Paris Fashion Week 2025: How celebrities and social media transformed the runway experience
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jun 30, 2025, 19:02 IST
Paris Fashion Week 2025
( Image credit : Getty Images )
Paris Fashion Week 2025 became a global entertainment phenomenon, fueled by celebrity appearances and social media virality. Beyoncé's Louis Vuitton appearance and K-pop stars' livestreams generated massive online engagement, overshadowing traditional runway presentations. Fast-fashion brands swiftly capitalized on viral trends, highlighting the evolving relationship between luxury fashion and digital culture, where celebrity influence reigns supreme.
Paris Fashion Week 2025 has transformed into a global pop culture spectacle, driven by celebrity appearances, K-pop influence, and social media virality. From Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s headline-making Louis Vuitton appearance to K-pop idols livestreaming their arrivals, the traditionally industry-focused event has evolved into a worldwide entertainment phenomenon.
Beyoncé’s full denim ensemble, custom-designed by Louis Vuitton’s creative director Pharrell Williams, emerged as the week’s most viral fashion moment. Videos capturing her arrival and runway-side interaction with Williams—including her receiving a Speedy bag directly from the designer—garnered over 30 million views on TikTok within 24 hours, surpassing the brand’s own promotional content, according to Business of Fashion.
The pop star’s viral presence underscored a growing reality for luxury brands: the most valuable front row now exists online. Instagram, TikTok, and Weibo, not Parisian showrooms, are where trends are born and validated in real time.
Yet Beyoncé’s presence also stirred controversy. Her choice to wear a Buffalo Soldiers T-shirt during her “Cowboy Carter” tour, referenced in discussions surrounding her Paris appearance, drew criticism from some Indigenous and Mexican communities. The moment highlighted the increasingly delicate intersection between celebrity fashion and cultural sensitivity.
Pharrell Williams continued to position Louis Vuitton at the forefront of fashion entertainment. His runway presentation blended theatrical staging with an A-list guest list featuring not only Beyoncé and Jay-Z but also K-pop stars J-Hope and Jackson Wang, reggaeton artist Karol G, and Hollywood actors like Bradley Cooper and Mason Thames.
K-pop celebrities, in particular, played a pivotal role in shaping this season’s media narrative. Stars like J-Hope, Jackson Wang, Bambam of GOT7, and Yuta from NCT livestreamed their Paris Fashion Week experiences, engaging millions of fans worldwide. Their participation amplified the event’s global reach and accelerated the spread of emerging menswear trends, from Seoul to São Paulo.
At Hermès, understated luxury took center stage with woven leather T-shirts and wide-leg trousers, while at Dolce & Gabbana, relaxed pajama-inspired ensembles offered a glimpse of how designers are responding to modern lifestyle demands. However, as Vogue noted, even these classic design elements gained traction largely through celebrity-driven exposure.
Fast-fashion giants like Shein and Temu capitalized on the week’s most talked-about looks, turning viral moments into affordable, mass-produced trends within hours. This rapid turnaround exemplifies how digital platforms are reshaping the traditional runway-to-retail timeline.
Streetwear, oversized silhouettes, and soft tailoring remained dominant themes, but in 2025, the most coveted commodity on the runway was not a single garment—it was the spectacle itself. As The New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman observed, “Celebrity is the new couture.”
Beyoncé’s full denim ensemble, custom-designed by Louis Vuitton’s creative director Pharrell Williams, emerged as the week’s most viral fashion moment. Videos capturing her arrival and runway-side interaction with Williams—including her receiving a Speedy bag directly from the designer—garnered over 30 million views on TikTok within 24 hours, surpassing the brand’s own promotional content, according to Business of Fashion.
The pop star’s viral presence underscored a growing reality for luxury brands: the most valuable front row now exists online. Instagram, TikTok, and Weibo, not Parisian showrooms, are where trends are born and validated in real time.
Yet Beyoncé’s presence also stirred controversy. Her choice to wear a Buffalo Soldiers T-shirt during her “Cowboy Carter” tour, referenced in discussions surrounding her Paris appearance, drew criticism from some Indigenous and Mexican communities. The moment highlighted the increasingly delicate intersection between celebrity fashion and cultural sensitivity.
Pharrell Williams continued to position Louis Vuitton at the forefront of fashion entertainment. His runway presentation blended theatrical staging with an A-list guest list featuring not only Beyoncé and Jay-Z but also K-pop stars J-Hope and Jackson Wang, reggaeton artist Karol G, and Hollywood actors like Bradley Cooper and Mason Thames.
K-pop celebrities, in particular, played a pivotal role in shaping this season’s media narrative. Stars like J-Hope, Jackson Wang, Bambam of GOT7, and Yuta from NCT livestreamed their Paris Fashion Week experiences, engaging millions of fans worldwide. Their participation amplified the event’s global reach and accelerated the spread of emerging menswear trends, from Seoul to São Paulo.
At Hermès, understated luxury took center stage with woven leather T-shirts and wide-leg trousers, while at Dolce & Gabbana, relaxed pajama-inspired ensembles offered a glimpse of how designers are responding to modern lifestyle demands. However, as Vogue noted, even these classic design elements gained traction largely through celebrity-driven exposure.
Fast-fashion giants like Shein and Temu capitalized on the week’s most talked-about looks, turning viral moments into affordable, mass-produced trends within hours. This rapid turnaround exemplifies how digital platforms are reshaping the traditional runway-to-retail timeline.
Streetwear, oversized silhouettes, and soft tailoring remained dominant themes, but in 2025, the most coveted commodity on the runway was not a single garment—it was the spectacle itself. As The New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman observed, “Celebrity is the new couture.”