In the Youth Revisited Spring 2025 trend report childhood concepts with more of a historical bent are used by designers: the bubble skirts of the 1950s and 1980s, the empire waist from Victorian-era childrens’ clothes, the scalloped hem from childrens’ fashion and 1950s women’s day dresses. Designers remagine these for the modern day – there are bubble shorts at Chloé, chain details on an empire waist dress at Huishan Zhang, and scalloped hem knitwear at Acne Studios.
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Spring 2025 Trend – Bows
SHUSHU/TONG Spring 2025 [Shanghai] Creative Direction: Liushu Lei; Photo: Courtesy of SHUSHU/TONG
Bows are reminiscent of childhood thanks to their association with hair ribbons and dolls’ clothes; they are also associated with femininity and softness.
Large, theatrical bows recall princess-like dresses and fairy tales, seen here at SHUSHU/TONG and Acne Studios. Smaller bows are used for a delicate touch on tops, panties, and cardigans.
Acne Studios Spring 2025 [Paris] Creative Direction: Jonny Johansson; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Florentina Leitner Spring 2025 [Paris] Creative Direction: Florentina Leitner; Photo: Courtesy of Florentina Leitner
GmbH Spring 2025 [Berlin] Creative Direction: Benjamin Alexander Huseby and Serhat Isik; Photo: Finnegan Koichi Godenschweger
Magliano Spring 2025 Menswear [Milan] Creative Direction: Luchino Magliano; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Spring 2025 Trend – Bubble Silhouette
Chloé Spring 2025 [Paris] Creative Direction: Chemena Kamali; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Bubble skirts and dresses have a distinctive silhouette that curves outward then tucks under at the hem, giving a voluminous effect. The shape is associated with a sense of youthfulness and lighthearted whimsy. First emerging during the post-war era in the 1950s, it was revived in the 1980s and evokes childhood party dresses, breaking away from rigid tailoring.
For Spring 2025, this bubble silhouette is used not just on skirts and dresses, but even on shorts, seen here at Chloé.
Nina Ricci Spring 2025 [Paris] Creative Direction: Harris Reed; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Collina Strada Spring 2025 [New York] Creative Direction: Hillary Taymour; Photo: Courtesy of Collina Strada
MURRAL Spring 2025 [Tokyo] Creative Direction: Yusuke Muramatsu and Ayumi Sekiguchi; Photo: Courtesy of MURRAL
Rotate Spring 2025 [Copenhagen] Creative Direction: Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimarsdottir; Photo: James Cochrane for CPHFW
Spring 2025 Trend – Empire Waist
Huishan Zhang Spring 2025 [London] Creative Direction: Huishan Zhang; Photo: Courtesy of Huishan Zhang
The empire waist, characterized by a high waistline sitting just below the bust, was worn by young women in the Regency area, and then became popular in children’s clothing in the Victorian era. Revived in mod fashion in the 1960s, empire waist dresses were worn by the younger generations, giving the style an association with rebellion and fun. The style is also associated with romanticism and bridal wear.
In Spring 2025, empire waist dresses touch upon these themes – chain detailing at Huishan Zhang signals a hint of rebellion, while bows at Coach, floral print at Emilia Wickstead, and lace at Florentina Leitner are all feminine with a hint of romance; the all-white dress at No. 21 nods to bridal wear but is made casual with a knit scarf.
Coach Spring 2025 [New York] Creative Direction: Stuart Vevers; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Emilia Wickstead Spring 2025 [London] Creative Direction: Emilia Wickstead; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Florentina Leitner Spring 2025 [Paris] Creative Direction: Florentina Leitner; Photo: Courtesy of Florentina Leitner
No. 21 Spring 2025 [Milan] Creative Direction: Alessandro Dell’Acqua; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Spring 2025 Trend – Full Skirts
Cecilie Bahnsen Spring 2025 [Paris] Creative Direction: Cecilie Bahnsen; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Full, voluminous skirts and dresses have a princess-like air to them, and bring back memories of childhood party dresses. Their exaggerated proportions can create a doll-like effect.
Cecilie Bahnsen and Danny Reinke add fabric flowers to maximize the whimsy, while at Vivetta, Vivienne Westwood and Yuhan Wang the volume of the skirt is enhanced through extra structure or layers.
Danny Reinke Spring 2025 [Berlin] Creative Direction: Danny Reinke; Photo: Alison Coates for The Fashion Fold
Vivetta Spring 2025 [Milan] Creative Direction: Vivetta Ponti; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Spring 2025 [Paris] Creative Direction: Andreas Kronthaler; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Yuhan Wang Spring 2025 [London] Creative Direction: Yuhan Wang; Photo: Yuhan Wang / BFC
Spring 2025 Trend – Scalloped Hem
Charles Jeffrey Loverboy Spring 2025 Menswear [London] Creative Direction: Charles Jeffrey; Photo: Courtesy of Charles Jeffrey Loverboy
The round edges of the scalloped hem are soft and playful, characteristics usually attributed to younger styles. Perfect for a romantic aesthetic, they have historically been used in children’s fashion, later becoming a popular detail on women’s day dresses and aprons in the 1950s.
Applied to shorts, lapels, skirts and dresses for Spring 2025, the scalloped hem softens the edges of styles in a variety of materials and fabrications, including knitwear.
The Garment Spring 2025 [Copenhagen] Creative Direction: Charlotte Eskildsen; Photo: James Cochrane for CPHFW
Mark Kenly Domino Tan Spring 2025 [Copenhagen] Creative Direction: Caroline Engelgaar; Photo: James Cochrane for CPHFW
Acne Studios Spring 2025 [Paris] Creative Direction: Jonny Johansson; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
Del Core Spring 2025 [Milan] Creative Direction: Daniel Del Core; Photo: NOWFASHION.com
London College of Fashion alumna (PGCert Fashion Buying & Merchandising). 15 years in fashion across styling, buying & merchandising, trend forecasting, e-commerce, and marketing. Includes roles at Vivienne Westwood and multi-brand retail stocking 50+ brands including Adidas, Nike, and Puma.
