NYFW ROUND UP - THE NEW LOOK: BRANDS RESETTING THEIR TONE TO GARNER A NEW WAVE OF DEVOTEES
As a common practice, fashion calendars are transforming each season into ambitious business platforms, with players in the fashion capitals reinventing their tone and betting high to reach a new wave of consumers through an unrivaled, updated offering. This year’s New York Fashion Week S/S 2025 was no exception.
New York Fashion Week always turns heads as it marks the beginning of a month-long stint of runway shows. It kicked off in the first week of September, with an array of designers setting the vision for the season ahead. However, it unfolded amidst a fashion landscape in flux, due to a global economy entering new eras of upheaval and ongoing discourse about the deflation of NYFW on the world stage—primarily due to the decentralization of venues and the prohibitive costs of runway shows.
This conundrum led many brands to feel an urgency to realign their positions to face the challenges of the future. A roster of designers capitalized on the buzz, seeking to reset and reinvent their brands’ tones, and relaunched with new, game-changing strategic focuses. This included international labels that opted to trade their home streets for their first-ever collection showcases in New York City, aiming to reach new (US-based) audiences. These trade-offs were well-considered, led by creative directors breathing new life into brands that needed to take a creative plunge and showcase their craft in fresh settings. Among them were Pieter Mulier of Alaïa, Ronald van der Kemp, Swedish label Toteme, and Budapest-based Nanushka, all of whom made their American runway debuts this SS25 season.
Notably, Ib Kamara for Off-White continued the brand’s efforts to expand its community of "amazing cultures" globally. This translated into a revitalized customer base, and the decision to shift the Virgil Abloh-founded brand from Paris Fashion Week to NYFW. Trading the streets of Paris, Off-White made its NYFW debut amidst efforts to get the brand back on track by drawing in new consumer crowds. The choice was also a nod to Kamara’s borderless approach, showcased through a collection titled “Duty Free.” It featured American sportswear fused with “African futurism,” incorporating traditional embellishment and craft, including a reimagination of the brand’s signature arrows motif. Essentially, the collection charged new energy into the brand, facilitated by a newly founded community, while embodying what America represents for Africans—a “dreamland of utopias made real, a place of opportunities.”
On the New York-based side, American labels returned home—both literally and metaphorically. Ralph Lauren kicked off fashion week after a four-year post-pandemic hiatus, breathing new energy into his timeless, quintessentially American bohemian glamour. Pieter Mulier for Alaïa also rethought and reimagined American fashion for Spring 2025, dismantling common brand and American beauty perceptions through his collection.
Tory Burch, synonymous with American ease, has been experiencing a creative rebirth, dubbed the “Toryssance.” This season, she presented a collection infused with transformative playfulness. Beyond playful twists on silhouettes, there was a reinvention of Tory Burch classics, like the Reva redux—the ballet flats that helped launch her empire—making a revamped return. She reset the tone with her freewheeling approach to modern classics, experimenting with the unexpected (see pierced pumps) to attract a new generation of devotees. The collection’s focus on fabric and form represented a palate cleanser, with this season’s shift in her visual vocabulary taking a more balanced, sophisticated turn. Sharply cut swimsuits featured sequins, split-toe pumps had a sculptural, pierced outline, and skirts hovered away from the waist, creating a transformative effect on the wearer. To cap it off, a buzzy casting featuring icon Alexa Chung graced the runway.
Overall, the dominant sentiment of NYFW was one of renewed confidence and refreshed energy. The influence of the upcoming Paris Olympics was also evident, fusing sportswear function with sophisticated flair, driving the evolution of American (and international) labels. Designers aimed to generate a coveted new-gen following, broadening global visibility and reintroducing their staying power in an ever-fluctuating fashion ecosystem.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NICOLE ZENIOU
Nicole Zeniou is a Contributing Fashion Features Editor at Bungalow 28, joining in 2024. Previously the Fashion Features Editor at Madame Figaro Cyprus, she has contributed to titles like Marie Claire Greece, Cosmopolitan Cyprus, and The Cyprus Weekly. Founder of the online interview magazine The Éditor, Nicole is passionate about blending creative disciplines and supporting international talent. She has interviewed leading fashion figures such as LaQuan Smith, David Koma, Casey Cadwallader, Lorenzo Serafini, and Mary Katrantzou.
Bungalow 28 is a tech and creative agency dedicated to fashion, luxury and cultural brands worldwide.