21 designer debuts, space travel, Alexander Skarsgård's kinky era and a jewellery heist: The 23 moments that defined fashion in 2025

What will Jonathan Anderson do with the Dior Bar jacket? How does one follow Hedi Slimane and Phoebe Philo? Will Demna bring his meme-making self to Gucci? The biggest fashion story of the year was the massive designer reshuffle that saw over 20 top brands change creative hands. Even the red carpets were dominated by the anticipation, with brands leaning into the power of celebrity to “soft launch” their new eras: Vogue’s December 2025 cover star Timothée Chalamet, for one, debuted Haider Ackermann’s Tom Ford at the Golden Globes and Sarah Burton’s Givenchy at the Oscars.

On the streets, Labubus took over, dangling from bags and totes everywhere. As for footwear, flip-flops became a must-have for the fashion afflicted—particularly following Jonathan Bailey wore the much-discussed flip-flops from The Row at a photo call this summer. Conner Ives’s “Protect the Dolls” tee evolved from a potent runway statement to an agenda-setting It-item that raised over $600,000 for Trans Lifeline. Kendrick Lamar’s Celine jeans and Lady Gaga’s spectacular Mayhem wardrobe ruled the stage, and Margot Robbie’s onscreen Wuthering Heights wedding dress sparked online debate.

Related: Alexander Skarsgård: Master of the quietly nasty graphic T-shirt

Fashion actually went to space in 2025, with Katy Perry, Lauren Bezos, et al. orbiting the Earth in Monse. Alexander Skarsgård let his freak flag fly, Taylor Swift got engaged and sold out a Polo Ralph Lauren dress in the process, and, to bookend the year of new collections, Michelle Obama kicked off her book tour by debuting the debuts. Discover the 23 defining fashion moments of 2025 below.

Timothée Chalamet was the first person to wear both Haider Ackermann’s Tom Ford and Sarah Burton’s Givenchy, the former to the 2025 Golden Globes and the latter to this year’s Oscars. At the Academy Awards he was joined by his A Complete Unknown costar Elle Fanning, who chose a white lace frock, also by Burton. Little did we know then that Timmy would set the tone for a year of red carpet soft launches: Vicky Krieps and Julianne Moore debuted Louise Trotter’s Bottega Veneta at the Cannes Film Festival. Julia Roberts and Amanda Seyfried did the same for Versace’s Dario Vitale in their twinning blazer and jeans a couple of months later in Venice, where Mia Goth and Greta Lee were repping Jonathan Anderson’s new-look Dior. It’s a clever, thus far effective way of generating cultural buzz about these appointments, which can otherwise feel inside-baseball and too inner circle-y. The only designers to hard launch their collections on the runway were Matthieu Blazy at Chanel and Michael Rider for Celine.

Where were you when you saw your first Labubu? It was early this Spring when, suddenly, the little charms were hanging off handbags and keychains, hitting the scene at the US Open, and, naturally, going viral on TikTok. Created by artist Kasing Lung a decade ago as part of an illustrated book series, The Monsters, Labubus entered the pop culture vernacular by way of celebrities including Lisa of Blackpink and Naomi Osaka, who started sporting the charms created by Lung in collaboration with the Chinese toy company Pop Mart. You know what comes next, don’t you? Labubus on the big screen. Sony Pictures has acquired the film rights to the little creatures.

The front row at Veronica Leoni’s Calvin Klein debut was stacked. Alexander Skarsgard, Greta Lee, Bad Bunny, and FKA twigs all made appearances. Still, no one got more attention than the house founder himself. Calvin Klein sold his company back in 2002 and the label has cycled through other creative leads including Francisco Costa and Raf Simons, but one thing hasn’t changed. The man knows how to make an entrance: Klein was flanked by two of his early muses, Kate Moss and Christy Turlington.

In February, the New York-raised, London-based designer Conner Ives stepped out after his fall 2025 show wearing a slogan tee that read Protect the Dolls. He didn’t plan on selling it or doing anything other than what he did, wear it himself. The idea was to make a statement repudiating the attacks on trans rights by the current US administration. But when the t-shirt quickly went viral, Ives made it available for preorder with all proceeds going to Trans Lifeline. Then it became a movement: Everyone from Pedro Pascal and Troye Sivan to Tilda Swinton, Haider Ackermann, and Addison Rae sporting the t-shirt, and Ives has donated over $600,000 to the organisation for its hotline and peer support efforts.

Are they bootcut, or are they flares? Are they men’s or women’s jeans? As expected, Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime performance was an affair to remember, but most memorable, and most viral, were his bell bottoms. Paired with a Martine Rose varsity jacket and styled by Taylor McNeil, Lamar’s $1,200 Celine jeans sparked a lively debate online about the acceptable hem width of men’s jeans. Always one to give us something to clap or spat about, that Kendrick Lamar.

Speaking of clothing items setting the internet ablaze, online film and fashion buffs certainly had lots to say when the first images of Margot Robbie in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation hit our newsfeeds. Is it the right time period? Is the cleavage too revealing? Should the character even be in a wedding gown, given that the story takes place before they even came into fashion? The film will debut on Valentine’s Day next year—expect more discourse then.

Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Gayle King, Katy Perry, civil rights activist and scientist Amanda Nguyen, movie producer Kerianna Flynn, and aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe boarding a Blue Origin ship to orbit the Earth was one of the more bizarre and entertaining events of 2025. Of the many questions that surfaced, near the top was what they’d be wearing. The answer: some Fantastic 4-like suits designed by Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim of Monse, who often outfitted Sánchez Bezos in Oscar de la Renta before they announced their exit from the label in September. The Blue Origin six did not return to Earth with superpowers like the blue catsuit-wearing superheroes of franchise fame (at least not that we know of), but they certainly made headlines.

Lady Gaga’s year was bookended by the release of her comeback hit “Abracadabra” and a whopping seven Grammy nominations for Mayhem, its corresponding album. Not too shabby! For fans, critics, and the general audience, Mayhem was a return to form for the multi-hyphenate. That much was confirmed when Gaga realised her vision for the album at Coachella, with looks by Dilara Findikoglu, Marni, Matières Fécales, and more—a real fashion magic trick.

Every Met Gala has a breakout viral moment: Think of Zendaya wearing two gowns by John Galliano in 2024, or Katy Perry’s Moschino chandelier ensemble in 2019. This year, Teyana Taylor in a look by costume designer Ruth E. Carter and André 3000 wearing a replica of a baby grand piano strapped to his back though were contenders for the crown, yet the story wasn’t so much the red carpet but the exhibition the Gala celebrated itself. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” showcased Black dandyism and the enduring influence of Blackness in fashion.

It’s no secret that on-court style has evolved significantly over the past decade, a movement led primarily by Serena Williams and Venus Williams. True to form, this wear Venus raised the bar at the US Open, tapping an unusual roster of labels to dress her for the court. Khaite, Luar, Pucci, ERL—these are folks known more for their runway moves than for performance gear. The custom shearling racket cover by ERL was particularly memorable. Game, match, set!

Nobody had actor Jonathan Bailey’s bare toes (or the online hulabaloo they would create) on their bingo card for 2025. Alas, life works in mysterious ways. At a Jurassic World: Rebirth photocall, Bailey sported a look by The Row. It was a rather simple ensemble: Grey jeans and a matching sweater paired with flip-flops. It was his footwear that got people going. Should men wear flip-flops anywhere other than to the beach? Should we see male toes? Should flip-flops cost hundreds of dollars? Bailey was onto something: There were flip-flops galore on the men’s spring 2026 runways.

From thigh-high Saint Laurent boots to a Ludovic de Saint Sernin halterneck button-down, Alexander Skarsgård has leaned into method dressing hard this year. With an assist from stylist Harry Lambert, the actor is promoting Pillon, a new film in which he plays Ray, a bike gang leader who initiates a dom/sub relationship with a timid man named Colin. (In case it wasn’t clear, Skarsgård plays the dominant partner here.) The movie has been billed as an “unconventional gay romance.” One of those three words is doing some heavy lifting—I will let you guess which one.

One morning in early July, Vogue HQ was particularly activated by a singular event: the auctioning of the original Birkin bag. Jane Birkin’s Birkin, which was created for her in 1984 after she met Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas on an airplane, was being offered by Sotheby’s. Bidding opened at $1.7 million, with the gavel coming down on a hammer price of $8.2 million. After the fees and buyer’s premium, the final price is a mind-boggling $10.1 million. The bag was sold to a private collector from Japan. Kanpai!

For her Hackney Town Hall wedding to the 1975 drummer George Daniel, Charli XCX walked down the aisle in a Vivienne Westwood mini dress, a simple veil, and white Jimmy Choo Amita heels. It was a private ceremony attended by just 20-or-so people, but the paparazzi were there. When photos of her wearing her go-to sunglasses and smoking a cigarette with her new husband afterwards, they spread across the internet like wild fire. Turns out she was right all along: Everything is romantic.

Do you remember where you were when the news of Taylor Swift’s engagement broke online? I certainly do. We were at the Vogue HQ making a video when recording effectively stopped after one of the producers failed to contain her enthusiasm. Which is fair, you know! Ever the romantic, Swift had realised her own “Love Story”—it’s the stuff of pop culture myth. In her engagement photos with Travis Kelce, she wore a sweet Polo Ralph Lauren frock, which, unsurprisingly, sold out almost immediately. Everybody wins!

Giorgio Armani was preparing for his 50th anniversary show when he died in early September. How to sum up a career that spanned half a century? “He wasn’t a star, he was a constellation,” offered Lauren Hutton. Richard Gere, whom the designer outfitted many times over, including for the screen in American Gigolo, said: “Giorgio was an original. An artist. A visionary of sorts. With the eyes and hands of a craftsman, and the soul of a painter.” Cate Blanchett weighed in too: “The Mr. Armani I had the pleasure to know was deep of heart, loyal, wise, and courageous. I count it as one of the greatest privileges of my life to have been in his orbit. How will we all keep turning without him?”

One of the most talked-about topics in the industry of late has been fashion’s impending vibe shift. It finally arrived in September as we witnessed 16 designers reboot 15 labels. I could list them all, but that would seriously increase my word count (and you can use the graphic above for reference!). Did fashion change for good? Not quite, at least not yet. If this year’s story was the largest simultaneous designer reshuffle ever, then next year’s will likely be what fashion looks like once these collections all hit stores. Stay tuned!

Related: Class of SS26: Meet the 16 designers debuting this season

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana hosted two legendary fashion editors at their spring Dolce & Gabbana show in Milan: Runway’s very own Miranda Priestly and Nigel Kipling, who sat front row flanked by celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton and OG super model Naomi Campbell—how fun! Simone Ashley, who is rumored to play Miranda’s new assistant, dutifully climbed up to the second row to sit behind the dynamic duo. The Devil Wears Prada 2 will hit theaters next year on the Friday before the first Monday in May. Gird your loins!

Speaking of unexpected front-row appearances, once guests had taken their seats at Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut runway show for Balenciaga, one Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, walked in to take a seat next to Tracee Ellis Ross. Videos from fellow attendees circulated online of folks quite literally gasping as she strolled in wearing a monochromatic cream ensemble, her cushion cut diamond engagement ring leading the way—pretty fab!

Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel debut was the most anticipated show of the spring 2026 season. Underneath an astonishing recreation of the solar system at the Grand Palais, the French-Belgian 41-year-old became only the third designer, after Coco herself, to lead the label. But in the 48 hours following the show, it became clear that the defining element was not the set, marvellous as it was, nor the fantastic clothes Blazy proposed for spring. It was the model Awar Odhiang. As all other catwalkers paraded in a line at the finale, Odhiang broke the formation. She smiled and twirled and clapped. She lifted the hem of her embroidered skirt and shimmied as Blazy emerged from backstage—then they locked eyes, ran to each other, and hugged. “I felt power on the runway, I felt free,” she told me later over the phone. “I was floating on top of the moon.”

The Louvre Museum in Paris is among the most famous cultural institutions in the world. And yet in October, it encountered newfound notoriety: A seven-minute heist of the Galerie d’Apollon, which houses many of France’s imperial jewels, made headlines all around the world. Nine priceless pieces were taken, and Empress Eugenie’s crown, though it wasn’t stolen, was badly damaged. But leave it to the internet to make light of the situation. The following weekend, TikToks of folks dressed in black turtlenecks and faux royal jewels circulated online—the audacious raid had provided fodder for everyone’s go-to Halloween costume. There’s also the matter of a dapper private investigator spotted at the scene of the crime, images of which also made the rounds online. Here’s the real kicker: He turned out to be just a curious teenager in a fedora.

Grace Wales Bonner was named Hermès’s new creative director of menswear in late October. The British designer will present her debut collection for the French house in January 2027, succeeding the beloved Véronique Nichanian, who is stepping down after 37 years. Of all appointments we’ve seen over the course of the past two years, this one seemed to charm the entire industry. It could be because she’s the rare woman of colour to score a gig of this scope. Or maybe there are a lot of fans of her Adidas Sambas out there. Whatever. Don’t you love it when we all agree?

Michelle Obama has published a new book. The Look is an exploration of her First Lady style co-authored by her sartorial right-hand Meredith Koop. This means that she’s back on the book tour circuit with a host of new looks engineered to underscore her lasting influence as an enduring contemporary fashion figure. both of which she’s doing handily. Exhibit 1: a standout colour-blocked dress from Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez’s freshman outing for Loewe, and exhibit 2: the opening look from Matthieu Blazy’s first collection for Chanel. Debuting the debuts, what a flex!