Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2025: what to expect

After several seasons of upheaval and flux, the upcoming Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2025 will begin to see the puzzle pieces fall into place as a number of creative directors start their tenures at some of the world’s best-known brands. These include Sarah Burton at Givenchy, Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford, and Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein (for Matthieu Blazy’s debut at Chanel, we will have to wait until September).

It makes for an intriguing season of shows, which on the other hand features a handful of notable absences from the schedule: Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Willy Chavarria will skip New York; Molly Goddard and JW Anderson will take the season off in London; while in Paris, Loewe is currently not slated to show on-schedule. As for what this means for upcoming seasons remains to be seen, though none of the moves are expected to be permanent (as such, September will no doubt prove far busier).

Elsewhere, there will be the first Gucci show since Sabato De Sarno’s departure from the house (the co-ed collection will be created by the Gucci ‘design office’), a centenary collection from Fendi, and big-ticket shows from Burberry, Prada, Chanel, Miu Miu and Saint Laurent. Meanwhile rising stars Paolo Carzana, Hodakova and Duran Lantink (the latter two Wallpaper* Design Awards winners), will bring new energy to their respective cities alongside a raft of other emerging labels.

Beginning today (6 February 2025) in New York, before a pause until later in the month for London, Milan and Paris, here is the Wallpaper* guide to Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2025.

Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2025: everything you need to know

New York Fashion Week (February 6 – 11 2025)

While the rest of the fashion capitals have shifted a week later to reflect the menswear and couture schedules earlier this year, New York Fashion Week has remained steadfast in its early February dates. This means it essentially stands alone this season: London will take place ten days after New York Fashion Week concludes (usually, it is just a couple of days later), with Milan and Paris following without a break. It is fair to say the move has made for a somewhat reduced schedule this season, with some notable absences, including CFDA Award-winning American designer Willy Chavarria, who instead showed during Paris Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2025, and Tommy Hilfiger, who last September staged his S/S 2025 show on a former Staten Island ferry (Ralph Lauren is also absent after his off-schedule Hamptons takeover last season).

That said, the return of Calvin Klein will provide the week’s biggest moment, seeing the American powerhouse stage its first runway show since Raf Simons departed as creative director in 2018. The revamp will be led by Veronica Leoni, an Italian designer who worked at Jil Sander, Celine (during Phoebe Philo’s tenure) and The Row, before founding Quira in 2021 (she would receive an LVMH Prize nomination in 2023 for the young label). Little is known about the direction she will take Calvin Klein – her official title is creative director of Calvin Klein Collections – though all eyes will be on her on her come 7 February. Elsewhere, both Christopher John Rogers and Thom Browne will return to the runway (the latter after a season’s break), with New York stalwarts Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Eckhaus Latta, Khaite and Coach rounding out the schedule.

London Fashion Week (21 – 24 February 2025)

London Fashion Week is also missing a handful of names this season – among them Molly Goddard, Aaron Esh, Chopova Lowena, SS Daley and, most notably, JW Anderson (Jonathan Anderson also pressed pause on his menswear show for the eponymous label in January). Marco Capaldo’s buzzy, Fashion Award-winning label 16Arlington has also shifted off the main schedule, presenting instead via an intimate dinner on the evening of 22 January. The reduced schedule speaks to the growing difficulties of fostering an independent label in London, with many designers choosing to take a season-on, season-off approach (expect the September edition to be a busier affair).

Burberry will remain London Fashion Week’s biggest draw, with Daniel Lee showing his latest collection for the British heritage brand at an as-yet-undisclosed location (as has become a signature of the designer’s shows, expect a starry – but satisfyingly eclectic – front row). Other highlights include shows from the week’s stalwart designers Simone Rocha, Roksanda and Erdem, while a new class of talent will be introduced via the latest edition of Lulu Kennedy’s talent incubator Fashion East and the yearly Central Saint Martins MA show. When it comes to rising stars, though, we have our eyes on Paolo Carzana, whose intimate show in his own east London back garden was an undeniable highlight of last season.

Milan Fashion Week (25 February – 2 March 2025)

Milan Fashion Week begins this season on the afternoon of 25 February with the first collection since the departure of creative director Sabato De Sarno. Having not shown during menswear month earlier this year, the show will be co-ed, and created by an in-house ‘design office’. Fendi will also present a co-ed collection via a special show at its renovated HQ on Via Solar marking the Roman house’s centenary year. Proceedings will be led by Silvia Venturini Fendi, artistic director of accessories and menswear, after the departure of womenswear artistic director Kim Jones late last year. As yet, the house has not revealed plans for the celebration, but judging by Fendi’s previous events – like a road-blocking 2022 New York show which celebrated 25 years of the Baguette – it will likely be spectacular.

Elsewhere, expect the usual line-up of Italian mega brands: Prada, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani and Ferragamo will all show during the week, though Bottega Veneta, after the exit of Matthieu Blazy and the subsequent appointment of Louise Trotter, will take a season’s break (a lookbook will comprise a collection by the interim design team). Meanwhile, Missoni will herald a new era under Alberto Caliri, a longtime designer for the Italian knitwear house, who replaces Filippo Grazioli. Caliri will host his debut show on the evening of 28 February.

Paris Fashion Week (3 – 11 March 2025)

As ever, Paris will host the closing leg of fashion month with a packed nine-day schedule that will notably include the much-anticipated debut collection from Sarah Burton at Givenchy on 7 March (the British designer was previously at Alexander McQueen for 26 years, including 13 as creative director). Haider Ackermann will also mark his debut at Tom Ford, a move that’s had the approval of the eponymous house founder, who exited to pursue other projects in April 2023. ‘I have long been a great fan of Haider’s work,’ Ford said after the announcement last September. ‘We share many of the same historical references, and I could not be more excited to see what he does with the brand. I suspect that I will be the first on my feet to applaud after his show in March.’ Julian Klausner will also host his debut show for Dries Van Noten on 5 March.

We will have to wait a little longer for some of the other regime changes: Matthieu Blazy will not show his debut collection for Chanel until September, leaving the A/W 2025 collection in the hands of the house’s interim design team. Meanwhile Loewe – where rumours swirl about creative director Jonathan Anderson’s possible next moves – has chosen to sit this season out, following a similar pause during men’s fashion week last month. There is still plenty to see: Alaïa, which has traditionally shown during haute couture week, will join the ready-to-wear schedule (the show will take place on 4 March), while Louis Vuitton will shift a day earlier, showing on 10 March (usually, it closes proceedings alongside Chanel and Miu Miu on the final day). Other highlights include rising labels (and Wallpaper* Design Awards winners) Hodakova and Duran Lantink, Alessandro Michele’s sophomore collection for Valentino, and a no-doubt showstopping finish from Saint Laurent, who will close the week on the evening of 11 March.