2025 was nothing short of a roller-coaster year for fashion. Designers moved houses at an unprecedented pace: the spring/summer 2026 season alone witnessed 15 major debuts—from Jonathan Anderson’s historic takeover at Dior to Matthieu Blazy’s mid-century modern reboot at Chanel. Elsewhere, Duran Lantink shook up Jean Paul Gaultier, while Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez brought American sportswear flair and modern eclecticism to Loewe. On the runways, the clothes mirrored this industry-wide churn, with bolder statement pieces and a welcome surge of funky accessories—all feeding into a year defined by kooky, personal style.Whether you spent 2025 hunting down an elusive Labubu or chasing the perfect sneakerina, here’s our look back at the year’s biggest trends.
2024 was the year of bag charms—thanks to Miu Miu—then 2025 was when they went fuzzy. Pop Mart’s creatures had been around for a while, but they truly hit their stride this year, propelled by co-signs from Blackpink’s Lisa, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, and more. The timing was impeccable: runways quickly fell in line with the furry critters, sending fashion into what ELLE’s Véronique Hyland dubbed its “cute overload” era. From Simone Rocha’s faux-fur stuffed animals evoking childhood memories to Fendi’s collectible luxury dolls, nostalgia sat front and center in many designers’ minds—and it proved to be a lingering force throughout 2025.
Staying with the accessories‑forward spirit that defined 2025, silk scarves saw their own revival. But rather than channelling the classic Monica Vitti aesthetic, the simple accessory found a new home wrapped around the waist—an even simpler twist that quickly caught on, spotlighted by Alexa Chung and Lola Tung on summer outings. Julian Klausner echoed the sentiment: at his Dries van Noten show during Paris Men’s Fashion Week, sarongs emerged as a standout hit. Matthieu Blazy also dipped into the trend with his first Métiers d’art collection for Chanel in New York, wrapping a red scarf around a black sweater—a direct nod to a look once worn by Gabrielle Chanel herself.
