Fashion Week Recap: Trends and Highlights from Emerging Designers in Milan and Paris

This fashion season, SS2025, was incredible because of so many different and creative styles, looks, and materials. The two jewels of fashion, Milan, and Paris, each hosted over a week of events, presentations, and runways for the SS2025 season.  With each city casting its own flavors, there is always crossover and meshing between them. This season was also a bit different.

From Atlein SS25 during PFW, courtesy of Atlein.

The global economy is constantly evolving. Brands like Calvin Luo, Victoria/Tomas, and Scotch & Soda have either paused work or shut their doors over the summer leading into this season. Many creative directors have also changed this season with brands such as Y/Project after some time in the brands. What does this really mean for the SS2025 season?

Change is constant, and fashion is within the creative changes for the future. SS2025 is seeing a resurgence of these changes and focuses that are at the forefront in both Milan and Paris. Being the tip of the spear in the fashion industry, this has attracted new work from China, Japan, Australia, and Africa. Brands from these areas are showing or have shown in Milan and Paris to be a part of this amazing shift.

From Luis De Javier SS25 during PFW, courtesy of Luis De Javier.

A big push is also from within to host and experience the cultures, techniques, and perspectives from these parts of the world. African brands like Thebe Mugugu, Lagos Space Programme, and Sukeina have greatly impacted the fashion community. These brands' styles, looks, and textures are unique, beautiful, colorful, and full of brilliance! Japanese brands such as Valienne are clean, crisp, and romantic and must have some of the most contemporary and elegant looks this season. Finally, China is about more than just about fast fashion. The brands are now really looking inward towards their cultural heritage and history. Earthly elements of water, earth, fire, and wind are a part of every collection for SS2025.

From Mslan SS2025 at PFW, courtesy of Michael Foust.

Industry collections from Tranoi at the Palais Brongniart have showcased some of the most up-and-coming brands and trends of the season. Older brands are finding a modern voice with new techniques and materials. Bags and other fashion accessories are making a surge as luxury is vital to everyday wear and style. Japanese denim is light, soft, and comfortable for the humid and warm temperatures that are present in most places now.  New technologies and approaches create materials that resemble stand-out textures.  Organic, upcycled, and very conscious materials, manufacturing, and responsible labour were also highly visible in both Milan and Paris fashion weeks.

From Tranoi SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

Trends experienced this season have been spotted in multiple brands for the SS2025 season:

1. Shells and organic seas are life-like attributes. LVMH 2024 prize winners Hodakova, Nicol & Ford, Diotima, and Song and Yuan China Maritime Silk Road have shared using shellfish in their clothing or accessories to compliment the overall look and style of their work. This is quite striking as each brand has used their work to reflect their creative processes. Maison Natan, La Koradior, and Tornado formulated some glamours and alluring pieces that draw you into the warmth of Spring and Summer.

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Left: From Tornado SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

Middle: Maison Natan Prêt-à-Porter SS25, courtesy of Maison Natan.

Right: Song and Yuan China Maritime Silk Road SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

2. Light and airy fabrics and looks. Le Fil Paris has, from the beginning, really refined its looks with feminine and light styles and fabrics. Jitrios and Boyarovskaya have a sleek but confident look with their airy styles that are also cool and crisp, fabricating a very clean and edgy look to compliment the fabrics.

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Left: From Jitrois SS2025, courtesy of Jitrois.

Middle: Le Fil Paris SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

Right: Boyarovskaya SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

3. Outdoorsy hardware is incorporated into fashion. This trend is coming more to the forefront with new looks and styles using outdoor hardware. Brands like Australia's Injury, Warrior 1927, and Black Gold have perfectly incorporated elements of outdoor wear into their pieces. The contrast with the feminine, masculine, and modern looks is strong and stands out.

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Left: From Warrior 1927 SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

Right: Black Gold SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

4. Denim is getting new uses by combining different types of denim to new uses. Looks on the runway, everyday wear of denim, and the most creative use has been in shoes this season. AGL, The Toe, and Club Mel have made some great looks and styles for SS2025. AGL created a shoe that, with laser cutting, gives it a finer, softer, and more gorgeous shoe look.

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Left: From Club Mel, courtesy of RE/DONE.

Middle: AGL SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

Right: The Toe SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

5. Playing with Feminine and Masculine traditions in styles, materials and looks. Slowear has played with using traditonal female fabrics and feels on men's wear and vice versa to make for some interesting pieces in the collection. Other brands such as Elisabetta Franchi, Maison Yoshiki, and The Unissen have created some sexy looks with the more suit like appearances with an alluring contemporary twist.

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First: From Elisabetta Franchi, courtesy of Michael Foust.

Middle: Maison Yoshiki SS25, courtesy of Maison Yoshiki.

Last: The Unissen SS25, courtesy of Michael Foust.

Overall, this SS2025 season was beautiful, transformative, and filled with the hope of a warm and uplifting Spring/Summer. More and more brands are now focusing on doing a mix of women's and men's fashion in the same season; sustainability and accountability for the brand are a big part of the fashion events now and at the forefront.

La Koradior SS2025, courtesy of Michael Foust.

However, the most surprising thing is that brands are narrowing their focus, creating smaller collections, and valuing the culture of their origins. This embracing of the history of the brand and creative directors is a pleasant surprise and brings a lot of joy to the fashion style. Culture is important as we go within to make our own impact in design in whatever way that experience is. The creative process in this season was more refined, hopeful, and full of connections. Overall, both Milan and Paris were great experiences in fashion, style, and the excitement of the works presented.