AW25 Incoming: The 5 trends to know now
10th March, 2025
This season, the AW25 shows have felt less like a runway calendar and more like a grandmaster’s chessboard—designers strategically making their moves, abandoning historic houses and showcasing inaugural collections at the next, setting up shop elsewhere, and rewriting the schedules editors once navigated with ease. Yet despite the turbulence, this season delivered: poignant collections, playful themes, incredible designer debuts (just look to Haider Ackerman’s first runway for Tom Ford which received a standing ovation by none other than Anna Wintour) and plenty of stand-out trends to sharpen up our winter wardrobes. Checkmate indeed.
Luckily, we've kept our eyes firmly on the board, so before our timer's up, here are the top five trends to know and shop this season.
Head-to-toe black
Think less goth and more gloss. Head-to-toe black dominated the runways across all cities, but designers made sure to leave their marks. At Coperni, held at Paris’s Adidas Arena, models strode past 200 gamers locked in a LAN party—an unexpectedly fitting backdrop for the label’s sharp, futuristic tailoring. There were sleek black jersey halterneck dresses paired with low-waisted skirts and oversized technical jackets styled with tights covered in what appeared to be camera bags. (The Tamagotchi collaboration on their Swipe bag was a nostalgic stroke of genius.) At Ottolinger, black was the after-dark uniform of choice—the Berlin-based brand rolled out a smorgasbord of nocturnal essentials, from cinched-in tailored jackets to biker blousons in felted wool bonded with scuba fabric. Black jersey dresses, slashed and sculpted, added to the drama.
Building on her collaborations with Asics and The North Face, Cecilie Bahnsen’s collection merged technical precision with romantic frills, and brought a sportier spin to her signature romance. Running vests and tent bags in inky black technical fabric were layered over black skirts and jackets with laser-cut floral detailing—a cool contrast study. Meanwhile, over at Prada, Miuccia took a subversive approach to the classic black work dress—fraying edges, distorting necklines, and pairing it all with artfully disheveled hair, as if the wearer had just stepped out of a late-night strategy meeting.
Green Goddess
The easiest way to get your greens this winter? Wear them. From dopamine-drenched neons to verdant emeralds and chic chartreuse, designers served up every shade with a side of high impact. For his debut at Mithridite, Daniel Fletcher stayed true to his preppy instincts—schoolboy brogues, scarves fastened with pearl-studded ‘M’ pins—but it was his play on shirting and knitwear that stood out. Crisp collars peeked from beneath saccharine green sequined dresses, making a solid case for turning eveningwear into daywear. Over at ShuShu Tong, green took a sugary-sweet turn with embroidered black beaded florals embellishing mini dresses and two-piece sets. But for those who prefer their green with a jolt, Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford had the final word, sending models down the runway swathed in draped, body-clenching neon—a shade impossible to ignore, and even harder to forget.
Ladylike (with a twist)
No one does ladylike quite like Richard Quinn, and his AW25 collection was as theatrical as his Bridgerton-worthy set—street lamps, a two-story Georgian townhouse, the works. Black velvet Regency gowns clashed beautifully with white silk drenched in pearls and cinched with oversized roses. Hoop-skirted ball gowns bloomed with his signature florals, while mini pinafores got the proper debutante treatment with elbow-length opera gloves. Magda Butrym, now firmly staking her claim in Paris, proved that even the most traditional garments can take a sharp left turn into modernity. Soviet-era folksy elements met contemporary cool—faux fur-lined jackets were paired with high-contrast rose-print headscarves, tailored trousers tucked into sport socks (inside high heels, no less), and oversized trenches were cinched with asymmetric hoods. A standout? A black satin backless apron dress with rose details blooming at the hips, while a handwoven red mini, crafted in Warsaw, felt as couture as it did current.
Meanwhile, in Milan, David Koma solidified his vision for Blumarine, delivering a love letter to Italian cinema’s most intoxicating sirens. Irina Shayk set the mood in a razor-sharp coat trimmed with plush fur, opening a collection that swung between sculptural scuba tailoring and sheer seduction—Chantilly lace bodycon frocks, diaphanous flounces, and just the right amount of skin. At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri dipped into the literary archives, pulling from Virginia Woolf’s Orlando to rewrite the rulebook on ruffs, sharp tailcoats, and corsetry. The pièce de résistance? A buttercup-yellow floor-length gown embroidered with Tudor-worthy florals—decadent yet disarmingly wearable, fit for both a modern-day queen and a time-traveling noble.
Fringe Effects
Texture wasn’t an afterthought this AW25—it was the main event, often unexpected and thoroughly entertaining. Daniel Lee pushed the fringe agenda to new extremes at Burberry, taking a scalpel to the house’s sacred trench coats and shredding their lower halves into flickering, fluttering spectacles. A bold shake-up for a brand usually so loyal to its classics. Jil Sander went all in, experimenting with fringe in every possible form—threaded sequins, wispy feathers, and raw-cut panels that looked like the remnants of the garment itself. At Alaïa, fringe took on a sculptural quality with bungee-like rope skirts inspired by travel and geography, while Sportmax made it a statement feature, using it to edge scarves, slice across tops, capes, and jumpers, and even to embellish oversized leather bags that swished theatrically with every step.
16Arlington decided to host an 80s inspired dinner (complete with prawn cocktails, meatloaf and an array of jellies, albeit made very chic) rather than stage a runway, where guests such as Adwoah Aboah and Simone Ashley were in attendance. Whilst no models were walking around tables, Adwoah was spotted in a fully fringed long car-coat, as a sign of the collection soon to be in stores.
Luxe Leather
Leather had its moment this season, and designers made sure it was anything but predictable. Dilara Findikoğlu, back on the schedule after a brief hiatus, delivered a leather-heavy spectacle, opening with a strappy bodycon dress worn by none other than Lara Stone—a look dripping in McQueen-esque drama. Khaite gave a masterclass in restraint, proving leather doesn’t have to be overwhelming—plum-colored pencil skirts, buttery-soft jackets, and classic trenches were paired with crisp schoolboy shirts and knitwear for a polished, wearable edge. And Simone Rocha? She went full punk, rolling out buckled and studded mini dresses, trench coats, and sharply tailored jackets that laced the entire collection with rebellious energy.
