In Jacques Audiard's trans musical crime drama "Emilia Pérez", Zoe Saldaña delivers a standout moment as her character, Rita, a lawyer in Mexico City, attends a gala with politicians.
The scene is electric: Rita, in a ruby red velvet suit, glides from table to table, exposing scandals and corruption through the fiery lyrics of "El Mal." Under the spotlight, the velvet transforms into more than fabric, it becomes a symbol of power, temptation, and rebellion, casting Rita as a devilish, kinetic force commanding the room.
With two Cannes awards, four Golden Globes, and thirteen Academy Award nominations, "Emilia Pérez" is a cultural sensation (albeit in Europe; in Mexico the film has been criticized for trivializing the drug war violence, misrepresenting trans people, and lacking authenticity since it was shot in a French studio by a writer-director who doesn't speak Spanish and features only one Mexican actor…), while the crimson velvet suit, a bold sartorial choice by costume designer Virginie Monte, is poised to inspire trends in fashion, anticipated by what we've already seen on the Autumn/Winter menswear runways in Milan and Paris.
Velvet appeared with renewed energy in the men's shows. Saul Nash showcased it in a modern tracksuit (View this photo), but Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani took the textile to sumptuous new heights.
At Giorgio Armani, velvet dominated the A/W 25 collection, shaping loose, fluid silhouettes: harem pants, softly structured jackets, and sweeping coats in shades ranging from ruby red to forest green, navy, dove, charcoal and cognac.
Textural play added depth, with herringbone-patterned velvet paired with velvet fedoras, culminating in a finale of formal black velvet designs.
Armani himself took his bow in navy trousers and a double-breasted black velvet jacket.
Emporio Armani offered its own take on velvet's versatility. Here, the fabric shimmered with a tweed effect, appeared crushed for a tactile edge, and was reimagined in tapestry-inspired bomber jackets.
Black velvet dinner jackets adorned with intricate floral embroidery brought a poetic grandeur to the collection. Across both runways, velvet emerged as a sophisticated statement, equal parts heritage and innovation.
In Paris, Willy Chavarria chose the American Church, a historic landmark in the 7th arrondissement, as the setting for his runway show in which he combined his Mexican-American heritage and LGBTQI+ culture. Once the first American church established outside the United States, its roots date back to 1814, while the current building at 65 Quai d'Orsay has stood since 1931.
Against this hallowed backdrop, Chavarria's signature broad-shouldered boxy suits with oversized '70s collars took on a solemn, liturgical air, especially his opening look: a deep ruby red ensemble in which fashion clashed with ecclesiastical grandeur, something symbolized also by the rosary beads worn as necklaces or carried by the models in their hands.
The show was not centered on religion, though, but rather on a spiritual sense of humanity, one that calls for salvation through embracing our shared humanity. This message was powerfully reinforced in the show's finale, where models gathered together and Chavarria joined them while an excerpt from Episcopal minister Mariann Edgar Budde’s speech at Trump's inauguration in which she urged the president to "have mercy" on immigrants and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, played.
Championing humanity and compassion is a central theme for the designer, who unveiled at the show a sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase, "How we love is who we are." This piece is part of a collaboration with Tinder aimed at raising awareness and funds for the Human Rights Campaign and LGBTQIA+ rights.
Besides, an olive velvet suit from the collection will be auctioned on eBay (some of the designs on this runway were archival pieces that Chavarria sourced on eBay) in support of the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund, which aids fire recovery efforts in Los Angeles.
Velvet, particularly in opulent shades of red, has long been synonymous with power and refinement, a connection often immortalized in portraiture.
At the upcoming Sotheby's auction, "The Vision of Aso O. Tavitian: Master Paintings & Sculpture" (a series of four sales offered during Master’s Week New York at the beginning of February 2025), the fabric finds its historical echo in several works.
For instance, Bartholomäus Bruyn the Younger's portrait of Nicolaus von Gail and Sophie von Wedigh captures the upper-class elegance of 16th-century Cologne, with ruby velvet sleeves and gilded jewelry symbolizing wealth and influence.
In the same auction there is a portrait by Ambrosius Benson featuring Saint Mary Magdalene reading an illuminated manuscript in which she is portrayed like a grand lady, wearing a wine-colored velvet gown with crimson sleeves and lynx fur.
Benson often portrayed Mary Magdalene in the act of reading and wearing a red velvet gown, as proved by a 1520 painting in the archives of the National Gallery in London.
Yet, no piece in the auction embodies velvet's allure quite like the portrait of Margaret of Austria by the Master of the Magdalene Legend, painted circa 1495. The artwork presents a young Margaret, just fifteen years old, poised in a gown of sumptuous red velvet trimmed with ermine.
Her half-length figure is set against a simple green backdrop, which highlights the richness of her attire. Her calm gaze foreshadows the formidable leader she would become: Princess of Asturias, Duchess of Savoy, Governess of the Burgundian Low Countries, and a distinguished patroness of the arts.
This connection between velvet's symbolic legacy in art and its modern reinvention in fashion resonates strongly in recent collections.
In "Emilia Pérez", Zoe Saldaña's crimson velvet suit becomes a metaphor for rebellion and power, while on the runways of Chavarria and Giorgio Armani, the fabric is reinterpreted for the contemporary wardrobe and continues to signify elegance, authority, and artistry.
Modern fashion trends often draw inspiration from historical dress and artistic details immortalized in paintings. While many designers pursue authorized collaborations with contemporary artists, others subtly weave art history into their collections, creating a dialogue between the past and the present.
Kim Jones, the creative director of Dior Homme, exemplifies this interplay between fashion and art.
Known for his curated partnerships with contemporary artists, Jones also integrates elements reminiscent of classical works into his designs. In Dior's A/W 25 collection, certain details appear to have been borrowed from historical portraiture. For example, Jacob Ferdinand Voet's portraits of women often featured gowns with ribboned sleeves, where the ribbons added both functional ruching and decorative elegance. Jones reinterpreted this motif in men's jackets, incorporating sculptural ribbons along the sleeves (a nod, perhaps, also to the attire of King Louis XIV of France – View this photo and View this photo).
Besides, some of his slashed tops that echoed historical costumes as well, were accessorised with a chatelaine, a medieval and 19th-century "tool belt" that predated pockets in women's garments. Once clipped to a belt, chatelaines kept essentials like scissors, thimbles, watches, household seals and keys within reach, making them indispensable for housewives and housekeepers.
Their utility is well-documented in 16th-century portraits of Central European women and even in whimsical illustrations like Albert Robida's or Walter Crane's (for the fable "The Frog Prince"). On Prada's A/W 16 men and women's runways, the chatelaine re-emerged with a modern twist, transforming this functional relic into a statement piece.
But there are further art and historical references in current collections. We've previously explored how statues with their cloaks draped below the hips have influenced fashion, inspiring fitted skirts or dresses with sculptural draping around the waist. This motif resurfaced on Juun J's runway where pencil skirts and trousers seemed to melt or drip down the hips. Aside from creating a sculptural silhouette this gave the chance to the designer to play with different and contrasting materials and use this trick to display his tailoring skills.
So, the next time you explore a fashion collection, take a moment to look for references to paintings, sculptures, or other art forms. It's a fascinating exercise that not only sharpens your eye but also deepens your understanding of the creative connections shaping our visual culture.
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