As New York Fashion Week kicked off, the luxury industry was upended by more creative director whiplash. Sabato de Sarno was suddenly out from Gucci after two seasons, and Casey Cadwallader exited Mugler after a lucrative eight years with the French house. Weeks before, Kim Jones announced his departure from Dior Homme, Daniel Lee farewelled Burberry, Luke and Lucie Mier left Jil Sander, and Proenza Schouler’s design duo, Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez hung up their boots (allegedly) to take the reins at Loewe. As it stands, Proenza Schouler, Burberry, Gucci, Fendi, Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, and Dior Homme are without creative leaders, and six major luxury brands stand to make designer debuts this year.
It’s a sign of the times. The luxury industry is more and more dependent on the velocity of its sales for each and every season. So, as these labels enter their interim phases, the big challenge for the debutants will be to procure instant desirability that results in conversions.
A tough ask, with McKinsey reporting shoppers are shifting to quality over quantity, with 66% of consumers indicating they prefer to buy fewer but better quality, with value and longevity as the great persuader.
Quality and desirability were ideas nonetheless that New York’s designers doubled down on for FW25. With American sportswear, twists on the classics, and a significant lean toward texture and tactility as the week’s biggest themes, many brands have recognized the power of unfussy pragmatism—with the success of The Row’s minimalism as their North Star.
“Fashion has to wake up…to a shoe you can actually walk in, a dress you can move and sit in, and a bag where you can actually put your stuff,” Michael Kors explained to WWD backstage at his runway show. “You don’t have to give all that up to look great.”
Kors was among the brands to prioritize effortless everyday staples in complementary tones and shapes, where every item could be worn back with another. Another was Calvin Klein, returning to the schedule after five years with its first collection from Veronica Leoni, who counts stints at Jil Sander, Celine, and The Row. With the absence of Helmut Lang, Calvin Klein Collection was tasked to resurrect a must-have, sensual minimalist aesthetic, something like the one that makes the old collections constant Instagram and TikTok fodder. Leoni delivered a worthy start featuring wool coats, sharp trenches, stovepipe jeans, and boardroom-adjacent tailoring. Tory Burch added to the conversation with her play on the classics, focusing on textural layering and offering a cardigan with a sleeve pinned to the opposite shoulder; a trend piece in the making.
Brandon Maxwell exemplified the shift to luxurious daywear, telling Vogue Runway backstage, “When I started, I really wanted to be the dress that women chose for [a special] occasion, and now I’m interested in being the sweater they pick every morning.”
Elsewhere silhouettes focused on the hips with light bustles, rounded finishes, and understated peplums, while waists were pulled in by belts, corseted tailoring, or dropped to the hips in dresses and skirts. Like the menswear collections, shearling was everywhere, checks and plaids abounded and leather came in droves. Grey tones, browns, and beige continued their neutral dominance, while pops of purple, chartreuse, and forest green kept things interesting.
Denim cuts were the talk of the week, and not just because of the runways. The Superbowl interjected with half-time show performer, Kendrick Lamar, wearing bootcut jeans from a Hedi Slimane Celine collection, a move which saw searches for the jeans skyrocket according to Style Analytics. Back in New York, the denim was long and loose; Coach catered to its Gen-Z base with low-slung baggies in every wash, Khaite’s indigo pairs were high and relaxed, and Eckhaus Latta continued their run of excellent jeans with low-waist straight-leg pairs in chocolate brown and gradient washes.
Now, for the trends. Here are the prevailing themes, looks, and must-have items from the New York Fashion Week Fall Winter 2025 runways.
C-Suite Tailoring
Suits to get hired, or fire someone in. While demure has been thrown around to describe the shift from ‘Office Siren’ trend, the new tailoring from the FW25 runways still delivers on the sartorial punchline whilst being appropriate (or realistic) for potential high-stakes office meetings. With New Yorkers well and truly back to business, options like tough but feminine skirt suits from Calvin Klein, Tory Burch, and Michael Kors are anything but boring. The season’s single-breasted tailored jackets, sculpted shirts, and slim suit pants are sure to become wardrobe foundations.
Berry Tones
Rich, juicy berry tones of plum, blackberry, and dark cherry appear to have followed on from the popularity of burgundy and hot red in previous seasons. Michael Kors was one to show a range of deep purples and mauve, while Khaite traded wine for raspberry reds. Leather, satin, and shearling ensured sumptuous berry tones truly sang for eveningwear options at Sergio Hudson, Simkhai, Kim Shui, Altuzarra, and Christopher John Rogers.
To The Touch
Low-maintenance glamour was the common denominator for the designers who chose texture and touch to enhance their runway collections—and there were many. Chunky, frayed, and artfully woven designs came from Khaite, Calvin Klein, and Bevza while Tory Burch made use of padded nylon, and velvet pants woven with metal. Christian Siriano played with slicked jersey dresses that were apparently in reference to oil spills, while Fforme added hand-cut squares and plenty of fringing to pants, coats, and dresses.
Sportswear Switch Up
New York labels were united in their quest to subvert traditional sportswear codes while keeping consumers’ needs in mind. Brandon Maxwell’s oversized shirts hung over leather separates, there were large draped coats and slinky turtlenecks, and utility layers were paired with ultra-feminine skirts and boots. Tory Burch favored unfinished seams and mismatched pocket sizes, while Khaite’s unraveling corsets over tees with loose indigo denim looked fit for after-dark nonchalance. Tibi’s lean silhouettes were a masterclass in layering, with some garments supplemented with zips to turn low-crotch jeans into shorts, and jackets into vests.
Moto Momentum
While the leather jacket is undoubtedly a New York staple, however this season there were obvious biker elements that were as tough as they were chic. And with the passing of singer and actress, and original Rolling Stones muse, Marianne Faithfull, one can’t help but be reminded of her character’s wardrobe in Girl on a Motor Cycle. The feminine, slick iterations of her riding wear were echoed at Khaite, Tory Burch, Luar, and Brandon Maxwell. Coincidentally, the 60s bohemian style maven has drifted back into the social consciousness just as boho and Pinterest’s trend prediction, Moto Boho, have started to gain momentum.
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Main Image Credit: Independent News UK
