Live Coverage of Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025: Brand Transformation Continues, Anniversary Celebrations

TransGlobal Lifestyle 2025/03/26

The new market response of iconic brands, the anniversary celebration of classic brands, and the final chapter of brands regarded as farewell shows, at the node where the business cycle changes and the brand transformation period are parallel, the 2025 Fall/Winter Milan Fashion Week seems to have become a microcosm of the changes in the fashion industry.

Against the backdrop of the increasing uncertainty of the global economic and consumer environment, major brands are seeking a stable transformation direction in the midst of great changes. A new round of market changes continues, and more and more brands' unsolved mysteries have been answered here.

From Gucci, whose creative director just resigned, to Jil Sander, which held a farewell show, the turbulent brand transformation nodes have made this season's Milan Fashion Week receive unprecedented attention.

In addition, from Fendi, which celebrated its 100th anniversary, K-Way, which ushered in its 60th anniversary, and Dsquared2, which celebrated its 30th anniversary, the Italian fashion industry, which has always emphasized the inheritance of exquisite craftsmanship and ingenuity, once again demonstrated its cultural eternity on the international stage at the beginning of 2025. At the same time, a series of fluctuations also opened a new chapter for many iconic brands.

01 Gucci ：A Series of Transitions Called "Continiuum"

                    Gucci 2025 Fall/Winter Ready-to-Wear Collection

This season, Gucci launched a runway collection called "Continuum". In view of the departure of the original creative director Sabato De Sarno, this season's works were created by the design team.

The typhoon design of the show resembles two intertwined capital letters G. This unique shape is a tribute to the founder Guccio Gucci on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the double G logo. As the name of the Gucci 2025 Fall/Winter collection reveals, this season's design aspires to show the synergy of the brand's past, present and future.

This show was presented in the form of a men's and women's show. The women's clothing series is based on the subversive lady style, showing a unique fashion tension: exquisite lace suspenders and hollowed-out bras are cleverly matched under box-cut wool coats, forming a bright and harmonious contrast, and the accessories that shine with charming light use bold and innovative color combinations to reinterpret the charm of modern women. As for the men's clothing series, the slim and smooth tailoring cleverly outlines the elegant lines, and the design of the back of the trousers is vaguely revealed, inadvertently revealing a new sexy area - the Achilles tendon, which is more charming against the soft leather mules.

But no matter what, the market challenge is still in front of us. Some analysts pointed out that in view of Gucci's recent poor financial performance, the brand urgently needs to break through the limitations of the style of its previous creative director and quickly identify a new creative leader to establish a unique new style that is in line with the brand's future development, thereby helping the brand achieve strategic transformation and improve performance.

02 Fendi 100 Anniversary：A Century of Craftsmanship

                      Fendi Fall/Winter 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection

On this centennial anniversary, Fendi has infused the brand’s core values ​​into its Fall/Winter 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection, combining sexy glamour with Roman sophistication, while adding just the right amount of irony and humor.

The show started with two children (the youngest members of the Fendi family, Dardo and Tazio) opening the door, and models slowly walked out from behind it. This was both a re-enactment of Fendi’s original salon and a reflection of Silvia Venturini Fendi’s sense of humor.

There were many classic and elegant silhouettes this season, such as the model who opened the season in a faux mink coat and dress, paired with contrasting satin peep-toe heels, which was extremely noble and elegant. Fur has long been synonymous with Fendi, and this time it was cleverly reinterpreted. Collarless coats and dresses were paired with detachable mohair and wool stoles, which were elegantly embellished like oversized lapels. The brand's extraordinary craftsmanship was fully demonstrated on the wool coats and red dot dresses, showing its excellent technical level to the fullest.

Silvia Venturini Fendi, the current head of Fendi, said after the show: "Fendi is like a beam of light leading to the future, which makes me ponder. I don't intend to spend too much energy on the trivialities of physical archives. For me, the Fendi 100th anniversary celebration is more like a feast of personal memory. Whether it is real or imaginary, it carries the appearance of Fendi in the past and the meaning of today."

03 Dsquared2 30 Anniversary：A Wild Party

                 Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection

Dsquared2 Creative Directors Dean and Dan Caten celebrated the brand’s 30th anniversary by turning the show into a party, with a live performance by the famous rapper Doechii and a parade of vintage cars, bringing together all kinds of urban party lovers.

The show featured a range of Dsquared2 signature styles, such as low-rise jeans, trucker and hunter hats, clever slogan T-shirts, classic tuxedos and sexy party dresses.

Creative Director Dan Caten said in an interview backstage: "We are always committed to constantly surpassing ourselves, and there are still countless wonderful stories waiting to be told. Looking back at the past, we have accumulated many precious memories, and looking forward to the future, more beautiful aspirations are exciting."

04 K-Way 60 Anniversary：From “Originator of Raincoats” to “Cultural Symbol”

                        Dsquared2 2025 Fall/Winter Ready-to-Wear Collection

Jil Sander 2025 Fall/Winter Ready-to-Wear Collection

Recently, due to rumors that Jil Sander Creative Directors Lucie Meier and Luke Meier may bid farewell to the design stage after this season's show, this season's show has attracted much attention from the outside world. The entire show is like an inverted breathing space, with a seamless transition from black to white, creating a unique aesthetic experience, vividly highlighting the tension and different textures between opposites. This season's show officials described it as a brilliant metaphor of love.

Long, hand-sewn silver or black sequined fringe is sleek and elegant on knitted velvet, taffeta, silk straight and pleated dresses, as well as kilts for men and women. Blue tailored shearling coats and collars with black accents add a luxurious touch. Hand-woven knitwear in alpaca and cashmere, either fitted or loose, shows the ingenuity of craftsmanship.

After the show, Lucie and Luke Meier thanked the audience with tears in their eyes. When they were interviewed by WWD, they said: "We hope to convey the idea through this collection: in the process of leading the world trend, we must not only show strength, momentum and tenacity, but also discover unique beauty from it."

According to the latest Instagram of Lucie Meier and Luke Meier, the two have clearly resigned. The two creative directors of Jil Sander said: "After 8 years of cooperation with Jil Sander, we are very moved to show our last series for the brand. We want to thank everyone who participated and contributed to creativity. We are proud of everything we have achieved together and the friendship of beauty we have established."

06 Brunello Cucinelli：“Instinct" and "Rationality" Coexist in the Struggle

                       Brunello Cucinelli Fall 2025 Collection

This season, Brunello Cucinelli explores two universal laws: "instinct" and "reason". Instinct comes from the perception of the subtle beauty of nature, the pursuit of craftsmanship, the cherishment of authenticity and relaxation, and the pleasure brought by the touch of fabrics. Reason speaks to us through exquisite tailoring traditions, exquisite materials and craftsmanship, and the definition of elegant and timeless aesthetic standards.

This season, inspired by equestrian aesthetics, weaves a sense of order and freedom into everyday clothing: equestrian rider suits, waterproof hoodies, satin ribbons on blouses and shiny lavallière bow ties pay tribute to the classic equestrian world; and neatly cut rider-style trousers paired with women's flat shoes convey harmonious poetry with just the right amount of rebellion. Classic Welsh plaid, tweed and Scottish plaid are embellished with unexpected elements.

Source: WWD China

Written by: Yi Chen

Editor: Yalta Du

Photo source: provided by the brand

Risk Tips and Disclaimer

The market is risky, and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. Investing based on this is at your own risk.