The Download: New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025

Collina Strada S/S 25 encourages reconnection with nature

In New York’s Marble Cemetery, Collina Strada’s spring/summer 2025 showcase delivered a colourful and climate-conscious reminder to ‘touch grass’, inviting attendees to reconnect with nature amid today’s chaotic world.

The show, staged in the heart of the East Village, offered a brief escape from the outside world’s perils, as creative director Hillary Taymour transformed the venue into a serene and green utopia.

Drawing inspiration from the viral ‘touch grass’ meme, Taymour’s collection embodied a playful yet poignant call for balance, urging people to ground themselves in nature.

‘The world feels like a battlefield in so many ways right now, and I think we can all reconnect and find that peaceful centre by touching grass,’ explained Taymour.

Sustainability advocates made notable appearances, including Brooklyn’s famed Green Lady and designer Mara Hoffman. In true Collina Strada fashion, the collection embraced whimsy and environmental consciousness, with models donning floor-length, green-tipped hair and grass clippings on their ankles.

The finale featured a model pushing a vintage lawnmower while wearing pieces from Taymour’s new sunglasses line, underlining the theme of reconnecting with nature through simple, everyday actions. The spring/summer 2025 collection tastefully blends femininity, sustainability and fashion with a fresh perspective on climate-conscious living.

Eckhaus Latta trades classic fashion show for a dinner party

In an era when the relevance of fashion shows is being questioned, American brand Eckhaus Latta delivered an alternative that felt refreshingly personal and authentic. Instead of a traditional runway, the design duo hosted an intimate dinner in a Tribeca loft, inviting close friends to style themselves in their Spring collection.

The low-key atmosphere quickly shifted when comedian Kate Berlant announced, ‘Oh, you thought this was just a dinner. Wrong,’ as guests, including artist Ella Emhoff, took turns strutting down a makeshift runway.

The experience emphasised the freedom that comes with independent creativity. ‘It’s not like we are beholden to some sort of board,’ said Zoe Latta, co-founder of the brand, highlighting their intention to disrupt the fashion show format.

This approach reflects the evolving relationship between fashion and community, blending casual celebration with the showcase of new designs.

Pieter Mulier explores American beauty for Alaïa

For French luxury house Alaïa’s spring 2025 collection, creative director Pieter Mulier delved into the essence of American beauty, exploring the lore and culture of American fashion. This homage was not only reflected in the garments but also in the iconic setting – the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum in New York, which hosted its first-ever runway show. Models glided down the museum’s renowned spiral walkway, while A-list guests such as Rihanna, Liv Tyler and Lewis Hamilton looked on from the front row.

The Guggenheim’s architectural influence was visible in the collection’s stand-out pieces, such as the ivory and salmon pink brushed shearling chubbies that sculpted around the torso, and micro-pleated dresses reminiscent of the structural feats seen in Mulier’s earlier work.

Mulier’s collection also paid tribute to his fascination with American fashion. Halston-inspired bandeaus and sweatpants hinted at 1970s jersey silhouettes, while Pauline Trigère’s influence shaped double-face hooded swing coats. The show also included a sweeping cape with skater minis, a signature Alaïa silhouette and Charles James-inspired sculpted puffer jackets.

‘I wanted to bring the essence of American fashion to the collection – a sense of ease, a different kind of luxury,’ Mulier explained to Vogue.

Willy Chavarría honours American workers

Mexican-American designer Willy Chavarría’s spring 2025 show took over Wall Street, bringing powerful cultural and political themes to the fore. In an industrial space illuminated by spotlights on the American flag, the show opened with Urban Sierreño music and mariachi performers – Chavarría’s authentic vision of Americana.

The models, moving briskly down the runway, embodied the American working-class spirit through oversized silhouettes reminiscent of hotel staff, construction workers and foremen. Accessories like keychains and crucifixes hanging from belt loops symbolised a deeper connection to labour movements, particularly the United Farm Workers Movement.

In one striking scene, models wearing wide-brimmed hats and face-covering bandanas, evoking farm labourers, walked alongside the American flag, amplifying the show’s political narrative in the context of the approaching US presidential election.

In the second act, Chavarría introduced a collaborative collection with Adidas. Athletic apparel, including track jerseys and sports jackets, took centre stage, with a special appearance by Olympic champion Noah Lyles. Through this partnership, Chavarría continued to merge fashion with social commentary, celebrating resilience and heritage while pushing boundaries on and off the runway.