Paris in September: A Fashion Pilgrimage Beyond the Runway
As the final and most anticipated stop on the global fashion circuit, Paris Fashion Week in September is more than a showcase it's a cultural pilgrimage. This year, the city stretches its sartorial celebration over nine days, from September 29 to October 7, 2025, transforming the French capital into a living mood board of style, spectacle, and reinvention.
The week opens with a commanding start: Saint Laurent’s show on the first night sets a sultry, cinematic tone. Known for its architectural silhouettes and moody elegance, the brand’s evening slot at 8 PM is a ritual for fashion insiders. But this season, the calendar has shifted. Louis Vuitton, traditionally the grand finale, now appears on day two an unexpected move that signals a new rhythm in the week’s choreography.
Chanel, too, breaks tradition. Once a sunrise staple, the Maison now embraces twilight glamour with an evening show that marks the debut of Matthew Blazy as creative director. His appointment, following Virginie Viard’s departure, has stirred anticipation across the industry.
For travellers, Paris in September offers a rare blend of high fashion and cultural immersion. The city hums with energy, its streets filled with editors, stylists, and influencers darting between venues from the Grand Palais to the Palais de Tokyo. But beyond the shows, Paris offers a rich tapestry of experiences that elevate the journey.
One of the season’s most significant cultural moments is Virgil Abloh: The Codes, a landmark exhibition at the Grand Palais presented by the Virgil Abloh Archive in partnership with Nike. On view from September 30 (Abloh’s birthday) through October 10, this is the first major European exhibition exclusively devoted to the work of Virgil Abloh (1980–2021), one of the most influential creative figures of the 21st century.
Curated by Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan, the exhibition explores nearly two decades of Abloh’s multidisciplinary output through the lens of his 20,000-object archive. Visitors will encounter hundreds of objects, prototypes, sketches, and images from his career, alongside personal collections and library materials.
Virgil Abloh after Louis Vuitton show in 2020
Adding to the excitement, the cult concept store Colette will be revived as a pop-up installation within the Grand Palais during the exhibition. This ephemeral boutique will feature exclusive creations from Abloh’s collaborators and rare design objects, reigniting the spirit of one of Paris’s most beloved fashion institutions.
Elsewhere, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs hosts “Threads of Power: Couture and Politics”, a timely exploration of how fashion has shaped political discourse from Marie Antoinette to modern-day protest wear. The exhibition features rare archival pieces from Dior, Balenciaga, and lesser-known ateliers, offering context to the week’s creative statements.
Dining during Fashion Week is its own art form. For breakfast, Café Lapérouse near Place de la Concorde offers elegant interiors and discreet service. Lunch at Septime or Clamato delivers seasonal menus with a modern twist, while dinner at Girafe, overlooking the Eiffel Tower, is ideal for post-show debriefs and spontaneous reunions.
Hotel Costes remains the unofficial headquarters for editors and stylists. Its moody, rose-scented corridors and velvet banquettes have long been the backdrop for whispered debriefs, spontaneous interviews, and late-night strategy sessions. Costes is more than a hotel—it’s a scene. The courtyard restaurant, with its candlelit tables and signature playlist, becomes a revolving door of industry insiders during Fashion Week. For many, staying at Costes isn’t just about location it’s about being in the pulse of fashion’s most intimate conversations.
Sarah Jessica Parker, aka Carrie Bradshaw, in Paris in the season finale of And Just Like
Navigating the week requires strategy. Shows are by invitation only, but livestreams have democratized access. Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Balmain all offer digital broadcasts, allowing travellers to experience the magic from hotel lounges or gallery cafés.
Ultimately, Paris Fashion Week in September is not just about clothes it’s about context. It’s where heritage meets disruption, where the city itself becomes a canvas for creativity. Whether you’re seated front row or strolling the Marais, the experience is immersive, emotional, and unforgettable.
Discover 5 Best Luxury Hotels in Paris handpicked by Luxury Endless
Hôtel de Crillon: A Season’s Sanctuary on Place de la Concorde
As Paris pulses with creative energy, Hôtel de Crillon remains its most elegant constant. Facing Place de la Concorde, the hotel’s neoclassical façade is a familiar landmark ornate, historic, and quietly commanding. But inside, especially during the season’s peak, it becomes something more: a sanctuary for fashion’s insiders, where luxury is instinctive and every detail is curated with precision.
Among its most iconic spaces are the “Grands Appartements,” envisioned by Karl Lagerfeld. These suites are not just accommodations they’re declarations. With monochrome palettes, sculptural lines, and views that frame the Eiffel Tower like a painting, they embody a vision of Paris that’s both timeless and modern. Lagerfeld’s touch is everywhere: curated art, quiet drama, and couture-level restraint.
Dining at Crillon is a masterclass in mood and flavor. L’Écrin, the Michelin-starred jewel, offers tasting menus that feel like storytelling each course a chapter, each pairing a revelation. Nonos & Comestibles by Paul Pairet revives the spirit of the Parisian grill with bold, modern energy, while Jardin d’Hiver and Butterfly Pâtisserie serve as delicate stages for seasonal creations and pastry artistry. Every plate, every pour, is a reflection of the hotel’s commitment to excellence.
Below the surface, the Rosewood Spa is a retreat within a retreat. Vaulted stone ceilings, a serene pool, and a hammam offer a moment to recalibrate between fittings and shows. Treatments are tailored, intuitive, and deeply restorative—designed for those who live at the pace of the season.
Plaza Athénée: The Parisian Icon Where Fashion Dreams Check In
There are hotels in Paris and then there is Plaza Athénée. Draped in red geraniums and perched regally on Avenue Montaigne, this legendary address is more than a five-star retreat; it’s a cinematic symbol of Parisian glamour and a perennial favorite among fashion’s most influential voices.
During Fashion Week, Plaza Athénée becomes a hive of creative energy. It’s not uncommon to spot a couture-clad muse descending the grand staircase or a designer sketching quietly in the courtyard over espresso. The hotel’s proximity to Dior’s flagship just steps away cements its status as a fashion insider’s sanctuary.
But Plaza Athénée’s allure extends far beyond the industry. It’s a place where pop culture and haute couture collide. Sex and the City fans will remember Carrie Bradshaw’s dreamy Parisian interlude, filmed within the hotel’s opulent suites. More recently, Emily in Paris brought a new generation of viewers into its romantic orbit, with scenes capturing the hotel’s unmistakable façade and lavish interiors. These moments have etched Plaza Athénée into the collective imagination not just as a place to stay, but as a place to be.
Inside, the hotel is a masterclass in French refinement. The rooms and suites blend classic Louis XVI style with modern touches, many offering views of the Eiffel Tower that feel almost surreal. The Haute Couture Suite, with its silk upholstery and bespoke detailing, is a favorite among fashion houses for fittings, interviews, and private previews.
Dining at Plaza Athénée is equally iconic. Jean Imbert au Plaza Athénée, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, reinterprets French gastronomy with poetic flair. The space itself designed like a modern Versailles features crystal chandeliers, mirrored walls, and a sense of theatricality that mirrors the runway. For a more relaxed rendezvous, La Galerie offers refined bites in a setting that feels like a Parisian salon, while Le Bar is a magnet for the city’s stylish night owls.
Le Meurice: Parisian Grandeur with a Fashion Week Pulse
In the heart of Paris, where the Tuileries Garden meets Rue de Rivoli, Le Meurice stands as a monument to timeless elegance. More than a hotel, it is a living tableau of Parisian refinement where 18th-century opulence meets contemporary artistry, and where the fashion elite retreat between runway shows and late-night soirées.
Each of the 160 rooms and suites is a masterclass in French classicism, with Louis XVI furnishings, silk drapes, and Carrara marble bathrooms. But beneath the historic veneer lies a pulse of modernity. The Belle Etoile Penthouse Suite, with its private rooftop terrace, offers panoramic views of Paris from the Eiffel Tower to Montmartre making it one of the city’s most coveted addresses for private gatherings and editorial shoots.
Dining at Le Meurice is a spectacle in itself. Restaurant Le Meurice Alain Ducasse, inspired by the Salon de la Paix at Versailles, is a temple of haute cuisine. Here, Ducasse’s culinary philosophy centered on naturalness and precision translates into seasonal menus that seduce without excess. For a more casual rendezvous, Restaurant Le Dalí, with its surrealist touches and vibrant palette, offers a playful yet polished setting for midday meetings or post-show reflections.
The hotel’s bar, Bar 228, is a discreet favorite among stylists and creative directors. With its wood-paneled walls, live jazz, and expertly crafted cocktails, it’s the kind of place where collaborations are born over a Negroni and a sketchbook.
Le Meurice’s commitment to art and design is woven into its DNA. The interiors, reimagined by Philippe Starck, blend historical grandeur with whimsical flourishes think crystal chandeliers paired with modern sculpture, and frescoed ceilings offset by bold contemporary accents. This dialogue between past and present mirrors the spirit of Fashion Week itself: reverent yet restless, classic yet constantly evolving.
For those seeking restoration, the Valmont Spa offers tailored treatments in a serene, light-filled space. It’s a favourite among models and editors looking to recharge between fittings and front-row appearances.
Royal Monceau: Where Parisian Artistry Meets Fashion Week Elegance
Tucked between the Arc de Triomphe and Parc Monceau, Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris is not just a hotel it’s a creative sanctuary. During Fashion Week, it becomes a magnet for the avant-garde, a place where designers sketch in the lobby, influencers film morning routines in sun-drenched suites, and editors unwind over matcha in the courtyard garden. It’s Parisian luxury with a pulse artful, unexpected, and deeply attuned to the rhythm of the city.
Designed by Philippe Starck, the hotel’s interiors are a masterclass in curated chaos: oversized mirrors, sculptural lighting, and whimsical flourishes that feel more gallery than guestroom. Each of the 149 rooms and suites is a canvas of contemporary elegance, with hand-selected artwork, acoustic guitars, and bespoke furniture that invite guests to live not just stay in style. The Presidential Suite, with its private entrance and cinematic views, is a favourite among fashion houses for fittings, interviews, and discreet meetings.
Art is woven into the DNA of Royal Monceau. The hotel houses its own Art Concierge, a rare offering that guides guests through Paris’s gallery scene and curates private viewings. The in-house Art Gallery, Art District, showcases rotating exhibitions from emerging and established artists, often timed to coincide with Fashion Week’s creative energy. It’s not uncommon to find stylists and photographers scouting inspiration between shows.
Dining here is equally expressive. Il Carpaccio, the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, offers refined dishes in a space that feels like a romantic fresco come to life. For breakfast or a midday pause, La Cuisine serves seasonal French fare in a bright, airy setting that’s ideal for casual meetings or solo sketching sessions. And then there’s Le Bar Long a sleek, elongated lounge where fashion insiders gather for late-night cocktails and whispered collaborations.
The Clarins & myBlend Spa is a haven for restoration. With its serene pool, hammam, and tailored treatments, it’s a favourite among models and editors seeking a moment of calm between fittings and front-row appearances. The spa’s holistic approach blending science, beauty, and mindfulness mirrors the thoughtful luxury that defines the entire property.
Royal Monceau’s location is strategic yet serene. Just off the Champs-Élysées, it offers easy access to major show venues while remaining tucked away from the frenzy. The nearby Parc Monceau, with its romantic bridges and classical statues, provides a quiet escape for morning walks .
Cheval Blanc Paris: A Fashion Week Sanctuary with a View
In a city where luxury is second nature, Cheval Blanc Paris rises above the fray literally and figuratively. Perched along the Seine with La Samaritaine as its fashion-forward neighbour, this LVMH-owned haven redefines what it means to stay in style during Paris Fashion Week. Skip the sleepy districts and step into a world where elegance meets energy, and every detail is curated for the discerning traveller.
From the moment you arrive, the hotel’s discreet entrance signals something rare: privacy without pretension. Inside, the mood is warm and golden 72 rooms, 46 of them suites, dressed in soft beige and brushed gold tones that echo the city’s autumn light. Nearly every room offers a view of the Seine, but the Winter Garden Suite is the crown jewel. With panoramic vistas stretching from Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower, it’s a front-row seat to Parisian life: the bouquinistes lining the riverbanks, couples strolling hand-in-hand, and the occasional fashion editor dashing between shows.
Upstairs, Le Tout-Paris the seventh-floor Art Deco brasserie and cocktail bar is where the city’s style tribes converge. From the Bobo crowd of the Right Bank to jet-setters fresh off the runway, it’s a convivial mix of polished locals and international tastemakers. The menu is seasonal and sharp, the lighting flattering, and the soundtrack just right for a pre-show aperitif or a post-show debrief. During Fashion Week, it becomes a salon of sorts where creative directors toast new collections and stylists trade notes over oysters and champagne.
Below ground, the spa offers a different kind of indulgence. Designed like a modern Parisian living room, it’s a sanctuary of light and calm. Helmed by Christian Dior Beauty, the treatments blend couture-level care with cutting-edge science. It’s the perfect antidote to the week’s whirlwind pace—whether you’re recovering from a late-night fitting or preparing for a front-row appearance.
Cheval Blanc’s location is strategic, too. Steps from the Louvre and a short ride to the Grand Palais, it places you in the heart of the action without sacrificing serenity. And unlike many of Paris’s grand hotels, which lean into nostalgia, Cheval Blanc feels refreshingly current its design language speaks to a new generation of luxury, one that values intimacy, artistry, and experience.
For those in town for Fashion Week, it’s more than a place to stay it’s a place to belong. A private perch with a panoramic view, a brasserie that buzzes with creative energy, and a spa that restores more than just skin. In a season defined by spectacle, Cheval Blanc Paris offers something deeper: a sense of rhythm, refinement, and quiet glamour.