Jenny Packham always likes to evoke another era with her evening dresses: for her fall 2024 collection, for example, she was inspired by the 1970s, whereas spring 2024 saw her taking notes about Truman Capote’s 1960s swans. Yet for fall 2025 she didn’t go back decades. She went back centuries.
Packham said that Madame Juliette Récamier, a famous French socialite during the early 1800s, acted as a muse this season. Known for hosting spirited salons at her Rue du Mont-Blanc mansion and her fashionable style of dress (she often forewent petticoats and corsets), Récaimier was once one of the most painted women in Paris. And most desired too: suitors included Prince Augustus of Prussia. “She was incredibly stylish—she wore clothes that were a bit more soft and flowing,” said Packham. “She was also known for her interest in neoclassicism.”
The designer embraced a color-palette of grays, neutrals, petrol blues, as well silver and golds—“very much the colors of the time,” said Packham. Silhouettes were straight, sheath, or slightly A-line. Most dresses boasted impressive, statement making embellishments: one had sun-and-moon-like discs, another a beaded fringe front. Packham was particularly proud of her gold sequin dresses: “It’s almost like we discovered a new sequin that looks sort of ion gold,” she said.
Many dresses had long sleeves—a functional choice, as this collection will hit stores in New York and London just as cold weather does. Still, much of Packham’s high-profile clientele lately has been in Southern California: Julia Louis-Dreyfus wore Jenny Packham to the SAG Awards; Toni Collette did the same for the premiere of her movie Mickey 17. Oh and that “ion gold” sequin dress Packham mentioned? That made its debut Sunday night on Connie Britton at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party—just days after being photographed for Packham’s lookbook.
Packham is the kind of designer who knows what her customer wants and does it well: women of all ages regularly buy her dresses at her London boutique or Net-a-Porter for special event dressing—whether a movie premiere, a gala, or a wedding. This collection checked all the boxes.
