There was one clear message on the spring 2025 runways: Dress for yourself. Across the collections, designers championed the return of personal style and individuality. This was crystalized at Prada in Milan, where rather than a concrete theme, the collection was made up of outfits that felt different from look to look. In the show notes, co–creative directors Mrs. Prada and Raf Simons discussed the era of internet algorithms—which has led to uniformity in the realm of style in recent years—so the disjointed looks on the runway ushered back a sense of individuality and suggested a return to personal style. In a sense, highly individual anti-algorithm fashion.
This comes at a time when the trend cycle has been sped up and new aesthetics arrive almost as quickly as they fade away—cottagecore, Westerncore, and Barbiecore, to name a few that had a big impact on how people collectively dressed in recent years. So where does this leave personal style when everyone starts to dress the same? It’s hard to say, but designers are making the case for following trends less closely and dressing for yourself. We are already seeing this impact on the fashion of 2024 with personality-driven styling and inventive styling, which is only set to expand further in 2025.
Chloé S/S 25
Even an all-black look communicates the personal style of the individual when worn with personality-driven accessories. This was demonstrated at the Chloé S/S 25 show, where a black suit was styled with a pillbox hat, oversize sunglasses, layered jewelry, and a fringed bag.
Gucci S/S 25
At Gucci, Sabato de Sarno showed looks inspired by Jackie O, including this vibrant printed skirt set with a matching hat and bag, as well as gloves and shoes in the same hue. The maximalist look is in direct opposition to the minimalist outfits that have been prevalent in recent years.
Khaite S/S 25
Colors have been largely muted and minimal in recent years with the dominance of shades such as white, black, beige, and burgundy. For spring, we're seeing more eye-catching colors on the rise, including powder pink.
Valentino S/S 25
At Valentino, Alessandro Michele sent model after model down the runway in heavily layered looks, and the show felt like a cast of different characters.
Prada S/S 25
Prada was the brand that solidified the theme of personal style and individuality on the runway. Every look in the collection felt unique and employed a range of styling methods. Perhaps one of the most noteworthy elements we saw were the shoes, which were brought back from a number of archival collections, suggesting a way to wear pieces from the past in new ways.
Saint Laurent S/S 25
Opulent, grand, maximalist fashion made an impact at Saint Laurent, ushering in fresh textiles and textures.
