The Highlights of Fashion Week 2025

BY Natasha Bailey ON 30 September, 2025

Fashion Week 2025 across London, New York, and Paris brought a mix of spectacle, subtlety, and shifting priorities in the industry. Each city presented its own distinctive mood, but together they signalled an era negotiating between creative theatre and commercial realism.

Here’s a roundup of the most important moments and themes.

London Fashion Week 2025

Mood & Direction

London leaned into its eclectic roots this year, showcasing cultural hybridity, inclusivity, and playful irreverence. Under new leadership at the British Fashion Council, the week embraced local talent, broadened access, and notably became the first of the Big Four fashion weeks to ban exotic animal skins like crocodile and snake.

Trends

• Street style integration: Open shows and public access blurred runway and everyday fashion.

• Stretch and jersey innovation: More wearable materials became the canvas for high design.

• Volume and layering: Playful proportions reaffirmed London’s taste for theatricality.

New York Fashion Week 2025

Mood & Direction

New York balanced utility and identity, revisiting the concept of “American style” through a more diverse and global lens. The city remains a testing ground for sportswear hybridity, blending practicality with elevated design.

Trends

• Sportswear crossover: Utility elements merged seamlessly with high fashion.

• Restraint and precision: Simplicity became a powerful design statement.

Paris Fashion Week 2025

Mood & Direction

Paris remained the epicenter of drama, but also of discipline. Collections oscillated between extreme maximalism — exaggerated silhouettes and architectural proportions — and refined minimalism, emphasizing fabric and form.

Standout Shows

• Paul Smith presented the Fall/Winter 2025 collection in an intimate Paris presentation, highlighting collaborations such as Paul Smith Loves Barbour. The showcase emphasised elegant tailoring, British heritage codes, and modern wearability.

Trends

• Architectural minimalism: Clean lines and material fidelity dominated.

• Exaggerated volume: Puffy sleeves, oversized coats, and sculptural forms made statements.

• Earthy palettes: Burnt oranges, purples, and muted reds contrasted with stark blacks and neutrals.

Cross-City Takeaways

• Spectacle vs. wearability: Designers across cities balanced high drama with practical appeal.

• Emerging talent spotlight: Particularly in London, younger voices were amplified through structural changes and lower barriers.

• Sustainability: London’s ban on exotic skins was a landmark move; elsewhere, material choices hinted at greener directions.

• Street style and audience re-engagement: Public access became part of the story, creating a two-way dialogue between runway and street.

Final Thoughts

Fashion Week 2025 wasn’t just about collections; it was about repositioning what fashion weeks mean in an era of global change.

London underscored inclusivity and sustainability, New York explored identity and functionality, and Paris reaffirmed its mastery of both spectacle and refinement.

Together, they revealed an industry redefining its balance between artistry, accessibility, and responsibility.