French pop culture personalities to watch out for in 2025

After a year full of twists and iconic moments for French pop culture, which never fails to impress, it is now ready to bring its best elements into 2025. Those who, in 2024, emerged from their chrysalis to show the world what they're made of. Because it's not just about established creators or artists in the cultural world who deserve the spotlight, but also about the countless French-speaking talents who haven't yet had their moment of glory. Here are the rising stars in fashion, music, cinema, and social media that we'll definitely be keeping an eye on in 2025.

Fashion

Let's start with the category that excites us the most and has once again delivered gems this year: fashion. Between the musical chairs of creative directors, the arrival of newcomers, and the achievements of veterans, 2025 already promises to be vibrant for the fashion sphere. Beyond possibly seeing a new creative director at Chanel, an investor at Jacquemus marking the end of its independence, and an even fiercer team at luxury giant LVMH, the new year will likely see the rise of young talents who have already captured the industry's attention this year. First up is the Franco-Belgian duo Ester Manas, a couple who met at La Cambre, excelling this year with numerous achievements. After winning the Galeries Lafayette prize at the Hyères festival in 2018 and becoming finalists for the LVMH and Andam awards, Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre are now contenders for the Woolmark Prize, an Australian couture competition. Built around "one size fits all" and the desire to create clothes that make all body types feel beautiful, sexy, and comfortable, Ester Manas' brand is set to conquer the fashion scene in 2025. Another talent to watch closely hails from Paris but is now based in London: Pauline Dujancourt, a young French designer who narrowly missed the LVMH Prize this year. Though Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson won the prize, Dujancourt, a NEWGEN laureate of the British Fashion Council, excels in wool craftsmanship and has everything it takes to make 2025 her year. Lastly, shifting from sewing to styling, the fashion star we want to highlight is Coline Bach. A stylist and costume designer for over a decade, she’s behind memorable looks like Angèle's Chanel dress at the Met Gala and her iconic Coperni jumpsuit at the Olympics' closing ceremony. What stands out about Coline’s work is her ability to blend fashion and music seamlessly while respecting the artists, their style, and pop culture as a whole.

Music

Speaking of music, let's continue our list with musical talents we can't wait to see topping our Spotify Wrapped this year, next year, and beyond. The first is a young Brussels native with a voice so sweet that just one listen to Si tu m’aimes demain can soothe all woes. This is none other than Iliona, who, in addition to being talented, appears extremely relatable, as shown by her public Spotify playlist titled "How to fail at a breakup for dummies" (also the title of one of her songs) and her TikTok account. For less romantic types and techno/trance fans, there's Ascendant Vierge, also from Belgium's capital. This transnational, transmusical duo combines gothic pop-lyrical vocals from Mathilde Fernandez with DJ-producer Paul Seul's techno beats, creating a galaxy-transporting soundscape. In a completely different genre, we have Charlotte Adigéry, the queen of pop/electro, who can take us to a 70s nightclub in just three minutes with her mystical mix of English, French, and Creole that will make even the most stoic among us wants to dance.

Cinema

Moving on to movies : French speaking cinema didn’t disappoint this year, winning a significant number of awards. From romantic comedies to body horror, French stars shone brighter than ever. The first star is Mallory Wanecque, lead actress in L’amour ouf, alongside Adèle Exarchopoulos, François Civil, and Malik Frikah. Portraying young Jackie in love with bad boy Clotaire, Mallory captured audiences this year, with many feeling her performance outshone her senior counterparts. With the success of L’amour ouf, 2025 is likely to be a year filled with cinematic projects and accolades for Mallory. Another French star conquering America in 2024 and beyond is director Coralie Fargeat. If you’ve been online recently, you’ve probably heard of The Substance, a body horror far from superficial. Though set in Los Angeles, the film is a French production, shot in Parisian studios and the South of France. With The Substance, Coralie enters the annals of must-watch horror films. If 2024 was her year, we hope 2025 brings equally captivating projects.

Social Media

Let’s be honest, we all spend precious hours scrolling through TikTok instead of setting our phones aside for something even slightly productive or creative. Let’s take this opportunity to highlight content creators who at least have the decency to teach us something or make us feel better about ourselves. Starting with the fashion category: while TikTok is filled with silly dances and videos that will lead us nowhere in life, the platform also has an abundance of well-constructed and insightful videos about fashion that educate on its past, present, and future. The first creator we would recommend to any fashion enthusiast is Charlotte Pouget. Whether in the form of a summarized Instagram reel or longer YouTube videos, Charlotte knows it all. From historical videos to trend and red carpet analyses, her knowledge of the fashion industry promises high-quality, thoughtful, and well-explained content. In the same category, we have Lilas Villeneuve and her “fashion school” videos where she discusses the industry, news, and key players. If fashion isn’t your thing, but you’re looking for TikTok comfort creators to help you romanticize your dull and loveless life, simply follow mademoiselle chlomiam. Her charming vlogs and tips will help you see your daily life through rose-tinted glasses. A young creator who also runs a biscuit shop, she brings absolute sweetness to your feed, reminding us that life isn’t so bad after all.