25 2025 Fashion Industry + Trend Predictions
from prints to p*bes to pumps, buckle up for the best fashion 2025 has to offer
This post has been a labor of love to compile and a bit difficult to press publish. Sharing the thing you’re most passionate about is scary. If you’re new to the oldloserinbrooklyn universe trend forecasting is the thing I do best, and it’s the reason why I have a platform. I worked in corporate analysis from 2016-2022, and have been sharing my forecasting and research online since 2021. Typically I live in the traditional forecasting leadtime of 18-24 months, so putting this piece together has been fun and challenging for me to think in the short-term. I don’t like to repeat myself or my past forecasts, but several of the below points I’ve discussed within the last 4 years, they are included here because they are relevant to 2025 and what I think will actually manifest within the next 12 months.
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1. Alternative Animal Prints
Hard to believe the mob wife aesthetic, also known as wearing leopard print and fur, was the first breakout trend of 2024. If leopard print is to 2024, alternative animal print is to 2025. Generally speaking, expect to see a massive shift from solid colors to prints as the trend cycle begins to move away from sad beige quiet luxury and into rich maximalism once again.
The prints I think will be particularly successful are polka-dot adjacent like dalmatian, fawn and snake. Expect to see zebra, colored leopard and textured reptilian prints to spike as well. Snake and exotics have an interesting relationship to bohemian style which has been on a tear over the last year thanks to Chemena Kamali’s Chloe and Isabel Marant’s runway influence, in addition to emerging entry-level luxury brands like Ulla Johnson, Doen, Sea New York, Belle The Label and Diotima all riding the boho-but-not-so-obvious wave.
2. Pubes
In a recent Tiktok I discussed the intersection of hair accessories on the runway and the manrepeller influence on gen-z fashion. My prediction was merkins (pube wigs) will have a moment on the red carpet in the near future, but lets push that concept for a moment. Over the weekend I got tagged in a few videos discussing a mysterious yet powerful Etsy review detailing a full bush with a side of bikini bottom. Not to pat myself on the back too hard but I knew I was onto something. The girls are delighted.
Merkins were spotted at the Margiela artisanal show last January, perhaps the most influential and life altering show of the 2020s— it’s only a matter of time before real, in the flesh, home grown BUSH is on full display. I’m talking spilling out of g-strings, peeking out from low-rise jeans, actually visible in razor ads and in an editorial.
Think for a moment, when was the last time you saw bush on social media or in fashion or in public at all? We’re tragically conditioned to only expect smooth nothingness down there, like a plastic barbie doll. Barbie came out in 2023 it’s time to move on.
3. Jonathan Anderson Departs Loewe
This is a tough one if you’re the tiiiiiniest bit sentimental. Jonathan Anderson and Loewe are synonymous with one another. Watching them grow together and separately over the last decade has been an honor and pleasure. It’s funny, with all the creative director musical chairs going on it seems like the mark of a strong designer departing from their house is when their work begins to feel deeply recognizable, intertwining past house codes with their own personality and sensibilities. Anderson is FAR past that point; most fashionheads can recognize a Loewe look without needing an ID as Jonathan has built his signatures into movement, quirk and silhouette with much conviction.
In a way his departure is overdue in tandem with feeling selfishly too soon. Jonathan Anderson is the reason Loewe can compete with Miu Miu. Jonathan Anderson is the reason Loewe is beloved. Jonathan Anderson deserves to dig his claws into something bigger and more grand. Rumor has it we’ll be seeing him at Dior sometime in 2025. It’s bittersweet </3
4. Little Edie Becomes the New Jane Birkin
Okay, maybe not the new Jane Birkin, but how has Little Edie flown under the radar for so long? How has there not been a Grey Gardens core yet? She hits alllll the trends. Bed rotting? She invented it. Luxurious fur coat? She’s got that. Pop of red? Yes of course. Signature accessory? Every style icon has one. Nepotism? If she were alive today Miuccia would be casting her for the next Miu Miu show.
5. Paisley
Paisley is like the shy girl who takes her glasses off at the dance and is suddenly hot; she was always hot, she just needed a moment in the spotlight. Little Miss slept on boho print paisley will step into the spotlight this year.
6. Peeptoe
One of the biggest surprises off the SS25 runways was peeptoe heels. Seems too soon for a resurgence but alas it’s prophetic when fashion-Hydra Tory Burch, Prada, Miu Miu, Alaia and Khaite are on the same page. Peeptoe fits in perfectly with the grotesque direction shoes have been moving in. Between tabis, ballet sneakers, and various Frankenstein hybrids consumers crave MORE disgust MORE repulsion MORE TOE CLEAVAGE.
Something I expect to see as peeptoes grow is weirdo cutouts beginning to take shape— asymmetrical, or sculpted or hole-y. Essentially a trypophobia nightmare. Cutouts so weird and unsettling not even AI could generate. Do your worst, holes!
7. Dolce & Gabbana Continues to Flounder
Riff Raff’s 2013 hit “Dolce and Gabbana” is perhaps more relevant than the D&G brand itself. Between ripping off Jean Paul Gaultier in a tepid attempt at emulating Madonna during their SS25 show, to a Skims hail-mary collab it’s safe to say 2024 wasn’t their year. D&G continues to feel lasting ramifications following multiple scandals, in tandem with making “luxury” clothes that look highly flammable. It’s unclear how Dolce and Gabbana can rediscover their relevance moving forward. We all know cancel culture isn’t real. More likely than not individuals and brands alike bounce back with time, but more important STRATEGY.
When Balanciaga was “cancelled” in 2022, they pulled back the gimmicks and the oh-ah-ah sensations that awarded Demna his status in the first place. Slowly, Balenciaga has been dipping a toe back into the flamboyancy we’ve come to expect from the brand… and it seems to be working. It’s not like public figures have been screaming I <3 Balenciaga in droves, but the scandal has certainly dimmed. Recently Balenciaga has been met with more apathy than distain.
D&G on the other hand chose to throw everything at the wall in hopes something sticks. Nothing is sticking and this strategy comes off as desperate and directionless. With US revenue down by 13%, it’s going to take a miracle (like making good clothes?) to pull them out of this slump. Can you please spell Gabbana?
8. Harlequin/Diamond/Argyle
Clowncore is a trend I first spoke about 3 years ago and it’s really blown up, specifically in 2024. Argyle filters in and out of the trend cycle often largely due to it’s collegiate sensibilities, however the last time we saw it making waves was in 2020 during the Tiktok microtrend era. With the rise of office siren, groutfits, Miu Miu, thin wire framed glasses, and pencil skirts all things “nerdy” are cool. Argyle can flow from collegiate to circus clown pretty easily depending on cuts, colors and styling. Expect to see more mainstream argyle and diamond prints in 2025.
9. Hipster Mentality
Essentially gatekeeping, but the real kind of gatekeeping. Not announcing you’re gatekeeping, essentially dangling a carrot of curiosity enticing your audience to figure it out for themselves, only to return to the comments section to declare their findings… defeating the purpose of announcing you’re gatekeeping in the first place. In 2025 there won’t be a carrot; people will intentionally be keeping things they really care about offline, off the radar, nonexistent. “If you know you know” holds no meaning when you encourage people to find out, they either know or they don’t like???
10. High Heel Pumps
What happened to heels? A proper lady heel that could double as a vampiric stake? I’m not talking about wimpy kitten heels, I’m talking about a PUMP. A heel that takes real effort to learn how to walk in. An undeniable badge of formality and pain. Post-pandemic we’ve enjoyed the spoils of flats and their earth-gripping comfort, however the pendulum will swing once more. Moving forward the new wave of the heel category is guaranteed to have a grotesque undertone like most it-shoes these days.
11. Tory Burch Reva Flat
(see chart below) Fashion historian James Laver conceptualized Laver’s Law, a theory explaining the trend cycle timeline in his 1937 book Taste and Fashion. Each adjective has either a positive or negative connotation which dictates an item’s relevance at that point in time. In modern decades we’ve come to accept a 20 year trend cycle, however even that feels lengthy considering how much social media has accelerated trend lifecycles. What’s particularly interesting about Laver’s Law are the adjectives Laver chooses to describe each interval. Amusing? Shameless? Indecent? Harsh yet descriptive.
The oversized double T medallion logo adorned atop the Reva flat originally debuted in 2006 is likely perceived as outdated, middle America fashion perhaps considered dowdy or ridiculous. According to Laver’s timeline they’ll need another 130 years to be considered beautiful again, but by modern standards they are ripe for a comeback. Tory “the tear” Burch has been bulldozing through every New York City cool girl in it’s path outfitting them in pierced mules, floaty architectural hoop dresses, and bags designed with niche it girl icon Lee Radziwiłł in mind. Whatever Tory’s pushing is going to be cool and ahead of the curve. The Reva relaunched in September during the SS25 show and it’s a sign.
How does Laver’s Law play into the Reva? Take the Isabel Marant sneaker wedges for example. A shoe that was loathed, written off completely and called “cheugy” by fashion Tiktokers in 2021 (along with the entire ballet flat category.) After enough time passed, Isabel Marant sneaker wedges are suddenly adored again, coveted again, and the same Tiktokers who claimed they hated them with all their might are scouring Depop for a pair of their own. From smart to hideous to charming to beautiful in the blink of an eye. The Reva will dance a similar path.
12. Brands Abandoning Fashion Week Gimmicks
Everyone’s broke. Most brands participate in fashion week for the exposure and because it’s expected of them, not because it’s financially lucrative. We’ve come to know fashion houses like AVAVAV and Coperni as gimmick brands; the clothes are forgettable, but we remember the stunts— and it does work. The Coperni Paris Disneyland show will go down in history as one the highest media value earnings from an emerging brand at $14M. Sounds amazing on paper but that EMV doesn’t necessarily translate to sales.
The bottom line is you have to make good clothes. Without good clothes, you are a nothing more than a marketing company who’s product is flash pan headlines. In 2024 the runway gimmick slowed. Many brands pulled out of fashion week altogether. Countless brands folded like The Vampires Wife, Dion Lee, Saks Potts and even ecomm giant Matches Fashion…. and they all made good clothes.
Brands need to balance gaining attention, relevance and eyeballs with making good clothes that actually sell which is not an easy feat, however the days of seeing a gimmick at every show are long past. Unless you’re Coperni, most brands simply can’t afford to rely on stunts to get by.
13. Baby Blue + Dark Purple + Pea Green
Lets get one thing straight, Pantones 2025 sickly color of the year Mocha Mousse isn’t a prediction of the year to come, it’s reaffirmation that sad beige is and has been the default color of the decade. I’ve taken issue with Pantone’s color of the year for YEARS and this one is no different, it might even be my last straw. There is no risk taking or innovation. It’s just sad.
On the other hand Coloro x WGSN releases their yearly color predictions nearly 2 years early (an average forecasting timeline) and they are spot on. I trust their analysis and methodology so much because it’s PROVEN. Many of the colors they choose feel random at first, then 2 years later they creep up and you start seeing them everywhere. That’s real forecasting.
Looking ahead, Coloro x WGSN predicts Future Dusk as the 2025 color of the year. The moody deep purple-blue was originally announced in May 2023. I don’t know about you but 2025 represents a sense of dread and darkness, fear and uncertainty. Future Dusk captures these emotions perfectly.
I’ve also been noticing a ton of electric blue, plum, baby blue and pea green on the streets and runways. Of course my methodology isn’t as scientific as Coloro but I won’t be surprised when we start seeing these four fun colors hit retailers by summer.
14. Hair + Fur Accessories
This one ties in with #2. Stringy imperfect hair and fur is back on the runway in a big way. Fuzzy accessories and fur coats have always been a cornerstone of fashion and a safe fallback when it comes to making a statement, but this iteration is referential to the victorian era. Some might consider it disturbing or unnatural, but all things dark and grotesque are very much happening today. Simone Rocha’s guest spot for Jean Paul Gaultier couture brought us hair bow and hair bun earrings. Schiaparelli created ties made out of braided strands. More and more shoes pop up with distressed looking shag. I’m look forward to seeing more mourning jewelry, accessories like earrings/belts/ties made of hair and boots matted in fur. It’s creepy and spooky but oh so hypnotizing.
15. Face Shielding Anti-Surveillance Fashion
This is another trend I’ve been talking about for a few years, picking up the conversation more recently after the election this past November. It’s so important to consider culture, the economy, socioeconomic issues and the overall political temperature when discussing fashion. Fashion and trends often feel like a fun escape but they are a direct reflection of the bigger picture and to think politics don’t dictate what’s happening in the industry at large is foolish.
Some of the biggest current trends fall into this anti-surveillance category like bonnets, hoods, face masks, high collars, opulent head pieces, scarfs that hid your mouth, and huge sunglasses. The last few seasons on the runway we’ve also seen brands like Diesel and Rick Owens using contact lenses, and while it might not be the intention they do help conceal the wearers identity.
Important to note this trend won’t be marketed as anti-surveillance or called something like How to Hide From Facial Recognition Chic. It will take shape in a more secretive insidious way which I’m totally for.
16. Crafty Customization: Broaches, Buttons, Pins, Patches, Monogram, Embroidery
I’m working on a long format piece titled The Cult of Customization that covers this trend in depth that will come out soon. 2024 brought a cult-like adherence to the bag charm trend and that energy has to go somewhere in 2025. Last month I discussed bag charms with Alex Hildreth for Dazed:
Fashion commentator and creator Mandy Lee explains that as absurd as discourse might become, bag charms have provided the perfect safety net for people who are desperately trying to interpret and style trends as their own in the public sphere. In comparison to a “low stake item” like a Christmas tree or refrigerator, which collects ornaments and magnets throughout your life, Lee explains, “bag charms hold this status, right? You’re saying ‘I know how to curate or I know how to signal to everyone around me that I am with the times. I know what’s cute and trendy. I’m decorating my bag, I’m an individual.’” Yet partaking in a trend like bag charms isn’t always enough these days – you have to explain and prove your bag’s worn-in journey to your audience on an analytical level.
There is a thirst for customizing under the safety net of a vetted, accepted, coveted trend. We can argue all day about how authentic it really is to snatch up pre-curated charm jumbles, but that’s not really the point. Consumers will inevitably grow bored with bag charms and seek out different mediums that fill the customization void.
Broaches, buttons, pins, patches, stickers and monogram will be next. Monogramming, broaches and buttons specifically will grow longer legs in 2025 because of how common and “safe” they are. You can hop on over to any major retailer and find an initial necklace, or oversized button trench available at any price point right now.
17. Unconventional Hats: Pointy, Bonnets, Pillbox, Crowns
This year will bring more witch hats, bonnets, pillbox and crowns. Headwear is an untapped category brands haven’t even scratched the surface of yet. They are the perfect item to top off (heh) an outfit but are often overlooked and forgotten. If you couldn’t gather from the above points, maximalism is creeping its way back after years of quiet luxury, capsule wardrobes and elevated basics dominating. Kooky offbeat hats give off a forward looking and futuristic energy because we don’t see them all that often.
Something about a daring headwear choice feels very chic and badass. If you were delighted by how strange Prada SS25 was, weirdo hats might be for you.
18. Pavlova, Messy Desserts, Imperfect Florals
All things tablescape from wedding cakes to floral arrangements have pivoted from PERFECT to MESSY over the last few years. During peak Instagram years everything needed to be perfectly curated, not a hair out of place. These days that content style is probably considered outdated in favor of funky contrasted mess. There’s something to be said about abandoning the cookie cutter mold and replacing it with something imperfect— dare I call it developing a personal style?
19. Brands Using Older Models In Place of Plus Sized Models
This one really sucks to recap, but it’s been SO obvious I can’t ignore it. According to Vogue Business’s SS25 Size Inclusivity Report:
The body positivity movement has lost steam in mainstream culture as the pendulum has swung back to the glamorization of thinness, amid the rising use of Ozempic and the subsequent shrinking of celebrities and influencers. Of the 8,763 looks presented across 208 shows and presentations, 0.8 per cent were plus-size (US 14+), 4.3 per cent were mid-size (US 6-12) and 94.9 per cent were straight-size (US 0-4). Plus-size representation is level with last season, at 0.8 per cent.
Lucy Maguire spearheads the report each season and it’s a really amazing resource to track how brands are responding to body inclusivity. I’m not sure where they collectively got the idea that swapping curve models for older models was an equal trade. It’s not. Don’t get me wrong I love seeing older women stomp it out on the runway, and agree there should be more age representation, but it doesn’t fill the void left by stripping plus size models from fashion week.
20. Dinner Parties, Murder Mystery Parties, Masquerades
When you move to New York City, you expect to attend a masquerade party immediately. Aren’t they thrown every night of the week? Sadly no, it took me 5 years of living here to get invited to my first one. Gossip Girl lied! It’s pretty clear moving into 2025 EVERY ONE is worried about money. How could we not be with Trump’s economic “plan” looming in the distance, the threat of tariffs on his first day in office, the cost of living skyrocketing year over year, rent hikes, everything is terrifying, sad and expensive. It’s vital we remember spending time together doesn’t have to be pricy.
Now more than ever we must lean on our community. We must go outside and hold one another. We must create purpose and a reason to yearn for the future. We must care about each other. Holding your community closer than ever, closer than pre-pandemic times might not solve the world’s problems but it’s a good place to start. Enough weaponizing social media therapy speak, enough “protecting your peace” and leave the damn house already. Throw a dinner party with microwave pizza rolls and paper party hats! Have a birthday party for your cat (my friends and I do this every year for sweet Humphry and it’s delightful!)
Simple gestures to show togetherness is what mattes. Planning a murder mystery party, a diner party or a themed masquerade are fun ideas, opulent ideas even; but what really matters is making time for the people you love.
