For the business side of luxury fashion, 2024 was a year of change, to say the least. Creative director musical chairs seemed to be at an all time high, with many big moves happening throughout the year. There was Pierpaolo Piccioli’s departure from Valentino, which saw former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele take over the reins. Heidi Slimane bid farewell to his longstanding tenure at Celine, and American designer Micheal Rider has since stepped in. Sarah Burton’s appointment at Givenchy ushers in a new era for the house, and ended months of speculations as to where the lauded visionaire would be headed next. And who could forget the biggest piece of news that shook the industry to its core, with Virginie Viard leaving Chanel earlier in June and Matthieu Blazy eventually being named the successor for fashion’s top job.
While these changes kept the media busy and were fun topics of discourse, there seemed a bigger picture at play—a notable shift in the style zeitgeist. In the recent few years, fashion has been laser-focused on youth: a celebration of emerging lesser-known names that offered novelty and a fresh perspective with their designs. Think brands such as Telfar, John Alexander Skelton and Chopova Lowena, each esoteric in approach and garnering a loyal cult following. For the legacy houses, hiring the elusive second-in-command seemed the direction everyone was heading, a la Sabato De Sarno’s Gucci and Seán McGirr’s McQueen. But with the old guard seemingly resurfacing and making their mark in the seasons to come, it seems we have re-entered the era of the designer’s designer.
It is a return to individualism, an homage to self-expression and honing a strong style archetype. While each of their aesthetics remain vastly different—Ackerman with the sharp and slim silhouette, Burton’s penchant for romance, and Michele’s an ornate flamboyance—they all follow a common thread of being masters of their craft, and unencumbered in vision. It’s a return of an era we had longed for, one where there was a clear image of who and what the brand stood for.
As we sit back and wait in anticipation for what is to come on the runways, let’s take a look at some of these notable names to keep an eye out for in 2025.
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Matthieu Blazy for Chanel
Following the sudden departure of Virginie Viard from Chanel in June last year, there were numerous speculations as to who would take over fashion’s top job. Alas, the position has been filled, by none other than design wunderkind Matthieu Blazy, ending an avalanche of rumoured names that included heavyweights Hedi Slimane and Simon Porte Jacquemus. Blazy’s debut show will be for the spring/summer 2026 collection in October, and will no doubt be the show to watch that season.
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Alessandro Michele for Valentino
Alessandro Michele’s debut collection for the house of Valentino in September last year saw a return of the unabashed and eccentric maximalism we have come to love—and missed—from the Italian designer. A rich tapestry of bows, ruffles and feathered separates, it marked a tantalising new beginning for the brand. Later this month, the acclaimed visionaire will tackle his first haute couture collection, in what will be a true display of his unencumbered vision and showmanship.
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Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta
The brains behind French label Carven’s recent revival, British designer Louise Trotter is succeeding Matthieu Blazy at the creative helm of Bottega Veneta. With an impressive resume that boasts time at Calvin Klein, Gap and Tommy Hilfiger, she is a true innovator at heart, backed by her penchant for diversification and expansion at her previous posts. While much remains to be seen at this point in time, one can surely expect Trotter to shake things up, ushering in a new era at the house and solidifying herself as an industry favourite.
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Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford
Another debut set to make waves this year, Haider Ackermann’s appointment as creative director of Tom Ford was one that was well-received throughout the industry, including Tom Ford himself. “I have long been a great fan of Haider’s work. 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,” shared Ford following the news. With his first collection set for the fall/winter 2025 season in March, one can expect sharp lines, modern silhouettes and a unique play on colour.
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Sarah Burton at Givenchy
When Sarah Burton showed her final collection for Alexander McQueen in September of 2023, the show ended in a teary-eyed standing ovation as the world bid farewell to a transcendent era at the house. Since then, there has been plenty of speculation as to where the English fashion designer would end up at. With her recent appointment at Givenchy, Burton succeeds Matthew Williams in overseeing all women’s and men’s collections, and will no doubt look to meld the house’s long-standing codes with her unabashed and visceral design approach.
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Julian Klausner at Dries Van Noten
It’s a dawn of a new day at Dries Van Noten, with the appointment of Julian Klausner as the new creative director. The designer, who previously worked alongside Van Noten on the women’s collections, will direct a lookbook collection for men’s fall/winter 2025 come January, before presenting his first women’s runway collection later in the year. Helming a brand as arcane as Dries Van Noten is no easy task, and expectations will no doubt be placed on Klausner to maintain the cult status and legacy of the brand.
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Ellen Hodakova Larsson for Hodakova
The winner of the LVMH prize 2024, Stockholm-based designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson has quickly solidified herself amongst the trailblazers to know of. Her namesake label draws from the her childhood in Strängnäs, transforming deadstock and farmhouse fabrics into new original works. Following a triumphant spring/summer 2025 showcase and countless bespoke commissions for the red carpet, she is a force to reckon with—one that will no doubt break new boundaries in 2025.
