Paris Fashion Week: The Art of Dress Uma Wang’s Dialogue with History for Autumn/Winter 2025-26

Rich damasks and cashmere added warmth and depth to Uma Wang's new collection in Paris. Photograph and masthead cover by Ell Ioannou

Uma Wang’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collection shown at Paris Fashion Week is a testament to her ability to merge historical inspiration with modern sensibilities. In this season’s offering, the designer draws from art, history, and the transformative power of fashion, using silhouettes and textiles to explore the ways in which clothing defines the body, writes Antonio Visconti. Photographs by Elli Ioannou  

Volume and an earthy 

palette were key motifs

in the new collection

THE latest collection from Uma Wang draws its inspiration from Piero della Francesca’s Madonna del Parto, a rare Renaissance depiction of a pregnant Virgin Mary. This reference serves as a launching point for the designer's broader study of femininity and the fluid dialogue between past and present.

The new work explores volume and proportion, revisiting classic tailoring techniques while challenging conventional silhouettes. Wang’s designs play with expansion and contraction: exaggerated hips, cinched waists, elongated torsos, and padded forms create an interplay of shape that recalls historical garments without feeling costume-like. 

Rather than adhering to strict period references, she abstracts these elements, allowing them to evolve into contemporary constructions that highlight movement and grace. Her garments are sculpted yet fluid, demonstrating a deep understanding of how fabric interacts with the body.

Texture plays a crucial role in Wang’s designs this season, as she experiments with fabrics that carry both weight and airiness. Double-faced cashmere, rich damask, and structured linen blends provide a sense of depth and warmth, while raw-edged silk pleats and deconstructed embroidery introduce an intentional fragility. The earthy palette, soft neutrals gradually shifting into inky blacks, creates a visual harmony that ties the collection together, ensuring that even the most dramatic pieces remain grounded. The juxtaposition of fitted and oversized tailoring further enhances the collection’s exploration of proportion. 

Wang’s outerwear, ranging from structured bouclé coats to hybrid trench-cape silhouettes, envelops the wearer in voluminous layers, contrasting with the sleek yet architectural underpinnings. Wide, cocoon-like parkas provide balance to sculpted skirts and flowing trousers, offering a contemporary take on protective dressing. Elsewhere, oversized blazers appear twice the size of the body inside them yet remain effortlessly elegant due to their precise tailoring.

Uma Wang’s designs play with expansion and contraction: exaggerated hips, cinched waists, elongated torsos, and padded forms recall historical garments without feeling like costumes

A mix of traditional craftmanship

and modern experimentation 

One of the most striking elements of the collection is Wang’s use of layering and unexpected fabric combinations. A standout look features a mohair jacquard jacket and underskirt, layered with a contrasting full skirt, half in a vintage floral print, half in meticulously pleated silk. 

This mix of old-world craftsmanship and modern experimentation captures Wang’s ability to blend nostalgia with a forward-thinking approach. Additional details, such as column dresses with distressed hems and unfinished edges, reinforce the theme of reinterpretation, proving that imperfection can be just as compelling as precision.

Beyond the garments themselves, Wang’s collection speaks to a broader conversation about presence, space, and the ways in which women carry themselves. The voluminous shapes are not about overwhelming the wearer but rather about creating a sense of elegance through movement and gesture. 

Wang’s stated themes ~ gesture, femininity, and manners ~ manifest in the way the clothes encourage fluidity, poise, and a quiet confidence. Her approach to fashion is not about overpowering statements but rather about nuanced storytelling through fabric, form, and detail.

The designer's meticulous craftsmanship, innovative use of fabric and transformation of proportions make this a compelling collection

Contemporary accessories

enhanced the interplay

of past and present

Accessories and styling choices further enhance this 

interplay between past and present, including the sculptural silver jewelry and floral headscarves which create an aesthetic that feels timeless yet contemporary. These elements add depth to the collection, reinforcing its narrative of history reinterpreted through a modern lens.

With Autumn/Winter 2025, Uma Wang presents a considered collection that celebrates the art of dressing while embracing the evolving language of fashion. Her meticulous craftsmanship, innovative use of fabric and thoughtful way of transforming proportion make this one of her most compelling seasons to date. 

Through this collection, she invites the wearer to engage with clothing as a form of self-expression, a means of storytelling, and an exploration of the fluidity of femininity across time. The result is a wardrobe that is both intellectual and intuitive, anchored in history, yet undeniably relevant for today.