Spring 2025 Trend Recap

The key question for the Spring 2025 collections was if creative directors were going to jettison the omnipresent quiet luxury trend of the past few seasons – which many retailers, and their customers, have started to tire of - then what would replace it. The answer wasn’t unanimous. Many explored hyper-feminine themes while others turned to punk elements and still others played it safe and revisited their signature styles (Prada, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana).

Amid the slowdown in luxury and the turmoil of world events, brands are finding it challenging to define a unique point of view that, ultimately, will give clients a compelling reason to spend money with them. Despite this, many brands embraced the idea of overt and traditional femininity. The trend dominated the runways in every major fashion capital, with collections overflowing with lace and florals, lingerie references, and romantic accents like flounces, bows, and ruffles. Standout collections that mined the theme were Alessandro Michele’s debut runway collection for Valentino and Saint Laurent’s sophisticated evening ensembles, while Albert Kriemler at Akris showed how to make femininity modern and wearable.

But is this resurgence of femininity a response to the current cultural and political moment – let’s party our troubles away under the looming shadow of global tensions - a reaction against quiet luxury or is it a nod to timeless chic? While it could be any one or all of those, it did feel a little escapist and at times, a bit sacchrine.

And while escapism is fine, at some point, we all must come back to reality. And that reality is that fashion is a highly competitive industry, and it may not be sufficient for creative directors to simply put their own spin on current trends. While it is true that brands must have a distinct point of view – as Demna stated after the Balenciaga show – the collections that leave a lasting impression are the ones that are most expressive; they make you feel something. To resonate with people and inspire them to shop for something new – especially at a time when fashion prices are skyrocketing – creative directors need to dig deep and design clothing that emotionally connects with their customers.

Hyper-Feminine Opulence
Femininity rules the runways in lace, bows, florals, flounces, brocades, corsetry, and other lingerie accents. While some creative directors veered super sexy, others leaned a bit more sweet. The best collections balanced the idea of femininity with masculine tailored pieces (Erdem and Saint Laurent) or - as at Undercover - subversively explored the idea of binding.
As seen at: 3.1 Phillip Lim, ACNE, Akris, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Cecilie Bahnsen, Collina Strada, Celine, Chloe, Nensi Dojaka, Erdem, Michael Kors Collection, Alexander McQueen, Richard Quinn, Nina Ricci, Saint Laurent, Simone Rocha, Undercover, Valentino, Vivienne Westwood, Yohji Yamamoto.

Balloon Sleeves & Hems
Creative directors strategically sought volume through puffball Renaissance sleeves and bubble-effect skirts.
As seen at: Cecilie Bahnsen, Victoria Beckham, Chloe, Gabriella Hearst, Patou, Louis Vuitton, Junya Watanabe.

It's in the Hips
The erogenous zone of the season was built up with modern interpretations of 18th century panniers, peplums, and – in the most modern way of all - cutaway overskirts.
As seen at: ACNE, Ashlyn, Bally, Del Core, Erdem, Loewe, Stella McCartney, Mugler, Ports 1961, Rokh, Ludovic de Saint Sernin.

Sheer Layers
From diaphanous layers to origami folds and translucent overlays, what makes the transparency trend fresh for next season is its wearability.
As seen at: Akris, Collina Strada, S.S. Daley, Del Core, Hermes, Issey Miyake, Jason Wu, Khaite, Mame Kuroguchi, Prada, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Sharon Wauchob, Toga.

Gucci Spring 2025, Look 9. Image courtesy of Gucci.

Capes
Capes billowed behind models as they walked the runways, showcasing the ultra lightweight fabrics designers used to craft them. At Erdem, knit capes were embellished with elaborate crystal accents.
As seen at: Alaia, Calcaterra, Erdem, Gucci, Tibi, Tod’s, Toteme.

Fringe & Car Wash Skirts
Not a new trend, but fringe and car wash skirts gave spring runways a fresh sense of movement and texture.
As seen at: Akris, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Calcaterra, CFCL, Erdem, Fendi, Gabriela Hearst, Hodakova, Antonio Marras, Missoni, Monse, Proenza Schouler, Roksanda, The Attico, Valentino.

Pastels
Spring runways were awash with candy-hued pastels. But while many played it safe with pink, a pale butter yellow was the shade that looked the most fresh.
As seen at: ACNE, Akris, Victoria Beckham, Collina Strada, Di Petsa, Erdem, Jil Sander, Khaite, Marni, Plan C, Sandy Liang, Sergio Hudson, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney, Tove, Valentino.

High-Low
Cristobal Balenciaga’s high-low construction was revisited by several designers, creating a high impact, yet ethereal dress silhouette for the season.
As seen at: ACNE, Alaia, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Victoria Beckham, Chloe, Stella McCartney, Toga, Junya Watanabe.

Sport Parkas & Windbreakers
Functional got a passing nod from creative directors, who showcased sporty outerwear for the season. Parkas and windbreakers looked particularly new when paired with evening dresses.
As seen at: Akris, Cecilie Bahnsen, Bottega Veneta, Del Core, No.21, Plan C, Prada, Sacai, The Attico, Junya Watanabe.

Michael Kors Collection Spring 2025, Look 21. Image courtesy of Michael Kors.

Organic Textures
Craftsmanship and atelier expertise took center stage, emphasizing the beauty of imperfection in human handiwork.
As seen at: Aknvas, Alaia, Ashlyn, Bottega Veneta, Magda Butrym, Paolo Carzana, Collina Strada, Erdem, Gabriela Hearst, Chet Lo, Khaite, Loewe, Marni, Michael Kors Collection, Niccolo Pasqualetti, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Prada, Roksanda, Simkhai, Yohji Yamamoto.

Skinny Pants & Leggings
This past spring, the fashion world began to buzz about the return of skinny pants. This season, they officially staged their runway comeback, and their sleek lines provided a welcome break from all the generously sized jackets and pants that we’ve seen for a while now. Designers offered a new take on the silhouette with a pooling effect around the ankles.
As seen at: ACNE, Loewe, MM6, Miu Miu, Prada, Sportmax, Tod’s.

Sculptural Lines
Whether featuring sharp, structured lines, as seen at Alaia and Courrèges, or embracing softer, more fluid forms through intricate origami-like folds and expertly crafted draping, designers explored a spectrum of sculptural shapes. Even jewelry took on unique forms through twisted shapes, as with the standout collar necklaces at Missoni.
As seen at: Alaia, Ashlyn, Carven, Courreges, Del Core, Issey Miyake, Khaite, Noir Kei Ninomiya, Mame Kuroguchi, Niccolo Pasqualetti, Harris Reed, Roksanda, Steve O. Smith, Uma Wang, Zero + Maria Cornejo.

Plain White Cotton
White shirts are a wardrobe staple, which is possibly why they rarely make for a trend call out. Yet this season, several labels made white shirts, dresses, and collars a focal point of their collections, elevating a humble staple to a statement piece.
As seen at: Chanel, Del Core, Erdem, Loewe, Niccolo Pasqualetti, Proenza Schouler, Ports 1961, Rokh, Sacai, Undercover, Vacquera.

The Trench Coat, Revisited
New interpretations of an old classic. While many brands chose traditional beige for their trench coats, but cut in new shapes, unexpected colors - like Jil Sander’s vivid red version - proved to have the biggest runway impact. At Rokh, creative director Rok Hwang sent a particularly poetic version down the runway with spliced sleeves.
As seen at: Burberry, Ferragamo, Issey Miyake, Jil Sander, Rokh, Sacai, Tod’s, Toga.

Hard Edge
One of the few times edgy and toughness hit the runways – and perhaps a bit too nihilistic for some - was through punk references like dingy plaids, distressed leather, shredded denim, and loads of hardware, including buckles, spikes and zippers.
As seen at: ACNE, Diesel, Chet Lo, Collina Strada, Loewe, Chopova Lowena, MM6, Alexander McQueen, Prada, S.S. Daley, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Undercover.