Window shopping in Paris: the latest trends are seriously cute

Trendwatcher Ronny de Vylder is a specialist in Visual Merchandising, the refined art of enticing consumers into an unforgettable experience with a retail brand. Freshly returned from Paris, he reports that kawaii - the Japanese-born trend of childlike cuteness - has become big business for grown-ups.

The New Cute, as Ronny de Vylder calls this movement, didn’t appear out of nowhere. Trend forecasters agree: there’s a growing collective longing for innocence and playfulness, expressed through shameless escapism and nostalgic yearnings for childhood. Just as kawaii emerged as a response to the rigid structure and high expectations of Japanese society, today’s version of ‘cute’- embraced by so-called ‘kidults’, adults tuning into their inner child - is a reaction to rising societal pressures and global anxieties. 

Escaping into childlike joy and cuteness may seem naive or even irresponsible, but scientists have a different view. Fun is serious business. We are homo ludens, humans who play. Giving space to your inner child is not only good for you, it’s good for society. It relaxes, liberates, and connects. What started as a guilty pleasure on social media and digital platforms is now crossing over into the real world. The New Cute has left all shame behind and Paris proves how irresistibly charming that can be.

1. Cutest pop-ups

Le Bon Marché out-cuted everyone with the pop-up “Je t’aime comme un chien” (“I love you like a dog”). For two months, February and March, the department store was a paradise for dog lovers, who could shop alongside their furry companions for everything from fashion and design to toys and gourmet dog patisserie. Workshops, wellness treatments, and charitable initiatives for less fortunate pups, every detail was considered. 

Cuteness temple Merci Paris is paying tribute to Hello Kitty this spring—the ultimate kawaii icon—with a “Hello Merci” pop-up at its new La Civette location, designed especially for collaborations like these. Galeries Lafayette delighted crowds with a ‘luxury patisserie’ performance starring plush pastries from the irresistibly cute brand Jellycat. And BHV Marais celebrated Pokémon Day in February (marking the 1996 launch of the beloved franchise) with a starring role for Pikachu, the best-known of all pocket monsters. 

2. Playful Hermès

Hermès has long set the standard in visual merchandising, combining artistic storytelling with a signature blend of whimsy, lighthearted humour, and breathtaking craftsmanship. Its windows, often created in collaboration with visual artists, are like idyllic childhood dreams for grown-ups with a serious taste for impeccably crafted ‘fineries’. If they don’t make you crave something luxurious, they’ll certainly make you smile.

3. Dover Street Market Paris

Comme des Garçons continues to inspire, not least through the retail concepts developed by the Japanese fashion house—such as Dover Street Market. Its eighth location opened last May in Paris, housed in the magnificent 17th-century Hôtel de Coulanges in the Marais. A gorgeous setting with no storefront displays but a stately courtyard and basement for art and events. Inside, a three-floor labyrinth forms the stylish backdrop for some of the cutest and most disarming creations from today’s most coveted brands. Rei Kawakubo, the mind behind CdG and DSM, takes playfulness in design very seriously.

4. Flowers Are Big

Beyond all things childlike, there’s a timeless theme that never fails to lift us out of reality with pure beauty and joy: flowers. A beloved motif in fashion and interiors for centuries, floral design in 2025 has reached Alice in Wonderland levels—so oversized and colourful, it’s like stepping into a dream. The first pollen of this trend has already landed in the Netherlands, as seen in de Bijenkorf’s dazzling floral window display in Amsterdam.

5. Branded Souvenirs

Surprising, perhaps, in a time when tourism in cities like Paris is often viewed as a problem—but the city’s creative spirit has found a way to reframe it in a more positive light. Tourists want souvenirs? Then souvenirs they shall have—served from nostalgic pastel-colored street carts by Galeries Lafayette and Samaritaine. In the world of retail, we’re all tourists. De Bijenkorf has translated the trend into giant postcards in its shop windows and postcard racks as displays for high-end accessories.

6. Beauty and the Art of the Small

Beauty is a massive trend. The products, however, are usually tiny. Combine the two, and you get some of the most enchanting shop windows around. Beauty is now so big, it can sit like a solitary crown jewel on a pedestal in a luxurious oasis of emptiness. That makes a bold statement in a visually overstimulated world. So, resist the urge to showcase too many little things—embrace the extreme opposite of what’s expected and go bold with minimalism.