Womenswear Collections
S/S 2025 Ready-To-Wear
Here’s what we noticed on catwalks
These days fashion trends start out on social media, especially TikTok, so, if something is catching on there, chances are it will turn up on the runway or in press notes. This is what happened with the term ‘demure’, synonymous with sobriety, reserve, casual elegance. It’s nothing new: until recently it was called ‘quiet luxury’ and before that ‘less is more’ or simply ‘minimalism’, but this is the term people are using now, juxtaposing it with ‘brat’, i.e. daring, loud, extravagant. Because there is also a desire for excess and ‘frills’, especially in the Paris shows, which balanced Milan runways, where the mood was more muted with few frills, although there were as always a few exceptions. So demure features lines caressing the body without constraining it, relaxed basic garments, soft masculine pieces, knee-length or longer skirts and dresses, a neutral or pastel palette, with a few dashes of bright colour. It admits the odd detail, but the important thing is to never overdo it.
There is no room for exaggeration in Lightness either. This trend celebrates fabrics as impalpable as clouds, transparencies and veiling, lots of slip dresses and visible underwear such as bandeaus and panties, but it manages to be discreet and never vulgar. Even usually more structured garments, or those perceived as such, like outerwear or suits, create a breezy silhouette without adding weight. New opulence is also a little ‘brat’ but is less loud. What sets it apart is a propensity for oversize volumes, even extravagant ones, aerodynamic shapes, unusual proportions and/or a wide range of decorations with, in some cases, a vintage or retro appeal, mainly associated with the brand’s foundation or archive. The study of volumes is a recurring theme, even taking in three-dimensional textile architecture. In general, then, minimalism set against maximalism, a desire for sobriety on the one hand and for excess, if contained, on the other, ‘demure’ versus ‘brat’. After all, this is what fashion is all about: everything and the opposite of everything, both sides of the coin, in a perpetual succession of styles that are never new but instead rework something already seen, already experienced.
So demure
Deluxe yet reserved, refined yet casual, comprising few classic pieces yet always giving an impression of completeness. ‘Demure’ style glides nonchalantly from winter to summer, leaving a mark with its reserved ethos of basic pieces, clean lines and soft colours.
Like on the Ralph Lauren Collection runway, where classic ‘Made in USA’ was showcased with just the right dose of sparkle and transparency. Men’s shirts were worn with loose trousers, comfortable jackets or macs were paired with long skirts and dresses. In short, this was basic dressing in mostly neutral colours, with the odd splash of blue in various shades.
Del Core’s teachers/scientists wore aseptic tones with a preference for white and pastels such as mint green, looking elegant yet minimal in their lab-coat dresses and trenches. Loose shirts also resembled uniforms, topped with a sort of transparent apron or overcoat with big pockets.
Simple yet sophisticated, the Max Mara collection has a muse from ancient times: Hypatia and, like her, is extremely contemporary. Hers is an ideal wardrobe in which the brand’s iconic outerwear, blazers, coats and trenches, are teamed with long column skirts and flipflops. Dresses are also long and emphasise the vertical lines.
Vogue.it called the Meier duo’s collection for Jil Sander ‘very demure’ because it has all the characteristics of discreet dressing, represented here by soft suits with boxy jackets, broad-shouldered coats cinched with a belt, shirts and blouses with rounded collars, paired with matching skirts or tucked into high-waist trousers.
Warm, earthy colours, alongside burgundy and black, accompany the functional minimalism of Hermès, so basic garments with practical details such as little pockets, zips, belts and loops for glasses. Many of the looks play with a show/hide duality, with thin tunics and trousers revealing the bra and panties beneath, while high-waist skirts and trousers work well with crop tops and sports bra tops.
Lightness
‘Lightness’ is a term many designers have used to describe their collections. It is often synonymous with the summer season, when clothes can be cooler and lighter.
So it is easy to come across transparencies and impalpable materials, as seen on the Fendi runway, which featured Twenties-style silk and organza slip dresses in a homage to the brand’s founder, Adele Casagrande. Shirts and skirts had the same beautiful airiness, partly offset by chunkier outerwear.
The wardrobe showcased at Versace is light and casual, featuring Donatella’s favourite flower, the dog rose, as a symbol of joie de vivre and tenderness. A profusion of prints on little dresses and breezy skirts, some of which open to reveal the underwear. Sleek, liquid tops, sundresses and plenty of transparency – all worn with coloured tights and spike or platform heels.
Issey Miyake’s paper-light collection focuses on the brand’s history and craftsmanship. Dresses feature draping, pleats and folds, adding elasticity and lightness to the silhouette whilst, at the same time, slipping airily over the body, recalling the consistent yet impalpable structure of paper. The neutral colours highlight the effect.
A play of fluidity and transparency is the focus at Giambattista Valli, with chiffon and organza adding movement to long dresses, in some cases revealing the lingerie. White, pastel colours and floral details emphasise the delicate and hyper-feminine aesthetic of the mood, evoking a timeless elegance.
At once dressed and undressed, the new woman by Victoria Beckham chooses the illusion of nudity with chiffon dresses and tops that, dipped in resin, seem brushed onto the body. The rest of the looks, second-skin knits and bodysuits, liquid long dresses, seemingly sculptural mini-dresses, all shared the same impalpable materials. And perhaps the same mood too.
New opulence
If those following the minimalist trend feel the need to add a few twists, what will those who prefer maximalism go for? An intuitable explosion of colours, volumes, details and mash-ups, each with its own mood.
Like at Missoni, a brand already synonymous with colour, which focuses on volume and 3D for a collection of pure joy, featuring exuberant garments packed with curves, protuberances and pleats in an array of textures. The pieces were mainly asymmetric, multi-coloured suits, long dresses and skirts with fringes, interweaving, knots, stripes, Greek frets. 3D effects added further depth and euphoria.
Pierre Cardin’s futuristic collection is a kaleidoscopic universe of shapes and textures. Sculptural looks featured an alternation of round and pointed shapes, iridescent and matt colours, symmetry and asymmetry, with macro details turned into accessories and vice versa. Even the ‘Evolution’ unisex sunglasses are an avant-garde homage to the future.
Aerodynamic shapes and maxi floral prints on JW Anderson’s long dresses for Loewe, with 18th century-style stiff, wide skirts worn with lace-ups or sneakers. Mini-dresses and little skirts have the same rigid flaring, while colours are overall rather muted barring a few bright touches.
The new Valentino by Alessandro Michele exhibits a vintage opulence made up of lace, crystals and bows. In vaguely ’70s style, the dresses, of various lengths, have flounces and ruffles, precious embroidery, transparent puff sleeves and predominantly high-necked tops. These are worn with big veiled hats, turbans and caps vith veil and lace tights, teaming “gothic romanticism and bohemian baroque”.
Fifty looks and almost every one packed with details and hyper-decorated. Ghesquière’s collection for Louis Vuitton, which he called ‘soft power’, with those wide shoulders and gigot sleeves, put the emphasis more on ‘power’ than on ‘soft’. Prints and stripes (a lot) added to the look, as well as artsy motifs and metallic effects, crystals and beads give life to a hedonistic mash-up that nods to the ‘80s as an overall result.
