It might sound like an exaggeration, especially given the relatively high number of creative directorship debuts in 2025, but Louise Trotter’s first runway collection for Bottega Veneta was done with such finesse and skill that it definitely deserves credit. It’s no mean feat to follow the work of Matthieu Blazy, a man who managed to craft some of the House’s biggest hits in the last few years as well as evolved the aesthetics to be more than just the Intrecciato. Trotter’s reimagining of Bottega Veneta played on the textural qualities that Blazy favoured while streamlining them and making them look and feel more luxurious than ever before. If Blazy’s was experimental and crafty, Trotter’s was refined and elegant.
Ever since themes were first introduced to the Met Gala in 1973, they have always been more or less womenswear-centric. It wasn’t until this year’s exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, that menswear was highlighted as the foundations of the exhibition as well as the gala’s dress code. Tailoring has always been regarded as part of the menswear universe and it afforded guests to be as creative as possible in what the dress code’s “tailored for you” guideline meant for them. We’re not saying that the men have been drab before that, but this year’s male guests truly showed up.
Beyond The Vines celebrated its 10th anniversary with a collaboration with Liberty. But that clearly wasn’t enough. Aside from its usual drops of covetable pieces ranging from bags to accessories to ready-to-wear, Beyond The Vines opened a permanent store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands after multiple pop-ups in the shopping mall over the years. This was then followed by the brand’s first permanent Beyond The Vines Design Post in Tokyo, and then a month later, two new outposts in Shanghai. It’s safe to say that the locally grown brand is certainly doing well, and dare we say, flying the Singapore flag high.
Another e-commerce platform has fallen from grace. Montréal-based e-tailer SSENSE filed for bankruptcy protection in Quebec in August. Known for stocking some of the buzziest as well as a swathe of under-the-radar brands, SSENSE reportedly owed a total of CAD371 million, out of which CAD93 million are owed to the brands it stocks. Unfortunately, it’s likely that the brands—from Auralee to Jacquemus to Maison Margiela—will never fully recover the amount they’re owed based on the how the system works in Canada.
@brutechoi The row sample sale is here in nyc! 123 west 18th st. Wed oct 22-26 10am -7pm. . . . #therow #luxuryfashion #mensfashion #therowsamplesale #fashiontiktok ♬ Bossa Nova jazz that seems to fit in a cafe(1433079) - TAKANORI ONDA
For a brand relatively obsessed with controlling its image—no photos during runway shows, for example—The Row overlooks how it handles its sample sales. While holding such sales isn’t a new thing for luxury brands, The Row’s quiet luxury ethos appears to contradict the myriad haul content that bombard TikTok after its latest sample sale. Typically, the pieces went for a mere fraction of their retail prices, but that in itself brought a lot of negative sentiments towards a brand that has always marketed itself as exclusive. When a brand wants to be so tight about its accessibility, perhaps it should apply greater stringency as to who gets to be at its sample sales.
For the first time since Marc Bohan introduced the Dior Homme line in 1969, Dior is under the creative directorship of a single person. After being announced as the creative director of its menswear universe in April, Jonathan Anderson was officially named Dior’s creative director of women’s, men’s and haute couture collections in June. It was an internal move from LVMH-owned Loewe for Anderson and the first time that he’s being given the task of designing couture—although with his craft-centric approach at Loewe, it seems unlikely to be an issue. His Dior menswear and womenswear debuts marked a significant aesthetic shift for the House, one that longtime Dior clients will need time to adjust to. The collections have yet to launch in boutiques yet, but at the very least, they’re being talked about.
It’s safe to say that if there were a single piece of men’s fashion that made significant impact for the year, it would most definitely be the Winter 2025 knee-high boots from Saint Laurent. They already had such an imposing—and not to mention, jarring when worn with suiting—look when we first saw them on the runway, but in real life, they made such strong statements on the number of celebrities who have donned them. Who says menswear is boring and hyper-fixated on being safe and commercial?
Belgium’s famed Antwerp Six has unfortunately lost a member. On 1 November 2025, Marina Yee (arguably the most elusive member of the group of Belgian designers) died from cancer at the age of 67. Yee was known for her upcycled approach to fashion. She took time away from the scene to teach at art schools for several years, before returning in 2018 with the label M.Y. Collection. Her legacy continues on with the rest of the Antwerp Six members—Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, and Dirk Bikkembergs.
While the announcement that Véronique Nichanian will be stepping down as artistic director of Hermès’ menswear universe came as a shock—she’s been in the position for almost four decades—the announcement that followed was received with much fanfare. London-based designer Grace Wales Bonner was often rumoured to be in talks to take on key positions at some of the biggest fashion houses including Louis Vuitton and Givenchy. But in the end, it’s independent luxury fashion house Hermès that has managed to secure (quite surprisingly) Wales Bonner. It’s a powerful move by Hermès: deciding to not replace Nichanian with a male designer and instead, choosing a menswear designer with proven skills and talent. Nichanian’s final runway show will be this January during Paris Fashion Week Men’s, while Wales Bonner is scheduled to make her debut in January 2027.
There are plenty of luxury brands out there that come up with accessories to match the latest Apple releases, but they’re rarely done in collaboration with the tech giant. ISSEY MIYAKE is the latest to do so by creating a limited-edition wearable accessory called the iPhone Pocket. Available in two variations—a short strap, and a long strap—the iPhone Pocket is made out of a 3D-knit and designed in line with ISSEY MIYAKE’s “a piece of cloth” concept. The signature pleats are evident too but done differently. And if you think it’s a collaboration that came out of left field, Apple founder Steve Jobs’ uniform consists of an ISSEY MIYAKE mockneck.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its store located within a prime shopping mall along Singapore’s competitive shopping district, In Good Company held its first solo runway show. It was undoubtedly an event as regional influencers were flown in to bear witness to a 70-piece-strong collection of show-stopping designs (in the sort of minimalist way that In Good Company is famed for) as well as easy pieces for the everyday. With locally designed fashion steadily growing traction among local Singaporeans, In Good Company’s reputation has remained strong thanks to its quartet of co-founders who continue to have a keen sense on their brand identity and what works for their customers.
Tumultuous seems like an understatement for what Gucci has been experiencing the past couple of years. After a creative reset with Sabato De Sarno seemingly not going the way the House hoped for, it went rudderless for a few seasons, banking on reviving rather nondescript archival pieces as well as a decisively pared back aesthetic. It needed a strong vision, and it needed one fast. Enter Demna. Plucked from Balenciaga (also a Kering-owned fashion house), the appointment itself was already headline-worthy. The man is, after all, known for his disruptive designs that are both polarising and eye-catching. Gucci wasted no time in putting that design language into effect—the Spring/Summer 2026 collection was released through a lookbook format as well as a short film by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn. Let’s just say, it’s definitely about to get more and more interesting from this point on for Gucci.
Giorgio Armani was always a constant during fashion weeks in Milan and the couture shows in Paris. Every year, the Italian fashion maestro would take his bow after the show and then gather the models for a finale shot. However, on June 2025 during Milan Fashion Week Men’s, Mr Armani was absent for the first time. At the age of 91, Mr Armani died from liver failure in September in his home in Milan. His legacy—a storied one involving an independently owned empire spanning fashion and hospitality—lives on.
The arrival of Matthieu Blazy at Chanel sparked conversations of the House’s potential to officially venture into menswear. Chanel CEO Leena Nair shut down rumours by going on record, telling Vogue Business that there are no plans to enter menswear. Yet, that hasn’t stopped Blazy from toying with us. His debut collection for the House saw four men’s shirts crafted by French shirtmaker Charvet (Coco Chanel was a customer and an ardent fan of the brand), and A$AP Rocky was just officially named a house ambassador. Rocky isn’t even the first male ambassador—Kendrick Lamar, and G-Dragon are part of the family too. Could this be a clever, reverse psychology marketing tool of making men desire something they’re being told are not technically made for them? Perhaps.
The undisputed male fashion icon for 2025 would most definitely have to be Alexander Skarsgård. The Swedish actor took his role in the gay BDSM-themed Pillion seriously, working with stylist Harry Lambert to craft provocative looks that leant heavily into the subject matter. Skarsgård was one of the first few to wear those knee-high Saint Laurent boots, wore short shorts by S.S.DALEY to a talk-show appearance, and to the BFI London Film Festival, opted for a Ludovic Saint Sernin halter-neck shirt that was completely backless. For those of us who remember Skarsgård turning up to the 2016 MTV Movie Awards pants-less, his fashion choices this year are merely a revival of his irreverent sense of style.
For some reason, the second half of 2025 suddenly saw the rise in toe-baring gear. Sure, you may chalk it up to the summer heat in most parts of the world; but as we roamed from show to show during Paris Fashion Week Men’s in June, there seemed to be an uptick in the number of the sandals and flip-flops seen on the runway and at times, on the feet of attendees. It may have something to do with the viral The Row rubber flip-flops that suddenly became a social media obsession, or that Rick Owens started an OnlyFans where he’s doing anything and everything with his feet. In any case, hopefully it has also made men be more open to pedicures. Because if you’re showing off those toes out in the open…
The craze surrounding Labubus and many other Pop Mart characters remained strong in 2025. It’s brought out a resurgence of bag charms and fashion brands have been capitalising on it. Michael Rider’s CELINE debut took the magpie aesthetic to the extreme, creating charms that become more than embellishments—they make the outfit. The CELINE Charms collection is designed to be a collectible way of stacking charms on a bracelet or necklace and worn stacked for maximum style personality. They can also be easily put on bags for a more grown-up Labubu-esque charm. At the head of the craze, Moynat collaborated with Labubu creator himself, Kasing Lung, on a series of bags, accessories and charms featuring Labubu, Zimomo, and King Mon.
We’ve lost two bastions of fashion’s familial legacies this year. First, it was Donatella Versace who stepped down from her position as creative director of the House that she took over after her brother’s death. And then in September, Silvia Venturini Fendi left her post as creative director, making way for former Dior artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri. Donatella was made a brand ambassador, while Silvia became Fendi’s honorary president—both seemingly token roles.
After being the mastermind behind aluminium and polycarbonate for travel suitcases, RIMOWA took on another challenge: releasing its first full-leather bag collection. The RIMOWA Groove collection translates its signature design codes on three distinct models. They are designed to work seamlessly with the brand’s travel pieces, including cleverly designed handles and slots that slide in perfectly onto the telescopic handles of its suitcases. At the same time, they are able to stand alone as functional and stylish bags made in Italy with premium leather.
France may have passed a bill that specifically targets ultra-fast fashion brands Shein, Aliexpress, and Temu (amendments were added to a climate bill that will impose penalties on these brands) but that hasn’t stopped one from setting up shop in its fashion capital. Shein officially opened on the sixth floor of French department store BHV in Paris’ popular Marais district in November. More than 100,000 people signed an online petition to protest against the opening, while several dozens were reportedly outside the store to protest. At the same time, news outlets reported that a line of people were queuing well before opening, proving that even in Paris, the demand for cheap clothes is inevitable.
It’s as good as already watching a quarter of the movie with the amount of paparazzi coverage that the filming of The Devil Wears Prada 2 was getting. Filmed out in the open in New York City, we were already privy to several fashion choices that were splashed all over social media, including a Berluti briefcase carried by Stanley Tucci’s character. Understandably, the sequel to the beloved fashion-centric film is one that’s highly anticipated and with the buzz to match. But we reckon, we could have done with a little bit more mystery. Thankfully, filming has officially wrapped and so have the leaks.
Salehe Bembury is without a doubt one of the sneaker world’s eminent designers. He’s worked on a number of successful collaborations (Bembury’s Crocs are pretty much the only ones that make the cut) as well as designed for brands under strict non-disclosure agreements. It makes complete sense then that he’s finally charting his own path by going solo and launching his own brand. SPUNGE made its debut in October with the Osmosis, a sneaker that’s truly Bembury through and through.
Olivier Rousteing’s work at Balmain is historic. He became the House’s creative director at the age of 25, making him the youngest creative director in fashion since Yves Saint Laurent. He was also the first Black designer to be at the creative helm of a major French fashion house. His digital savviness (he coined the term “Balmain Army” on Instagram for influencers dressed in the House’s military-esque aesthetic) and red carpet-worthy fashion opened up Balmain to a whole new world—one that was diverse in terms of skin colour and body shape. After 14 years, his time has ended at Balmain, but we’re certain that his talent will manifest in other avenues.
We can never seem to let go of Phoebe Philo. Even with the minimalist-driven designer now having her own brand, the ghosts of her past seem to echo in the brands that she’s helped revitalise before. At Chloé, the Paddington bag of 20025 has been revived, while Michael Rider’s first collection at CELINE (himself one of Philo’s crew during her time at the brand) banked on the reworking of her Luggage and Phantom designs. There’s certainly an undercurrent of nostalgia that continues to seep through in fashion, and it does prove that great designs stand the test of time—even when you’ve departed the brand.
Prada has officially acquired fellow Italian fashion house Versace. The deal was a roughly EUR1.3 billion one and was years in the making. With the acquisition now complete, Lorenzo Bertelli, the son of owners Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, will be the executive chairman of Versace, as reported by Reuters. How things will change for Versace is yet to be determined.
