Amid economic uncertainty, a global luxury industry slowdown, and conflicts erupting around the world, designers at the Spring/Summer 2025 shows balanced restraint and expression, resulting in collections that sought deeper emotional and intellectual impact. Megabrands scaled back fashion week festivities as they battened down the hatches with budget cuts and streamlined shows.

“I think there's a general caution and a realignment. I think the state of the world is more conducive to reflection than extravagance,” says Tim Blanks, The Business of Fashion’s editor at large.

It was the designers who took creative risks that stood out. At Marni, Francesco Risso created a cinematic spectacle, transforming cotton into expressive designs, emphasising simple beauty amid turmoil. Alessandro Michele made his anticipated debut at Valentino, honoring the legacy of Valentino Garavani while infusing his flair. At Loewe, Jonathan Anderson played with scale, encouraging audiences to rethink aesthetics.

In this episode of The BoF Podcast, Imran Amed sits down with Tim Blanks to unpack the highlights of Fashion Month and discuss how the current global climate is influencing designers and brands.

Key Insights

• In his eagerly awaited debut for Valentino, Alessandro Michele seamlessly integrated his unique creative approach with the storied heritage of the house. Blanks describes the collaboration as “a natural consummation ... like lovers meeting after decades of being apart and that kind of explosion of joy.”

• Sabato De Sarno's recent work at Gucci reflects the complexities of redefining a brand with a rich and influential legacy. While attempting to honor Gucci's heritage, his collections have faced criticism for lacking the distinctive and bold creative direction of his predecessors. Blanks remarks, “the problem is creating a new story for Gucci when the old stories are just so overpowering.”

• At Loewe, Jonathan Anderson pushed boundaries by experimenting with scale and perspective. His designs included oversized hoop skirts that seemed to hover. "He likes to challenge people's points of view," Blanks observes, adding that Anderson provokes thought "by showing them something that makes them wonder, how would I wear that? How would I sit in that?"

• Emerging designer Duran Lantink made a strong impression with his collection featuring extreme shapes refined into wearable forms. “Those clothes are a physical realization of independent thinking. What we need is more independent thought... fashion needs more of that," Blanks says.

• Amed echoes the importance of nurturing new talent, saying, “I think the future of the fashion industry is in good hands with some of these younger designers that haven't necessarily had a big role in a house yet but certainly deserve an opportunity to show what they can do. I think that's part of what we need in the industry—to move away from this lack of risk-taking. Safety and being safe, that's just boring.”

Additional resources

• In Paris, the Boys Can’t Help It!
• Beauty Is Still Defiance
• What Does Pressure Look Like in Milan?

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