The 2025 Luxury Report: Brands, Products, and Trends Shaping Designer Fashion

      This year marked a significant rise in the debut of creative directors, with over 20 designers taking charge at major fashion houses across the industry. Notable new appointments were made at prestigious heritage brands, such as Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Jonathan Anderson at Dior, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, and Demna at Gucci, which were among the most eagerly awaited runway presentations of the year. These leadership changes are clearly altering the fashion landscape this year and will have a lasting impact on the future direction of fashion for decades to come. We also observed shifts in the luxury market, with consumers showing a greater interest in collecting fine jewelry, unique archival pieces, and nostalgia-driven fashion, while increasingly valuing craftsmanship and heritage. To analyze the luxury fashion scene in 2025 in greater detail, we consulted industry experts and gathered data for a more comprehensive retrospective. In Who What Wear's annual Luxury Report, we explore what resonated most in designer fashion in 2025, highlighting influential brands, elusive It items that captured the style set's attention, and the emerging trends and themes that shaped the luxury sector this year. Read on for insights into luxury fashion from 2025 and a glimpse of where it might go in 2026.

      The leading fashion brands of the year could be categorized either as luxury houses revitalized by new creative directors or heritage houses that embraced their brand's enduring style. Notably, the leadership transitions at several major fashion houses brought fresh collections to the runways. The most successful presentations from brands like Chanel, Dior, Bottega Veneta, and Celine breathed new life into their archives, driving the brands to the forefront of fashion discourse. While this wave of change introduced innovative ideas and excitement, designers who focused on timelessness and heritage also thrived. “There is significant demand for anything by Ralph Lauren, which has continued to gain popularity among luxury consumers,” states Julia Rabinowitsch, founder of The Millennial Decorator. “The brand is also revisiting its archives, releasing drops of items from previous runway shows, which has been fascinating to observe. As global luxury trends shift towards timelessness rather than fleeting trends, RL’s aspirational aesthetic resonates with a deeply inspired audience.” Shoppers are favoring long-term investments over impulsive trend purchases, leading brands like Ralph Lauren, Hermès, Cartier, and The Row that embody timeless elegance to maintain and strengthen their appeal.

      From a sales perspective, what items stood out in 2025? Experts provide insights: “Chanel’s 25 bags were a major hit, dominating our DMs, and continue to do so as I write,” says luxury product sourcer Gab Waller. “Clients wanted every size, color, and fabric.” The much-talked-about Chanel 25 bag debuted in the spring and emerged as the must-have bag for 2025. Since being showcased in the fashion house’s spring/summer 2025 runway, it has appeared in new variations in every collection, signaling that it will maintain its popularity well beyond 2025. Younger consumers are entering the luxury market, and certain key brands and specific items are particularly appealing to them. “Heritage brands like Ralph Lauren and Cartier are attracting younger shoppers, many of whom view both brands as their entry point into luxury,” says Rabinowitsch. At Ralph Lauren, the demand for the brand's iconic preppy polo shirts and cable knits surged, along with its newly launched Play bag. Cartier's timepieces also gained popularity, ranging from classic styles like the Tank and Panthère to the newly reinvented Baignoire. Beyond individual It items, luxury shoppers have approached their wardrobes with a newfound purpose this year. “We’ve observed a clear trend toward longevity and versatility: clients are now less interested in pieces that feel trivial or suitable for a single occasion,” says Moda Operandi President April Hennig. This sentiment was echoed by Sourcewhere founder Erica Wright, who noted an increased preference for classic and understated pieces that anchor a wardrobe instead of overwhelming it.

      The runways showcased a palpable sense of innovation stemming from the fresh creative leadership. At Chanel, Blazy embraced this challenge directly. “We can go two ways,” Blazy told Tim Blanks in an interview for Business of Fashion. “Either we present a clean, modern, by-the-book Chanel show as a first step, or we treat this show as if it’s our last. I chose the latter.” The collection he premiered was bold and innovative, culminating in a finale look that exuded joy and the renewed energy audiences had been eager to witness. While incorporating the brand’s heritage and Coco Chanel’s iconic codes, it distinctly reflected Blazy's vision. “Familiar, but not repetitive,” Waller remarked of the designs. “Matthieu Blazy’s debut at Chanel was undoubtedly the most eagerly anticipated, and positive responses from my clients have been overwhelming. It's always a good sign when pre-order requests pour in right after