and her unique taste in interiors to conjure a collection intended to be an ode to self-expression and that restated his character-by-character approach to design.
“I wanted to create a free space where women can relax and be themselves,” Vigilante said. He looked to do so by armoring them in voluminous silhouettes and opulent fabrics, sculpting structured yet lightweight shapes or juxtaposing precise tailoring with draping and transparencies.
You May Also Like
Vigilante’s research into textures was particularly striking as he deployed brushed wool, glossy silk, fluid velvet and thick ottoman with gusto. A shimmering lace had unfinished threads for a fuzzy effect, while a crisp and crinkled golden polyester fabric reminded one of a paper chocolate wrapper as it elevated the unfussy shape of cropped jackets and pencil skirts.
Other pieces had a higher drama quotient, as seen in the balloon shape of a sleeveless black gown or a cocooning feathery coat that Vigilante paired with an ample Mikado silk skirt.
With a more pragmatic approach, he introduced deconstructed pinstripe pants, pinned with jewel buttons to create a draping on the side. The effect looked best in the solid version in the chic chocolate brown hue Vigilante focused on as his color of the season.
This also was seen in the croco-printed texture of opera coats and jackets that had generous, rounded sleeves and a more fitted double-breasted one embellished with strips of fabrics that mimicked feathers.