These Are the Top Fall 2025 Trends from Fashion Month
This season, sartorial storytelling took on a whole new meaning.
What’s the point of fashion when it feels like the world is on fire? Over the years, it’s a question we’ve grappled with again and again. Caring about clothes amid widespread uncertainty might seem trivial, but at the same time, it’s undeniable that adornment can deepen our understanding of — and response to — society. That’s why, during times of duress, the best designs tell a story. And this Fall 2025 season, nuanced narratives blossomed at every turn.
Some brands, like Canadian-born DSquared2, refused to buckle to the overarching grimness and instead championed joy by celebrating sensuality and queer subcultures.
Elsewhere, we saw a return to nostalgia, via comforting childhood motifs like polka dots and sentimental styles such as skinny jeans. (Love them or hate them, they instantly evoke memories of the past.)
New ideas took shape, too, each reflecting the state of the world in unique ways. Some designers used cartoonish whimsy to capture the absurdity of our times. Others crafted intentionally undone ensembles, poignantly portraying an image of unravelling. The top Fall 2025 fashion trends are chic, to be sure. But beyond that, they’re a response to our current cultural climate.
These days, modern dressing is seeped with meaning. Bearing that in mind, here are the trends that will be everywhere come fall.
Unfinished stitching
Dries Van Noten / Photography courtesy of Launchmetrics/Spotlight
This season, designers took disorder to the drawing board. Dries Van Noten presented strong outerwear with woven-on shoelaces that dangled freely. Ann Demeulemeester’s edgy tribute to explorers relished in frayed finishings with untrimmed strings that dragged along the catwalk, while Khaite’s sumptuous knitwear was punctuated by thick loose threads. Why? In a world filled with automation and artificial intelligence, human imperfections push back on the monotony of computerized life. From Prada’s messy-haired models with tattered mini dresses to Moschino’s sewing kit affixed onto partially-complete outerwear, there’s an off-beat rebellion to looks that appear incomplete. Plus, they offer a sense of open-ended possibilities, a reminder that the best things are malleable. How magical it is to have messiness.
Exaggerated proportions
Comme Des Garcons / Photography courtesy of Launchmetrics/Spotlight
One way to reflect the oddness of our times? Sensationalized silhouettes. Across Fall 2025 runways, garments appeared to be inflated. (Just like the economy.) There were wearable designs — like Dior’s baby-doll dresses and Chanel’s supersized pearl slings — as well as cartoonish creations, including Marc Jacob’s surrealist shapes and Thom Browne’s bloated bird-inspired shoulders. Comme des Garçons took things a step further with simple slips layered on top of one another, creating a Russian doll tableau reminiscent of childhood games. Much has been made of fashion’s need to puff up in times of turmoil. For one, padding has protective associations. But beyond that, the decision to do away with demure proportions and favour exaggerated aesthetics brings a sense of humour and boundary-breaking imagination to the world in a time when levity is hard to find.
Stylized sportswear
Balenciaga / Photography courtesy of Launchmetrics/Spotlight
From Challengers outfits and F1-inspired clothing lines to FASHION’s soccer-playing October 2024 cover star, sports and style are increasingly overlapping. Naturally, the Fall 2025 runways kept score — proving there are plenty of ways to aestheticize athleticism. Hermès went back to its old-money roots with heavy-hitting equestrian imagery. Tory Burch reimagined retro sports coats in striking colourways, while Louis Vuitton made sleek hoodies from luxe leather. Meanwhile, Balenciaga covered multiple bases with swim-reminiscent one-pieces, vintage windbreakers and competition medals as statement necklaces. One thing is clear: field-play and fashion go hand-in-hand — and it looks good, whether you possess hand-eye coordination or not.
Slimming down
Ferragamo / Photography courtesy of Launchmetrics/Spotlight
For anyone who lived through the skinny jeans reign of the 2010s, the resurgence of this trend could understandably cause distress. But it’s undeniable: skin-hugging bottoms are coming back. From supple leggings at Ferragamo and Acne Studios to tight-fitting trousers at Gucci and Bally, designers are swapping baggy, billowing silhouettes for svelte tailoring. Rest assured, these are not the galaxy-print leggings of yore. Today, skinny pants are being modernized in a myriad of ways — through monochrome styling, cut-out embellishments and corporate-core curations. Still, its inevitable return is sure to drum up suppressed style snafu memories from the previous decade.
Ripe for the picking
Burberry / Photography courtesy of Launchmetrics/Spotlight
While Fashion Month showcased a series of colours and patterns, this season, plum emerged as the de facto favourite. The deep jewel tone has a distinctly opulent appeal, reminiscent of royalty and medieval magnitude. It’s been everywhere across the street style and runways of fashion capitals, from patent leather party pants at Chloé to power shoulders at Saint Laurent. Whether styled as an outerwear finishing touch or a statement bag, this lush hue adds a dose of juicy deliciousness to each ensemble. Not to mention, it’s an accessible way to add a dose of extravagance to any ensemble. Hungry?
Unexpected furs
Simone Rocha / Photography courtesy of Launchmetrics/Spotlight
Fashion loves nothing more than a controversial comeback, and these days, the most obvious example is fur. The brow-furring fabric has been making its return for a few seasons now, and the Fall 2025 shows solidified its new presence. In a move that felt decidedly vintage, many brands showcased their love for fuzzy textiles — and not just in jacket form. Simone Rocha offered a synthetic fuzzy bra. Junya Watanabe fashioned pants out of soft fur-like fabric. Sacai had knit-made furs peeking under cropped sweaters, collars and cuffs. Many brands, like Balenciaga, went synthetic, while some, like Ferragamo, used real shearling. Clearly, animal-inspired imagery is once again infiltrating the mainstream. The question of ethics hangs in the balance, making this trend poetically fitting for our turbulent times.
Natalie Michie is the Fashion & Features Editor at FASHION Magazine. With a pop culture obsession, she is passionate about exploring the relationship between fashion, internet trends and social issues. She has written for Elle Canada, CBC, Chatelaine and Toronto Life. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and over-analyzing movies on TikTok.
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