While the fashion week headlines are dominated by major heritage houses, just as exciting are the independent and emerging brands operating within the undercurrents of fashion. Our Standout category celebrates the upcoming brands and designers taking fashion forward, with Spring 2025 showcasing a broad and exciting mix of design perspectives and giving us a thrilling and thought-provoking window into fashion’s future.
For all of its difficulties, operating an independent brand that doesn’t strictly fall within mainstream fashion expectations gives designers more space to experiment as they find their own balance of commercial and cutting-edge. Brands like Ottolinger, Dreaming Eli, Standing Ground, and KNWLS do great work within this space, raising refreshing voices while challenging conformity.
On his way to being a household name – a process that will get a boost thanks to a great collab with Adidas – Willy Chavarria deepened his language of workwear references and Chicano culture with a celebration of American civil rights movements, spotlighting America as a country of immigrants.
Carven has had a unique journey since its founding in 1945, occupying that rare position as a luxury heritage house that flies under the radar yet has also had big moments in the spotlight throughout its various eras. With just over a year at the brand so far, creative director Louis Trotter delivered a collection that firmly solidified the Carven renaissance being well under way, and took the top spot as our favorite standout show.
Here are The Impression’s Top 10 Standout Shows of the Spring 2025 season as selected by our Editor-in-Chief, Kenneth Richard.
10 – Ottolinger
9 – Christopher Esber (tie)
9 – Standing Ground (tie)
8 – Dreaming Eli (tie)
8 – Vautrait (tie)
7 – Del Core (tie)
7 – KNWLS (tie)
6 – S.S. Daley (tie)
6 – Willy Chavarria (tie)
5 – Atlein
4 – Gabriela Hearst
3 – Rabanne
2 – Rokh
1 – Carven
