The end of 2024 came with a flurry of announcements: John Galliano was set to leave Maison Margiela after a decade, Matthieu Blazy would be the new creative director of Chanel, while Louise Trotter – formerly of Carven – was to replace Blazy at Bottega Veneta. Before that, there was news that Sarah Burton was appointed as creative director of Givenchy, Haider Ackermann would head up Tom Ford, and Kim Jones would exit Fendi as artistic director of the house’s womenswear and couture collections (his replacement is yet to be announced). Lanvin, Dries Van Noten and Celine have also newly instated design leads (Peter Copping, Julian Klausner and Michael Rider respectively), while rumours continue to swirl about further movements in fashion’s long-running game of musical chairs.
Which is to say that 2025 sees fashion in a state of flux: with all of these appointments and exits being announced in the latter half of 2024, the results of this new draft of designers – or indeed, the departures of others – yet to be revealed on the runway. And, while this leaves a note of uncertainty, it also sets the stage for an exciting season ahead, as fashion reshapes itself in what might be dramatic new ways – as ever, it is intriguing to see which of these appointments really catches fire with both critic and consumer. Watch this space.
Men’s Fashion Week A/W 2025, which begins on 14 January 2025 in Florence for Pitti Uomo, and continues in Milan and Paris, will begin a new year in fashion and with it, clues to the shifts ahead. Here, everything we know so far about the upcoming fashion month.
Pitti Uomo (14–16 January 2025)
Starting a week later this season – giving some grace to designers after what used to be a rapid turnaround post-Christmas holidays – historic Florentine menswear fair Pitti Uomo marks its 107th edition this year, taking over the 14th century Fortezza da Basso with an exhibition of over 700 brands. Themed this year around the word ‘Fire’ (a recognition, say the organisers, of ‘the generative power of this primal element’), the forward-facing fair promises its unique fusion of heritage and newness, separated over five main zones within the exhibition space (‘Fantastic Classic’, ‘Futuro Maschile’, ‘Dynamic Attitude’, ‘Superstyling’, and ‘I Go Out’). ‘Fashion is going through a complex phase of transition and here at Pitti Immagine, we can’t just stand by and watch,’ says Raffaello Napoleone, the CEO of Pitti Immagine. ‘For instance, we’ve pushed more than ever before on mixing product categories, boldly blending fashion and lifestyle’. (One such change, he notes, is a focus on running attire, which organisers see as a burgeoning menswear category.)
Though as ever, it is the event’s annual tradition of inviting guest designers to show at the week which will provide Pitti Uomo 107’s most notable moments (previous guest designers have included Raf Simons, Craig Green, Grace Wales Bonner, Martine Rose and JW Anderson, among others). For this latest edition it is the turn of Setchu, an Italy-based label run by Japanese designer Satoshi Kuwata. Winning the LVMH Prize in 2023, Kuwata has swiftly built a following for his riffs on archetypal menswear garments which combine a mood of elegant restraint with an avant-garde approach to pattern cutting and form (we look forward to see his work in a formal show setting). Joining Kuwata is MM6, the 1997-founded diffusion line of Maison Margiela, currently helmed by a collective of designers and usually shown in Milan. Setchu and MM6 will show on the evenings of the 15 and 16 January respectively.
Setchu x Davies and Son, which was show at last year’s Venice Biennale. This year, Setchu will show as guest designer at Pitti Uomo in Florence
(Image credit: Courtesy of Setchu)
Milan Fashion Week Men’s (17-23 January 2025)
This season, Milan Fashion Week Men’s is perhaps notable for its absences: particularly JW Anderson, which began showing in the city in 2022, and Gucci, which has shifted back to a co-ed presentation with Sabato De Sarno likely showing his latest men’s and women’s collections together next month as part of the womenswear schedule. Fendi is also currently absent from the week (the house will reportedly celebrate its centenary year with a larger show in February), while Martine Rose – who showed last season in Milan for the first time – has chosen not to return.
Admittedly, this makes for a somewhat more scant fashion week than previous iterations, though the Italian fashion capital will continue to play host to some of the month’s most anticipated shows, like Prada, whereby co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons have a knack for defining the mood of the season ahead. Other no-doubt blockbuster shows will include Dolce & Gabbana, Emporio Armani, Zegna and Giorgio Armani, among others. Dunhill will also show once again in Milan after its debut in the city last season, while British designer Saul Nash will swap London for Milan in what promises to be a new chapter for his burgeoning label.
Prada’s S/S 2025 menswear show, held this past June in Milan. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons will show their A/W 2025 menswear collection later this month
(Image credit: Courtesy of Prada)
Paris Fashion Week Men’s (21–26 January 2025)
As it has been in recent seasons, Paris will provide not only the culmination of menswear month, but also the most show-dense schedule, beginning with Pharrell Williams’ latest outing at Louis Vuitton menswear on 21 January (expect a megawatt show with a typically star-studded front row). Equally blockbuster will be Kim Jones’ latest outing for Dior Men – a notable occasion for the designer, who recently left his role as artistic director of Fendi’s womenswear and couture collections to concentrate on his menswear collections for Dior. ‘[I] and look forward to continuing to witness his creativity at Dior,’ said Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, the conglomerate of which both Fendi and Dior are a part, in a statement at the time.
Other highlights will include Rick Owens’ latest outing for his eponymous brand (it will likely be held once again at the Palais de Tokyo, after a brief move to his own Parisian home at the start of last year), Issey Miyake (the Japanese label will show its IM Men collection for the first time on 23 January), and Comme des Garçons Homme Plus. There are a handful of new arrivals, too: Willy Chavarria will shift from New York to Paris, showing on 24 January, SS Daley will debut in Paris having previously shown in London, and Jacquemus will host a dedicated menswear show. Closing out the week is Peter Copping’s debut at Lanvin, the British designer showing his first men’s and womenswear collections together on the evening of 26 January.
Willy Chavarria’s S/S 2025 runway show. The designer will swap New York for Paris this season, showing on 24 January, 2025
(Image credit: Photography by Giovanni Giannoni via Getty Images)
