As usual, our biannual Wallpaper* Style Issue reflects the changing fashion seasons. Rather less usually, this March 2025 edition arrives at a moment of relative upheaval within the industry, with close to a dozen creative directors on manoeuvres. Given that this list includes the likes of Sarah Burton, Matthieu Blazy and Haider Ackermann, it’s fair to say that something more involving than the industry-standard ‘musical chairs’ is underway.
Meanwhile, something akin to fashion’s tectonic plates is in motion, ushering in a more liberated, less prescriptive view of what a collection can be. Fashion features editor Jack Moss first identified the shift at Prada, where, he writes, co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons chose to operate ‘more like an open-ended invitation: who do you want to be today? “Infinite options proffer infinite opportunities,” said the house. These options comprised 49 entirely different looks to choose from; a collage of elements with barely a garment or idea repeated.’
Vests, both price on request, by Dior, enquire at dior.com. Mask, by Undercover, undercoverism.com
This disavowal of the traditional ‘convening power’ of a collection, unless defined by its very disparity, inspired Jack and fashion & creative director Jason Hughes to explore further examples of this new, more eclectic mood. They found it in the work of Satoshi Kondo at Issey Miyake, Francesco Risso at Marni – whose S/S 2025 collection once again celebrated the house’s individuality – and Rei Kawakubo’s characteristic perfume provocations at Comme des Garçons.
Coat, £1,390, by Victoria Beckham, enquire at victoriabeckham.com. Shoes, price on request, by Hodakova, enquire at hodakova.com
Elsewhere, we conjure with the spirit of self-expression that resides in the work of fashion designer-turned-jeweller Gabrielle Greiss; Eva Gödel, whose model agency Tomorrow Is Another Day is changing the mores of the runway; and the founders of Furu, the project management agency that is turning to architecture in the stark surroundings of the Swedish island of Gotland. Going your own way never felt less fanciful, more freeing, so now.
Bill Prince
Editor-in-Chief
The March 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands from 6 February 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
-
A first look inside the new Oxford Street Ikea. Spoiler: blue bags and meatballs are includedThe new Oxford Street Ikea opens tomorrow (1 May), giving Londoners access to the Swedish furniture brand right in the heart of the city
-
For the 2025 Eurovision theme art, Swiss design principles get a glow-upLondon-based branding agency NOT Wieden+Kennedy marries graphic design history and exuberance in its theme art for this year's song contest
-
Ten low-pro sneakers that capture footwear’s new streamlined moodSuper-flat soles, narrowed silhouettes: the low-profile sneaker is this season’s defining footwear style. Here, the Wallpaper* style team selects its favourites
-
Ten low-pro sneakers that capture footwear’s new streamlined mood
Super-flat soles, narrowed silhouettes: the low-profile sneaker is this season’s defining footwear style. Here, the Wallpaper* style team selects its favourites
-
‘I’ve considered every single detail’: how Victoria Beckham designed the perfect make-up brush collectionVictoria Beckham speaks to Wallpaper* about the meticulous design process behind her debut collection of make-up brushes, which perfectly treads a line between form and function
-
With scenography by OMA, Dior’s ‘Designer of Dreams’ exhibition in Seoul is ‘a piece of theatre’OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu catches up with Wallpaper* about the dramatic show design for the latest iteration of ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’, which opened in Seoul this weekend
-
Jonathan Anderson is heading to Dior MenAfter months of speculation, it has been confirmed this morning that Jonathan Anderson, who left Loewe earlier this year, is the successor to Kim Jones at Dior Men
-
Dior holds an enchanting Kyoto show in the midst of cherry-blossom seasonMaria Grazia Chiuri chose the grounds of Kyoto’s serene Tō-ji Temple to present a Fall 2025 collection that celebrated Dior’s longstanding links with Japan
-
The best fashion moments at Milan Design Week 2025Scarlett Conlon discovers the finest fashion moments at Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week 2025, from Loewe’s artist-designed teapots to The Row’s first home collection
-
Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are the new creative directors of LoeweThe much-rumoured appointment was confirmed this morning, following Jonathan Anderson’s departure from Loewe earlier this month
-
These fringed Prada slippers capture a lived-in elegancePart of Prada’s S/S 2025 menswear collection, these fringed slip-on mules reflect a wider renaissance of the slipper – suggesting the ultimate luxury is to wear your inside attire outdoors
