End of an Era: Trendsetting at Paris Fashion Week
For decades, fashion dictated what we wore and when we wore it. Whether it was micro-mini skirts in the ‘60s, power suits in the ‘80s, or low-rise jeans in the 2000s, fashion trends were a decade-defining certainty. Fashion editors, designers, and influencers would set the ‘must-have’ look, colour, or accessory of the year, and their audience would quickly follow.
However, this year’s Paris Fashion Week showcased a whole new approach, departing from the usual 'single defining trend' narrative. Maximalist and minimalist styles shared the runway, while Avant-Garde and Y2K aesthetics stood side by side—highlighting the undeniable shift: the era of trendsetting is coming to an end.
The Empowerment of Personal Style through Social Media
With fashion today driven by tailored social media feeds, there’s no longer a singular trend that dominates. What’s trending on TikTok doesn’t necessarily align with what luxury brands are showcasing, and what’s seen on the Paris Fashion Week runways don’t always extend beyond the high-fashion world.
This shift has sparked a more personal approach to fashion. Instead of relying on magazines or Fashion Week to dictate what’s "in," individuals now draw inspiration from their own curated feeds, blending influences from different eras and subcultures to craft a style that’s uniquely their own.
Fashion’s Power Shifts: Are Luxury Brands losing their grip on trends?
Luxury brands have historically been the trendsetters of the industry, but this year’s Paris Fashion Week proved that even they’re struggling to dictate a singular trend. Chanel showcased a return to classic femininity, Saint Laurent leaned into sharp, masculine tailoring, while Balenciaga continued to embrace dystopian, almost unwearable avant-garde. Meanwhile, up-and-coming designers threw all rules out the window, presenting collections that mixed vintage, deconstruction, and digital-age futurism.
Without a single defining look emerging from the season, fashion is at a moment of transformation. Do luxury brands continue to push trends, or do they embrace the personalised generation of modern style?
What does this mean for the future of fashion?
Without one defining trend, the future of fashion may not be about aesthetics at all. It could be about storytelling—brands that resonate with consumers emotionally or ideologically, whether through sustainability, inclusivity or a clear artistic vision.
Paris Fashion Week 2025 might not have handed us a single trend to follow, but it confirmed one thing: the power is no longer in the hands of designers, magazines, or celebrities. It belongs to the individual. In a world full of endless choices, perhaps the real trend is that there are no trends at all.