Fashion in 2025 was nothing short of revolutionary, and if you think you’ve seen it all, think again. From Matthieu Blazy’s groundbreaking Chanel debut to the viral sensation of ‘Protect the Dolls,’ this year reshaped the industry in ways no one saw coming. Sixteen designers breathed new life into 15 iconic labels in September alone—a seismic shift that Vogue dubbed the big reshuffle (https://www.vogue.com/article/there-are-15-designer-debuts-this-season-the-big-reshuffle-is-here-to-help-you-make-sense-of-them-all). Meanwhile, Labubus became the obsession of the fashion elite (https://www.vogue.com/article/fashionable-people-on-their-labubu-obsession), and Kendrick Lamar’s Celine flared jeans at the Super Bowl sparked debates that echoed far beyond the stadium (https://www.vogue.com/article/kendrick-lamar-2025-super-bowl-outfit-fashion-story). But here’s where it gets controversial: Was this year a triumph of creativity, or did it mark the beginning of fashion’s identity crisis?
On this week’s episode of The Run-Through, we dive deep into these moments with two fashion powerhouses: Virginia Smith, global head of Vogue’s Fashion Network, and Laia Garcia-Furtado, senior fashion news editor at Vogue Runway. Together, they dissect the highs, lows, and everything in between of this monumental year.
‘Awar closing the Chanel show was my fashion moment of the year,’ Smith declared, reflecting on Awar Odhiang’s unscripted finale at Matthieu Blazy’s debut (https://www.vogue.com/article/i-was-floating-on-top-of-the-moon-awar-odhiang-on-her-fully-unscripted-moment-at-matthieu-blazys-chanel-debut). ‘It was a rare, electrifying moment—the kind that reminds you why fashion matters.’
And this is the part most people miss: While Blazy’s Chanel took the top spot, Dario Vitale’s Versace debut wasn’t far behind. In fact, Vitale was voted the third favorite designer of the year by Vogue readers (https://www.vogue.com/article/the-peoples-vote-our-third-annual-year-in-fashion-poll-is-here), following Blazy and Jonathan Anderson at Dior. ‘I knew instantly—this is how I want to dress,’ Garcia-Furtado recalled. ‘I didn’t even wait for the show to end before buying a pair of Versus jeans on The RealReal.’
But let’s pause for a moment: Is the industry moving too fast? Are we losing the essence of fashion in the race for novelty? As we look ahead to 2026, these questions linger. Tune in to hear more of these defining moments—and what our editors are eagerly anticipating next.
What do you think? Was 2025 fashion’s finest hour, or a warning sign of what’s to come? Let us know in the comments—we’re all ears.
