Ah, September, a time for new semesters of college to begin, (hopefully) cooler temperatures, and Fashion Month, which for the uninitiated, is a four-week long tour through the major fashion capitals and their respective lineup of shows. New York is the first to go before the style set heads to London, Milan, and finally, Paris. The spring/summer 2025 collections will bring some great new outfit ideas, trends, and of course the circus surrounding the runways, with our eyes equally attuned to the shows as who’s sitting front row.
In case you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed about it all, worry not. We’ve sifted through announcements, invites, and tidbits overheard at parties to bring you the essential news you need to know going into the eye of the storm. From designers to keep an eye on (both new and returning) to a few location changes, plus an update on the ever-cyclical game of fashion designer musical chairs, see our tips below to catch up and have an arsenal of information ready for your first gossip sesh between shows.
There’s something about New York that Parisians can’t get enough of: Just ask Jeanne Damas, who almost left her beloved French city for the streets of the Lower East Side. This season, four brands are showing in the American fashion capital for the first time: Alaïa, Ronald van der Kemp, Toteme, and Off-White, all bringing a different flair and ready for the downtown set to sit front row at their shows.
Carrie Bradshaw lamented Big moving to Paris, but this is one relocation we can get behind. After holding down Copenhagen Fashion Week as one of the leading brands, Ganni will present in Paris for the first time. The brand’s bringing their sustainable Scandi-cool girl energy to the French streets with a show on Sept. 24, hoping to take their vision to the next level globally with this exciting new venture.
The whirlwind game of musical chairs for the top fashion houses is currently at a standstill, with Chanel, Tom Ford, Givenchy, and Dries Van Noten all currently without a creative director at the helm. While Chanel’s atelier handled their most recent Couture show in June, time will tell what the houses plan to present (if at all) this season. We don’t expect anyone to be named to these positions any time soon, despite rumors swirling about John Galliano returning to Givenchy, among other guesses. (I’m crossing my fingers for Hedi Slimane at Chanel.)
The sartorial armchair critics of Instagram stories and X threads were divided on Seán McGirr’s debut collection for Alexander McQueen, which he shortened to just McQueen. Some thought it was too “McQueen Lite,” while others thought it showed edgy promise. With the exhausting burden of being the new kid on the block out of the way, all eyes will be on McGirr as he builds on his initial offering.
Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson started her namesake brand in 2021, but her Fall/Winter 2024 collection sent her name into the Hollywood stratosphere. In the last few weeks alone, the list of celebrities wearing Hodakova grew to include Cate Blanchett, Rosalía, Blackpink’s Rosé, Greta Lee, and Emma Corrin. She’ll be showing on Sept. 24 in Paris, and all eyes (including mine) will be on that front row after the summer she’s had.
While we’ve already gotten a taste of visionary designer Alessandro Michele’s Valentino with the release of his 191-look Resort 2025 collection lookbook, we haven’t gotten the full runway experience. His tenure at Gucci saw him turn the catwalk into a psych ward, a dressing room, and a Frankenstein-style lab, so needless to say, his debut Valentino runway on Sept. 29 will turn heads and make headlines. We can only hope and pray his forever muse Harry Styles will be there.
With every season of shows comes the same age-old question, “Who’s the hottest new name to know?” There are plenty of debuts this season, including Campillo, Cotte D’Armes, and Michael Fausto in New York, and Abra and Julie Kegels in Paris. There’s also a few names that are not brand-new but still worth paying attention to. New York-based designer Grace Ling has made a name for herself with her futuristic, sculptural work with metal that counts Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez as fans; Puppets and Puppets, who formerly showed in New York, is now solely an accessories brand that will debut new bags in London; Zomer, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, and Niccolò Pasqualetti are all new-ish Paris-based brands deserving of your attention for their avant-garde takes on wardrobing.
