Has the frenzy of June fashion month just gone from fabulous to overwhelming?
The highs and lows of a month overloaded with off-schedule collections, kitsch events, announcements, and ambassadors everywhere
June just wrapped up, marking the end of a whirlwind month dedicated to menswear and couture. Time to take stock: How did fashion month go? Industry insiders are unanimous: too much of everything!
It was a month packed with events and twists, often more about spectacle than meaningful content. The sheer volume seemed designed to showcase fashion’s cool factor to the world, forgetting that pauses can enhance a melody and emptiness can create a sense of fullness. Everything was squeezed into a few weeks, with everyone rushing to see and be seen.
@baltzar.com Pitti Streetstyle Day 1 🇮🇹 #pitti #pittiuomo #florence #italy #fyp #foryou #trendig #streetstyle #italianstyle #mensfashion #ootd ♬ Makeba (Ian Asher Remix) - Jain & Ian Asher
How The Vogue World Event Became a Disney-like Spectacle
Take the Vogue World event by Condé Nast in Paris, for example. Set in Place Vendôme, just a stone’s throw from the Ritz Hotel, it was meant to blend fashion with the upcoming Olympics. To sharp critics like Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times, the event seemed to embody a Disney-esque spectacle. Featuring a series of shows and collections along with musical and dance performances, it was undoubtedly a grand media extravaganza. Yet, despite the considerable impact of the Vogue World, there were voices among editors calling for more substance and depth.
@voguemagazine What is it called when #SabrinaCarpenter, #BadBunny, and #JeanPaulGaultier are in a room together? #VogueWorld ♬ original sound - Vogue
Sports Ambassadors Everywhere
Another trend was the obsession with sports ambassadors. Brands tripped over themselves to feature athletes in their ad campaigns and the front rows of fashion shows. At times, it felt like a bid for relevance rather than a genuinely meaningful connection.
@serena GRWM Vogue World Paris @WYN BEAUTY #GRWM #offwhite #fyp #foryourpage #wynbeauty #vogue #serenawilliams #paris #foryou #makeup #funny #beauty #beyoncechallenge #beyoncé ♬ Freakum Dress Intro - Mona
Alessandro Michele’s Surprise Fashion Comeback: An Early Arrival to the Scene
Valentino’s Resort 2025 collection, Alessandro Michele’s first for the brand, was a spectacle of its own. The timing was a masterstroke of fashion drama: the lookbook dropped on the same day as Gucci’s menswear show (by designer Sabato De Sarno), Michele’s old stomping ground. “V for revenge not Valentino,” many quipped, adding a dose of gossip to the glitz.
@mariella_milani Sulla collezione resort di Valentino by Alessandro Michele il web è già diviso...ed è subito polemica #alessandromichele #valentino #resort2025 #tiktokfashion #mariellamilani #fyp ♬ Bach unaccompanied cello suite "Prelude" - Jianteng
A$AP Rocky Shocked Fans with His Unexpected First Fashion Show
And then there was A$AP Rocky’s debut fashion show as a designer at Paris Fashion Week for men’s Spring-Summer 2025. His unexpected entrance triggered a storm of paparazzi activity, amplifying the frenetic energy of the season.
@asaprocky AWGE SS25 DEBUT COLLECTION "AMERICAN SABOTAGE" #DONTBEDUMB ♬ original sound - A$AP Rocky
Amidst the Chaos, Lanvin Announced a New Creative Director
Lanvin threw another curveball by announcing Peter Copping as their new creative director towards the end of Fashion Month. But given that industry insiders were by now exhausted by the whirlwind of early debuts, surprise fashion shows, ubiquitous ambassadors vying for Instagram moments, and larger-than-life events to comment on, this news failed to ignite much excitement.
@newsfash BREAKING: Peter Copping Named Creative Director @LANVIN #NEWSFASH #lanvin #petercopping #balenciaga #alberelbaz ♬ Breaking News Background Music (Basic A)(1001538) - LEOPARD
This should have been a significant development. After all, Copping is a seasoned industry veteran who “most recently worked at Balenciaga, where he directed the ateliers for the reintroduction of the couture collection,” according to Lanvin. Moreover, his appointment marked the end of a year-and-a-half-long search for a successor at the oldest French fashion house. Yet even the most prolific commentators and critics, exhausted from the relentless pace of the fashion circus, lacked the energy to fully embrace this latest twist in the ongoing game of Fashion’s Designer Musical Chairs. Perhaps they had already spent all their resources and ink on the front-row gossip of the couture shows, where the pressing question was who would take over at Chanel. One thing’s for certain: no one really knows, perhaps not even the Wertheimers, the family that owns Chanel.
Angelo Ruggeri
Journalist, Master’s Programme Tutor & Fashion Styling Course Leader, Milan