The fashion industry is in a tumultuous position. Rising costs, slow-paying stores, and potential industry-altering tariffs have only deepened its struggles to remain relevant and vital over the past several years. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the founders of Proenza Schouler, recently resigned from their company to be free to take a creative directorship elsewhere, possibly in Europe.
“It’s a really intense moment,” said Hillary Taymour, whose modest Collina Strada show on Thursday—titled “Fempire”—made use of deadstock fabrics and garments upcycled from thrift stores. “I’m just trying to create the volume with things that exist,” she added. Politically and ethically, that thinking makes sense to a lot of people.
But as with any creative industry, for as much talk and speculation may take place, the proof is inevitably in the pudding. If the fashion industry wants to prove its value and worth in the modern sociopolitical landscape, there is nowhere better than the runway itself. On Wednesday night, the fall 2025 runway season got underway.
Anna Osmekhina’s Debut
Anna Osmekhina is a relatively new voice in the fashion space, and she made her debut count. She traveled from Kyiv to present her collection of 13 looks at the Chelsea Hotel, and the journey proved more than worth it for her and for the lucky audience members in attendance.
As a former costume designer, Osmekhina has profound experience when it comes to utilizing fashion to alter or augment the human body. In 2013, she founded her label, TTSWTRS. She got some immediate attention from Colette, the legendary Paris store, which lent her some immediate credibility within high-fashion circles. Today, TTSWTRS employs nearly 150 people across Portugal, Poland, and Ukraine. Fittingly, given Osmekhina’s own unique career trajectory, she has pooled artists from across numerous mediums, not just fashion designers, to help create bold new visions. Some of the employees are graphic designers; some are simply artists. Each respective craft brings its own unique perspective to her catalog and has helped to make her an invaluable contributor to revolutionary new fashion.
As Osmekhina says, “I want to lose all the clothing,” she said. “It’s too much clothing for the planet. We need to stop.”
Through this work, Osmekhina is actively trying to imagine dressing in a post-clothing world. Where other more established designers often seem content to play in the same sandbox for decades on end, Osmekhina’s unorthodox training and career have led her to approach the industry from an entirely different vantage point. The result is a radical departure within the world of fashion that may point to a bold new future.
Larsson Pushes Boundaries
Ellen Hodakova Larsson is an established and award-winning Swedish designer. She even won last year’s LVMH Prize. Larsson is renowned throughout the industry for the amazing work she does with existing materials. In this way, her sense of fashion makes her yet another member of a creative group of designers who are changing how the industry sees clothes.
Marc Jacobs Continues to Innovate
Marc Jacobs is one of the most universally recognized names in fashion. As such, anything Jacobs does inevitably raises lofty expectations and is met with intense scrutiny. Remarkably, Jacobs’ returns to the runways continue to demonstrate a deftness and craft that allow him to handle such pressure and deliver exquisite new work.
His brand new collection is full of brave new fashion frontiers, with Jacobs tackling quasi-surrealism. His new designs feature shapes that are deliberately imposed upon and juxtaposed against the canvas that is the human body in fascinating ways. Formally, he accomplishes most if this via foam padding and dense inner layers, but knowing how he does it doesn’t make the designs any less impactful.
A common threat to creative industries at large at the moment is the increased presence of digitally-aided creators through the use of AI. In many ways, Jacobs’ latest collection is a unique reflection of this very intersection of technology and art. As one of the defining voices of his generation in fashion, Jacobs has been afforded a front-row seat to the implementation of AI across numerous industries, and with his latest collection’s deliberately evoking of manipulation via digitization, he seems to be commenting upon it, all while remaining grounded in traditional couture.
Christopher John Rogers Underwhelms With Return
After a short absence, stories designer Christopher John Rogers returned to the runway as well. However, his return was hampered by a disappointing display. Whereas Jacobs’ work felt distinctly plugged into the current moment of fashion sensibilities, able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the bold new voices on the scene, the same cannot be said of Rogers’s new work. He has clearly demonstrated that he has the talent to adapt and adjust to changing tastes before, but for one reason or another, he elected not to do so here.
As a result, Rogers’ designs feel woefully out of step and as if they are several years behind the curve. While his designs may be pretty to look at and full of technical flair, they lack anything meaningful to say. If anyone else were behind these designs, they would get nowhere near the attention. Rather, Rogers seems content to coast on creative fumes and rest upon his laurels. All of this is extremely disappointing.
Brandon Maxwell Flourishes
Brandon Maxwell fared far better at keeping pace with the contemporary scene. His collection wasn’t a breakthrough, and it depended heavily on Robbie Spencer’s styling, but it was unique enough to stand out and make an impression. Maxwell’s strong mix of sportswear separates, like leather jackets and big shirts with slouchy pants or check skirts, produced unique results. Through his idiosyncratic blend of disparate pieces and influences, Maxwell proved able to mine new results from them.
Final Thoughts
Like many other creative industries, the fashion industry is at a crossroads following digital transformation. However, despite these hardships, many of the newest, most notable, and most innovative designers have emerged with bold new visions and taken to the runway to deliver defining statements.
