The spring/summer 2025 runways were packed with new designers at the helm of big brands, fresh ideas, and plenty of new trends that are set to take over next year. Powder pink is the specific color that is winning out. Opulence and grandeur is ushering in a new era of extravagance. There has also been a call from designers to return to personal style and individuality. One trend that is already setting the tone for style in 2025? Soft power. The specific term “soft power” was mentioned by Nicolas Ghesquière in the show notes for the S/S 25 Louis Vuitton collection, but the trend revealed itself earlier in fashion month.
The idea of this season's soft power dressing became crystal clear in Milan at Bottega Veneta, where powerful suiting was reimagined in relaxed silhouettes that at once felt strong yet sophisticated and elevated—a feminine-meets-masculine take on work style. This almost immediately picked up again at Paris Fashion Week, when Saint Laurent closed out the first day of shows with a strong collection of looks styled with oversize tailored suiting worn with ties, thick-rimmed glasses, and big leather aviator jackets thrown on top. The look has since been spotted off the runway on celebrities including Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber. Stella McCartney, too, had an almost-romantic take on suiting that infused draped skirts with blazers and trench coats. Loewe hammered this home, even tapping into a similar color palette of soft dove gray and chocolate brown. Ahead, more on the soft power trend for spring 2025.
In the S/S 25 Saint Laurent collection, Anthony Vaccarello proved that oversize suiting is just as relevant as it once was, especially when paired with unexpected pieces like a tie and a leather aviator jacket.
Bottega Veneta's latest collection by creative director Matthieu Blazy was one of the strongest of the season as he managed to balance a sense of soft power with playfulness.
Nicolas Ghesquière coined the term “soft power” in show notes for the S/S 25 Louis Vuitton collection. “French fashion is a formidable soft power, radiating a tradition of savoir-faire, an art de vivre—a cultural singularity. Taken literally, soft power is also a fascinating oxymoron. How to reconcile two antagonists, softness and power?” read the show notes. “Sartorial soft power can also be a striking back-and-forth between two contradictory yet harmonious opposites.”
This exact look from the Stella McCartney spring/summer 2025 collection is the epitome of the soft power trend. In this tailored ensemble, a skirt suit and trench coat enter new territory when executed with draping and rounded silhouettes.
Ferragamo's S/S 25 collection had a sense of softness despite the strong silhouettes. A classic trench immediately feels less hard when executed in a crinkled textile, as do the clutch in a shade of white and pumps in a tone of dove grey.
Christopher Esber's spring collection proved once and for all that slinky suiting and shirting will dominate in the coming year. The same can be said about a powerful pair of optical glasses.
Gabriela Hearst also added soft elements to a leather look that might appear more edgy at first glance. The trench coat is designed with bows on the shoulders and styled with a perfect bow tied at the waist. A classic structured bag and pumps also bring the styling to a more nostalgic space.
