It’s T-minus two days before the SS25 womenswear shows kick off in New York, with the biannual bedlam scheduled to sweep across London and Milan before wrapping in Paris on October 1.
The past few months have already been a swirl of schedule shifts and creative director changes, so here’s a brief refresher. Rumours continue to swirl about open vacancies at Givenchy, Chanel and Tom Ford, and all eyes are on Alessandro Michele, who is due to make his debut at Valentino on September 29. Later that week, Seán McGirr returns to Paris Fashion Week to build on his first show for McQueen last season. Meanwhile, New York welcomes Alaïa and Off-White for one season only and bids adieu to Puppets and Puppets, which is crossing the Atlantic to make its London Fashion Week debut.
Among all the heritage houses and schedule stalwarts, there are plenty of upcoming talents to watch – newcomers, old favourites, and familiar faces returning to home turf. Here are nine names you don’t want to miss at the SS25 shows.
1. Willy Chavarria
New York, September 6, 7pm
Over the past few seasons, the Californian designer has come into his own with his Chicano-inspired take on menswear. Worn by celebs including Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and Omar Apollo, his sharp suiting and twists on classics – where basketball jerseys have coquettish puffed sleeves and diamanté-studded jeans are blown up to gargantuan proportions – earned him the CFDA’s American Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2023. His shows are always a wild blowout. Last season, his front row was packed with NYC party girls like Julia Fox, Amanda Lepore and Susanne Bartsch, who watched oiled-up hermanos pound the runway alongside Paloma Elsesser and Kai-Isaiah Jamal. So Chavarria’s SS25 show feels right at home in its Friday night slot.
2. Gabe Gordon
New York, September 8, 6pm
An off-schedule newcomer, textile designer Gabe Gordon has been designing since he was a teenager and eventually launching his eponymous label in 2019. His work is an exploration of grief, following the death of his father. Gordon’s homespun knits are intentionally hole-y — the designer finds beauty in decay — and hand-dyed in earthen tones to emulate the history of a beloved garment. Developing his own fabrics via a plethora of techniques, body-hugging looks are patchworked together or shredded into fringe, while summer-appropriate knits have flesh-baring cutouts and contrasting lacing to untie at your leisure.
3. Chopova Lowena
London, September 13, 7pm
Before its London Fashion Week debut back in 2022, Chopova Lowena, founded by design duo Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons, was already a hit for its signature skirt. A mish-mash of Bulgarian prints in bouncy concertina pleats, carabiner-clipped within an inch of its life, you’ll recognise it as a street style staple, and has been worn by the likes of Charli xcx, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo. Despite being a highlight of each season, the pair has been transparent about the financial constraints of putting on two shows a year, opting for one instead. They’re back again this season, after a lookbook-shaped break for AW24. Do. Not. Miss.
4. Aaron Esh
London, September 14, 6pm
Central Saint Martins graduate Aaron Esh is among the wave of young designers crafting idiosyncratically modern menswear. Since joining the LFW schedule in SS24, he’s continued to hone his vision – relaxed tailoring and sleek eveningwear nestled among everyday jeans and twisted tees. The past two seasons have seen the Aaron Esh man coupled up, his girlfriend matching in a puffball skirt and oversized sunnies. This season, building on AW24 – which made a convincing case for the comeback of skinny jeans (sorry!) – we’re expecting more 00s glamour. Jeggings, anyone?
5. Karoline Vitto
London, September 15, 10am
Brazilian-born Karoline Vitto is among the brigade of designers bringing much-needed body diversity to fashion. A Fashion East alum, SS25 sees Vitto back on the London schedule after a break last season and a pitstop in Milan for SS24. While the brand accommodates larger sizes, the designer’s sculptural silhouettes are made to be worn by anybody – the signature metal and bra strap-like clasps celebrating curves, folds, and ripples. Expanding her offering each season – the last collection introduced denim with sheer peekaboos and sexy swimwear – we’re looking forward to seeing what Vitto will bring now that she’s back on home turf.
6. Johanna Parv
London, September 16, 10am
SS25 marks Johanna Parv’s solo debut after her final collection under Fashion East in February. While form and function are at the crux of the Estonian designer’s looks, it’s not Gorpcore, but something entirely in its own lane: think practical elegance for the professional woman biking to work, or running cross-country at the weekend. A uniform of skorts, hooded tees and coats with cutouts in muted tones, Parv has nighttime covered too in the form of stretch maxi dresses with matching opera gloves and pointed heels poking out from slim-fit nylon trousers.
7. Paolo Carzana
London, September 16, 7pm
There’s an otherworldliness to Paolo Carzana’s designs, as if they’ve been unearthed from a time capsule and displayed on the runway. Crafted from a variety of sustainable practices – from repurposing antique tapestries to using plants as dye – the looks are sculpted and draped, evoking a homespun romance. Last season, Carzana took a journey through Welsh mythologies and up and down a mountain, with a boldness that enchants his fans — his designs have been worn by FKA twigs and Michaela Coel.
8. Niccolò Pasqualetti
Paris, September 29, 11:30am
Niccolò Pasqualetti’s time spent at alma maters Loewe, Alighieri and The Row is clear at their own label. The Tuscan designer champions androgynous garms for him, her, and them: think draped cashmere, cosy knits and louche tailoring aplenty. Their hybrid of fashion, art and jewellery has pops of off-kilter fun too, such as squiggly sleeves and skirts that look like scrunched-up tinfoil. Along with Carzana, they are one of eight finalists for this year’s LVMH Prize.
9. Abra
Paris, October 1, 3:30pm
Before launching his eponymous label back in 2019, Abra Ortuño Perez was the accessories savant behind JW Anderson’s jumbo chain mules and Jacquemus’ mind-bending double-stacked heels. The designer’s output at his own label is at the meeting point of kitsch and chic. Look no further than the signature spiked bags and ballet pumps, or AW24’s makeup palette-shaped clutches and lipstick earrings. Abra’s offering has since expanded into ready-to-wear, where hoodies and band tees become gowns, sportswear is covered in cutesy bows and oversized tailoring reigns supreme.
Lead Image
Photography: Laura Coulson
Styling: Bojana Kozarevic
Hair Kei: Terada at Julian Watson Agency
Make-up: Crystabel Riley at Julian Watson Agency
Clothing: Chopova Lowena