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On the Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear Simkhai runway, fashion morphed into a cutting-edge botanical exploration. The collection was a detailed ode to a flower, with every vein of the petals meticulously embroidered onto the garments, as if the fabrics themselves were living artworks. Semi-transparent skirts were adorned with cage-like embroidery, creating a visual effect that was both ethereal and provocative. Additionally, the dresses showcased 3D flowers and butterflies poised as if ready to flutter to life. Simkhai whisked us away to a dreamlike garden where every floral element and winged creature told a tale of beauty and mystery.
Anna Sui’s mood board always feels like a kaleidoscope of fashion trends, references, and inspiration, and the Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection was no exception. This time, the designer dove into the world of Andy Warhol’s early commercial works, aiming to capture that ethereal softness that defines his pre-pop drawings.
On the Alaïa runway, we witnessed fashion’s playful exploration of new volumes with hooded dresses and miniskirts lavishly pleated. These designs not only reinvented classic aesthetics but also toyed with the concepts of form and space. In addition to, Collina Strada’s looks, from the boldest to the most subtle, spoke of a romance trend with texture and shape, elevating fashion to a new realm of sophisticated fun.
With a collection crafted from 95% recycled or sustainably sourced materials and a tree planted for every item sold or produced, PH5 has become a leading force in fashion’s sustainable movement. Their Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear presentation at NYFW was a style statement and a genuine call to action against climate change.
And what about Coach? The brand is forging connections through its creative focus on youth, authenticity, joy, fun, and a sense of accessibility. Bringing sustainability to the forefront with a Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection featuring recycled cotton pants and patched garments, as well as leather pieces transformed into cardigan-style jackets or tiny motorcycle jackets. Stuart Vevers, Coach’s Creative Director, notes, “The number of seams needed has become part of my design language, which is fascinating; piecing things together has helped us create new silhouettes. I’m truly intrigued by how the new generation is discovering these American classics and seeing them with fresh eyes.”
Prints
Anna Sui teamed up with artist Paul LeRoy Gehres, renowned for his Warholian influences, to design a cherub logo that graced 90s-style tees, paired with a new printing technique that evoked the hazy contours of Warhol’s illustrations. The result? A flawless blend of nostalgia and modernity, bringing to life a collection and fashion trends that feel lsike it’s straight out of a pop-art dream.
Gardening made an unexpected but delightful entrance into fashion, thanks to PH5’s Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear show. Their trompe l’oeil prints turned everyday tasks into high couture moments. Designs evoked the simplicity of a gardener’s apron, with pockets adorned with flowers that seemed to bloom with every movement. Some models sported dried flowers as if they were the latest accessory trend, while others showcased gardening gloves, transformed into key pieces of the outfits.
One print that’s here to stay for Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear is the Prince of Wales pattern, with its intricate blend of checks and stripes—pure classic sophistication with a dash of daring. This pattern, also seen in the R13 show, evoked the elegance of British royalty while adding a spark of irreverence.
Bottoms
Kim Shui’s signature micro shorts retained their daringly tiny size at the back but morphed into a 60s tribute at the front. With high waists and romantic ruffle details, these shorts became a charming fusion of bold modernity and vintage nostalgia. It’s as if Shui took the rebellious spirit of tiny shorts and wrapped it in a layer of retro elegance, creating a piece that’s both provocative and refined.
The leggings showcased by Ib Kamara at the Off-White Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear show featured bold slits at the hem, revealing sandals and their logomania details, presenting a fascinating blend of sensuality and functionality.
Cargo pants have been on trend in 2024 and will continue to shine through Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear—seen in collections like R13—with floral accents designed to give the body a relaxed, defiant vibe. On the same runway, we saw Bermuda shorts evoking a late 80s grunge vibe and flowered culottes paired with belts almost as wide as the pants themselves.
Tops
The second-skin bandeau tops showcased at the Alaïa runway stole the spotlight, paired with voluminous, asymmetrical skirts and floaty pants worn low on the hips. The bras, fitted and almost invisible, contrasted strikingly with the bold, flowing skirts and pants that glided with an almost ethereal grace.
“To me, American beauty means freedom of body and spirit. This collection honors tradition alongside modernity. It’s a celebration of an American ideology of dress and, through it, a spirit that can unite New York and Paris, of the body in motion, liberated.” – Pieter Mulier, Creative Director of Alaïa
At the Collina Strada show, we saw fashion trends like ‘shell’ tops in lace and mesh that transformed into works of art with embellishments such as ruching, pleats, and even etched flowers. Similarly, classic sweatshirts were given a touch of glamour with elegantly billowing chiffon sleeves, while tweed check vests strutted alongside striped shirts and miniskirts with added volume.
The essence of Off-White’s collection rested on the pillars of sportswear, featuring daringly deep V-neck leotards and cropped sports jackets paired with flowing skirts, creating a fascinating contrast.
Dresses
Simkhai, renowned for his near-obsessive devotion to concealing seams, surprised us with an unexpected twist on the Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear runway. This season, the pendulum swung toward revelation with a long, pleated knit dress layered over a sheer-collared shirt, boldly showcasing every dart and structural detail. And if that wasn’t enough, we also saw sleeveless midi knit dresses with hemlines adorned with airy fringes, adding a dose of freshness and movement.
The pastel tulle dresses with boleros that graced Anna Sui’s Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear show were a breath of fresh air compared to the overly mature styles many teenagers seem to adopt today; returning to innocence and sweetness, offering an alternative that celebrates the lightness and charm of youth.
Some of the silhouettes from the Alaïa show that made us swoon included ivory and salmon-pink dresses that wrapped around the torso with a gravity-defying elegance, fitting the body with the precision of a jewel, as if each one closed into place with a magical click, remaining impeccably in place.
Colors
At R13, we saw a playful use of color with pieces like a red sequin jacket, pink cargo pants with flowers, and even pastel blue jackets. None of these elements scream R13. “The trick is finding how to incorporate color while still looking like R13; that’s my essence. If you’re wearing something a bit sweet, you need to find a touch of boldness to balance it out.”
“I wanted to create something very soft; I’ve always loved pre-pop sketches. That’s where the pastel color palette and prints came from, which seem to whisper rather than shout.” – Anna Sui
