Milan Fashion Week showcased a powerful comeback of shoulder pads and opulent silhouettes for the Autumn/Winter 2025 season, with several prominent designers unveiling striking collections. Donatella Versace caused quite the stir with her last ever collection, as creative director. Only weeks after making her mark at the Met Gala, she’ll move to the role of Chief Brand Ambassador for the legendary fashion house.
Versace presented its Fall 2023 collection in February at Milan Fashion Week. The audacious silhouettes epitomized the spirit of a new kind of power dressing. That focus on power shoulders matched the 1980s mood perfectly, an era in which those silhouettes represented a spirit of can-do go-getting and emotional fortitude. She is taking a leave of absence from her seat as a congressional creative. The collections she showed are a tribute to her artistry and perspective.
In Valentino’s collection, we are treated to a sharp, classy, grey suit that emanates confidence and power — a feminine version of the classic businessman uniform. The suit’s serious power shoulders reinforce the theme of empowerment that permeates the season’s designs. Saint Laurent supports this fixation on sharp shapes with a magnificent brocade statement jacket. Its wide lapels are a testament to bold 1980s glamor.
Issey Miyake added a whole new silhouette to the equation. We can’t wait to see this new perspective on modern elegance make big waves next season. On the other hand, the French brand Sandro came out with a plaid blazer worn over a mini skirt. With powerful shoulders and sheathed in a golden brooch, the blazer has the cut and yeoman conventions of business ruling, yet suiting aesthetic and energy.
The impact of shoulder pads can’t be overstated even as their presence is felt in this season’s collections. They serve as magical metaphorical bulwark against ambition. They epitomize the excess and ostentation of the 80s, the era of the power dressing and radical fashion. Designers are both leaning into this nostalgia and re-contextualizing it into something more palatable for today’s aesthetic sensibilities.
“This season’s Stella woman is educated, an entrepreneur, the boss. She is a mother, a sister, a lover. She fights the good fight – for women, for animals, for everyone. She does it all; enjoying every aspect of her working day whilst having fun and being herself at night.” – Stella McCartney’s press statement
As the fashion world prepares for Winter 2025, designers are revealing their united point of view. They want to uplift people along with communities, economies, and the environment through their tech-enabled garments. Its ambitious use of structural principles and soft goods alike express the optimism and resolve of a complex city facing uncertainty and change.
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