The four must-see shows of fashion month

Fan-favourite fashion shows from the spring 2025 season.

A model walks the runway at the Bally fashion show during the Milan Womenswear Spring/Summer 2025. Picture: Getty Images

Each September, the fashion flock roams from New York to London to Milan to Paris, scoping out the next trends at the spring 2025 shows. We hear a lot about the biggest brands, as photos of celebrities sitting in their front rows flood social media, and armchair analysts try to guess their next creative directors. Often, fashion insiders are actually looking forward to an entirely different slate of designers, which run the gamut from a whimsical, beloved British designer to a new light at the Swiss brand Bally. Here’s more on these fan favourites.

NEW YORK: Willy Chavarria

Paloma Elsesser walks the runway during the Willy Chavaria Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2025 fashion show as part of New York Fashion Week. Picture: Getty Images

Age: 56

Brand founded: 2015

Notable fans: Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Madonna

Spring 2025 inspirations: The Farm Workers’ Rights Movement; the Women’s Rights Movement; the Civil Rights Movement.

Show soundtrack: A performance by Yahritza Martinez singing “Querida” with a mariachi band, followed by a score from Chavarria’s friend Marco Neves melding strings and deep house.

Covetable items: The pleated pants and the candy-coloured tracksuits from the Adidas collaboration.

Why insiders love the brand: Chavarria, the longtime senior vice president of design at Calvin Klein, brings a new, androgynous silhouette to fashion: strong shoulders, high-waisted chinos. His work, informed by his immigrant background and social movements, brings fresh references to classic tailoring.

Chavarria’s ideal customer: “People who care.”

LONDON: Simone Rocha

A model walks the runway at the Simone Rocha fashion show during London Fashion Week. Picture: Getty Images

Age: 38

Brand founded: 2010

Notable fans: Jeremy O. Harris, Lena Dunham, Ruth Negga

Spring 2025 inspirations: The tension between performance and perfection, dancer Pina Bausch, choreographer and performer Michael Clark.

Show soundtrack: La Strada by Nino Rota, Staircase by Dead Bandit, Send in the Clowns by Dame Judi Dench.

Covetable items: the “Tutu” bag, satin anoraks that would work well for both men and women.

Why insiders love the brand: No longer a wunderkind, Rocha is now part of the global fashion establishment — yet her worldview remains appealingly unique. While her brand is always a destination for girly tulle dresses and pearl accessories, this season presented an even more theatrical look.

Rocha’s ideal customer: actor Chloë Sevigny and artist Cindy Sherman.

MILAN: Simone Bellotti for Bally

Age: 46

Brand founded: 1851 (Bellotti started in 2022)

Notable fans: Cheryl Hines, Gisele Bündchen, Dev Hynes

Spring 2025 inspirations: the Dada artistic movement in Zurich, poet Hugo Ball’s steel costume

Show soundtrack: an original track by Aisha Devi.

Covetable items: the new cropped flared jeans, the studded fisherman sandal (pictured), the leather jackets in voluminous shapes, the soft shopping bags.

Why insiders love the brand: In just three seasons, Bellotti, a former designer at Gucci, has brought coolness and wearability to dusty Swiss brand Bally. In a testament to the brand’s heat, many editors and buyers were wearing the brand to the show, especially its laced boat shoes, Mary Jane flats and proper poplin button ups. Its handbags — functional, well-made and not as expensive as some of their luxury brethren — are also hits.

PARIS: Louise Trotter for Carven

Carven spring/summer '25 at Paris Fashion Week.

Age: 50s

Brand founded: 1945 (Trotter joined in 2023)

Notable fans: Greta Gerwig, Chinese actor Ni Ni, influencer Monica de La Villardière

Spring 2025 inspirations: In a preview of Trotter’s show, which takes place Saturday, Trotter mentioned tactility, “the intimate space between the woman and her wardrobe” and dressing in layers.

Show soundtrack: An original composition by British DJ Benji B

Covetable items: Carven’s “Louise” bag, a soft, fold-over clutch, is an it-bag alternative.

Why insiders love the brand: Louise Trotter, an alum of Joseph and Lacoste, took the reins at Carven after the French heritage brand’s five-year hiatus. The British designer has reinvigorated the brand with her utilitarian, considered approach. Trotter usually works with a predominantly neutral palette shot through with pops of unexpected colour, like mustard or scarlet. The spring collection includes inventive tops (pictured) that billow around the body, and surprising volume. Trotter’s Carven excels at elevating everyday items like sweaters, pants and jackets.

The Wall Street Journal