2025 has unfolded as a transformative year for global fashion, with a wave of creative leadership reshaping the DNA of some of the most iconic luxury houses. Nowhere was this evolution more evident than at Milan Fashion Week, where new creative directors unveiled their first collections — setting the tone for a bold, reimagined era of modern luxury.
2025: The Year of the Creative Shuffle
The world of fashion has long thrived on reinvention, but 2025 is proving to be a watershed moment. From surprise exits to era-defining appointments, a distinct energy pulsed through the runways of Milan — signalling a generational shift in design philosophy and brand identity.
Perhaps the most talked-about move of the year was Demna’s appointment at Gucci, following his departure from Balenciaga and replacing Sabato De Sarno as artistic director in March 2025. This marks a daring new chapter for Kering’s crown jewel, blending Demna’s provocative edge with Gucci’s storied eclecticism. His debut collection at Milan left the industry both stunned and intrigued — a hybrid of maximalism and raw street culture poised to redefine Gucci’s next decade.
Meanwhile, Donatella Versace brought in Dario Vitale as chief creative officer, also in March 2025. Vitale, who previously played a pivotal role at Miu Miu, injected Versace’s heritage with a youthful, playful sensuality — marrying audacity with precision tailoring.
At Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter’s long-awaited debut was a quiet storm of craftsmanship and subtle luxury. Appointed in late 2024 (effective early 2025), her focus on tactile minimalism and real-life elegance offered a refreshing counterpoint to fashion’s louder statements — reaffirming Bottega’s position as the master of understatement.
Italian designer Simone Bellotti, with a background at Bally, stepped into the role of creative director at Jil Sander, reaffirming the brand’s minimalist purity through a lens of modern restraint and urban relevance.
And in a poetic twist of continuity, Haider Ackermann made his long-rumoured debut for Tom Ford in Milan, following the departure of Pete Hawkings after a brief tenure. Ackermann’s mastery of draping and his sensual precision breathed new life into the brand’s glamorous legacy, blending seduction with sophistication in ways only he could.
Finally, Lorenzo Serafini, already celebrated for his work at Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini, expanded his creative vision by taking over the main Alberta Ferretti label. His Fall/Winter 2025 debut beautifully merged romantic femininity with a contemporary, youthful verve — a fitting evolution for the heritage house.
A New Chapter in Luxury’s Legacy
As Milan Fashion Week 2025 came to a close, one thing was unmistakably clear: fashion’s leadership is entering a renaissance. These shifts aren’t merely about new names on the masthead — they’re about recalibrating what creativity means in an era defined by both digital immediacy and timeless craftsmanship.
Luxury, it seems, is being rewritten — not as repetition of heritage, but as reinvention through vision.
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