PARIS (AP) 鈥 If any force dominated the global fashion industry this season 鈥 eclipsing fabric, form and even the wildest silhouettes 鈥 it was the spectacle of celebrity.
In a year marked by global anxiety and a hunger for fantasy, star power flooded , turning runways into gladiator arenas where A-list icons, K-pop idols and digital megastars became the main event.
and didn鈥檛 just attend 鈥 they became the show.
As they swept into the Pompidou Center, cameras flashed and phones shot skyward. Before the first look even hit the runway, images of the couple ricocheted across the globe. K-pop idols like J-Hope and Jackson Wang livestreamed their arrival to millions, while crowds outside flooded social feeds with every glimpse of a star.
As the industry鈥檚 spring season wraps up Sunday, it鈥檚 clear: Fashion鈥檚 global audience is focused less on what鈥檚 worn and more on who鈥檚 wearing it.
This interplay between celebrity and fashion is hardly new, but in 2025, the desire for escapism and star-driven spectacle is peaking like never before.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about celebrity clickbait, and it鈥檚 at a tipping point now. Celebrities have replaced the designers and stylists as the tastemakers,鈥 said Anna Barr, a fashion magazine editor who attended shows.
叠别测辞苍肠茅's appearance this week encapsulated a truth that every major brand 鈥 from Louis Vuitton to , Herm猫s to 鈥 now understands: The real front row isn鈥檛 in Paris, but on Instagram, TikTok and Weibo. And nothing sells quite like a star.
叠别测辞苍肠茅's denim look goes viral
The pop star鈥檚 鈥 custom Louis Vuitton by 鈥 wasn鈥檛 just viral.
Within 24 hours, clips of her arrival amassed millions of views on TikTok, outpacing even Louis Vuitton鈥檚 own campaign content. When Williams presented her with a Speedy bag straight from the runway in the Paris dusk, the moment went viral 鈥 underlining that 叠别测辞苍肠茅 isn鈥檛 just an attendee, but a face of Louis Vuitton鈥檚 creative vision.
But even as 叠别测辞苍肠茅鈥檚 look became the week鈥檚 most shared image, her presence in Paris also sparked debate: a Buffalo Soldiers T-shirt she wore during her 鈥淐owboy Carter鈥 tour ignited , reminding the industry that every viral moment can be a flash point.
This is the new dynamic of luxury: The most coveted runway seat is now in your hand, and what matters most isn't just what you see, but who you see wearing it.
Show, not just tell: Fashion as spectacle
What once was a private preview for buyers and editors is now a worldwide entertainment event.
Designers don鈥檛 just stage shows 鈥 they produce spectacles. Williams, Louis Vuitton鈥檚 showman-in-chief, turned his runway into a snakes-and-ladders fantasy with a guest list to match: 叠别测辞苍肠茅, Jay-Z, K-pop royalty J-Hope and Jackson Wang, reggaeton star Karol G, and Hollywood names like Bradley Cooper and Mason Thames.
Each arrival triggered waves of posts and stories 鈥 making the crowd as newsworthy as the collection itself.
The modern runway has become a stage for celebrity, where the applause is measured in views and viral moments, and the line between performer and spectator disappears.
No other force is shifting menswear trends faster than K-pop. This season, stars like J-Hope, Jackson Wang, GOT7鈥檚 Bambam, and NCT鈥檚 Yuta were everywhere, livestreaming shows and igniting fashion frenzies from Seoul to Sao Paulo.
These idols are both tastemakers and trend translators, instantly transmitting what they see in Paris to millions of fans. Their attendance has become a commercial event in itself, driving the adoption of new styles on a global scale.
鈥楺ueen Bey鈥 effect
Even the clothes themselves now chase celebrity.
叠别测辞苍肠茅鈥檚 鈥 鈥 moment and Louis Vuitton鈥檚 nod to Western style sent cowboy hats, flared denim, and rhinestone shirts trending worldwide. Brands scramble to turn these viral moments into wearable trends 鈥 knowing that what Queen Bey wears in Paris will be copied in malls and on apps within weeks.
鈥淲e make fashion, but we鈥檙e a house of travel,鈥 Williams told reporters. In truth, it鈥檚 the celebrity鈥檚 journey through fashion that matters most.
The old fashion cycle is gone. It's been said before. Where trends once took months to trickle down, now a celebrity-worn look can reach the high street soon after the show lights dim.
TikTok and fast fashion brands move at the speed of the repost. At Herm猫s, even the discreet luxury of woven leather tees and wide trousers took on new meaning as athletes and music stars documented their attendance. Their posts quickly turn exclusive details into mass-market 鈥渕ust-haves.鈥
, the global fast-fashion juggernauts, have weaponized the viral moment 鈥 turning celebrity sightings into shoppable trends worldwide, sometimes in a matter of hours. The result: What debuts on the Paris catwalk can show up in online shopping carts from Atlanta to Addis Ababa almost instantly.
Beneath the celebrity glow, classic trends endure. Streetwear is still king, with oversized silhouettes, soft tailoring and activewear influences everywhere from Dior to Dolce & Gabbana.
The Herm猫s 鈥渃ool city guy鈥 and Dolce鈥檚 pajama dressing 鈥 rumpled but rich 鈥 are direct answers to how men want to live and move now. But even these trends go mainstream through star power, not just design. The models might debut the look, but it鈥檚 the front-row faces who make it stick.
The celebrity ascendancy isn鈥檛 just a front-row phenomenon 鈥 it鈥檚 woven into the industry itself. When 鈥檚 Bernard Arnault tapped Williams, a global pop icon, to lead Louis Vuitton menswear in 2023, it wasn鈥檛 just a creative risk. It was a declaration that celebrity now runs the show.
Everyone's invited now
All this spectacle reflects a bigger shift. Fashion isn鈥檛 just about what鈥檚 in 鈥 it鈥檚 about who鈥檚 in the room, and who鈥檚 watching. At in Milan, at Saint Laurent in Paris, at every show, a galaxy of K-pop, Hollywood, and music stars now drive the narrative.
For Gen Z and Alpha, the runway is no longer about aspiration 鈥 it鈥檚 about participation, sharing, and living in the moment. The 鈥渟how鈥 has become the product.
In 2025, the hottest look in men鈥檚 fashion isn鈥檛 a garment 鈥 it鈥檚 the spectacle. In the world鈥檚 most-watched runway season, celebrity is the new couture, and every scroll puts you in the front row.
