The calm before the storm
A deep dive into the changes that are making 2025 the year of safe decisions.
January 2025 is finally coming to an end, Milan and Paris Men’s Fashion Week have opened the season with some very interesting Fashion Shows but before tackling on the present, let’s dive first into the changes that the New Years brought us.
So, hoping your new years resolutions are going better than mine, here are the current news to be completely on top of everything that’s been happening in the industry:
TECH
The Tik Tok ban didn’t even last 24 hours in the end. It seems we will not loose any american content creator.
This short but tense ban made it clear that content creators should leverage a strong community around multiple apps as these platforms are extremely volatile in today’s geopolitical setting.
AI ADV are here and you may not have even realized it was AI. Mango released this Spring Summer campaign for 2025, made entirely with the artifical intelligence.
Mango Campaign 2025, made entirely by AI (Business of Fashion, 2025) December 2024 made the New Year’s Eve Fireworks more exciting than ever, sending out the news of a few changes in the creative director’s scenery:
Chanel: Matthieu Blazy, after directing Bottega Veneta, is headed to the high luxury French Maison Chanel and Taylor Swift is already been photographed with a full look Chanel. Is that a coincidence? no, it’s not. We’ll have to wait the expiration of the non-compete clause before seeing his work (1 year) but the expectations in the industry seem to be pretty high.
Blazy is renowned for his modern silhouettes and his ability to masterfully use trompe l'oeil fabrics (see picture below), elements that could infuse Chanel with a fresh vitality. This transition promises a rejuvenation of the brand, building on the legacy of Virginie Viard with an innovative twist that could redefine Chanel’s aesthetic.
Bottega Veneta (Matthieu Blazy’s debut Collection) - the denims are actually made of leather. Louise Trotter is said to replace Matthieu Blazy at Bottega Veneta. Her previous work include Creative director at Lacoste and Joseph.
Harper’s Bazaar: Taylor Swift / Jan 2025 / wearing a full look Chanel DIOR: Maria Grazia Chiuri is officially leaving the brand and not in good terms. It is said that both the creative director and her daughter are being left off by the LVMH group.
JW Anderson is leaving Loewe (LVMH) and joining the house of DIOR (LVMH) as Womenswear, Menswear and Couture Designer. Dior was divided in two with Maria Grazia Chiuri handling the Womenswear + Couture division while Kim Jones the Menswear division.
The duo designer Jack McCallough and Lazaro Hernandez, founders of Proenza Schouler (US Brand based in New York, 2002) are stepping down from their own brand. The brand will continue to run, they will be head of the board, and is currently in search for a new head designer. The gossip are saying they might head towards Loewe (LVMH). Which means another pair of successful designers leaving their own brand for LVMH. I wonder if that’s the final goal of every designer reaching these heights of success.
Micheal Rider just started his appointment at Celine (LVMH). The brand is silently trending, with its brand communication laying low but this doesn’t mean it’s going bad. The codes are still very connected to the original imagery of the brand and Mr Rider was working under the direction of Pheobe Philo as the head designer back in the days, so he’s not new to the game.
ACQUISITIONS
Prada might be interested in buying Versace by Capri Holdings, owned by Micheal Kors. The question is: Is it a good move for Miuccia Prada? The acquisition was about to happen already in 2018, then it fell off.
RETAIL
From the Business of Fashion State of Fashion 2025 it is stated that there is a return to shopping in store at pre-pandemic levels across much of the world. This is the time for brands to put all their energies into leveraging the best in-store experience to its clients to gain a long lasting return.
“Consumers are returning to in-store shopping at pre-pandemic levels across much of the world, but retailers need to remind shoppers what they love about the in-store experience. That starts with well-trained staff who are empowered to assist and inspire customers.” (BoF, 2025)
MARKETING
Collaborations between Brand x Brand, Brand x Artist, Brand x Hospitality brands but even Brand x TV Show (Camilla x The White Lotus) will be a big part of the 2025 spectrum as brands will try to tackle and expand new target consumers around the globe.
Highlighting product quality, value and differentiation is what will help brands convert the most during this period of time defined by unstable customers confidence.
The official ‘trend’ wave for 2025 is defined as ‘Basic’ which tells us a lot about the current economic and sociological situation that we are living in. —> DAZED on an interview to some fashion student at Central Saint Martin.
As the economic downturn approaches, we are witnessing what I call 'The calm before the storm' in fashion trends. In anticipation of a recession, people are increasingly opting for comfort, embracing basic, versatile garments over more complex formulas. However, this conformity will as well spark a strong need to find more individual and unique personal aesthetics, as consumers rebel against mainstream consumerism in search of authenticity and singular expression in their fashion choices.
MOVIES AND EXPOS TO WATCH IN PARIS 2025
I went to see Emilia Pérez at the cinema last week and I truly loved it. It was super unexpected and different from anything else I’ve ever seen. Zoe Saldaña was wonderful and captivating in her role.
The exhibition of Dolce and Gabbana, ‘Du Coeur a la main’ arrived in Paris at the Grand Palais. I saw it last year in Milan and I enjoyed walking through each room, portraying a piece of the whole puzzle of codes that creates the world of Dolce and Gabbana. Truly recommend it!
On the 24th of January Louvre opened its new Couture exhibition that wants to compete with the Met Fashion annual Exhibition in New York. I went to see it and I was amazed by the quantity of Couture dresses ranging from John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Schiaparelli while marvelling around Napoleon III’s apartments.
See you next month :)
Well written.