New York, New York. It’s a city that’s known for so many things. But above all, it’s a place where new ideas flourish. And this New York Fashion Week, designers wasted no time hitting the runway with a whole host of fresh trends for us to swoon over. From experimenting with materials to debuting inventive takes on established style crazes, the Big Apple showed us that a new fashion season is well and truly underway. 

For SS25, the city reminded us all that no matter whether fashion is favouring minimalism or opulence at any given season, New York will always bring a little bit of standout decadence. Let’s break down the seven key trends to know (and shop) now. 

Necklines have been an interesting topic of experimentation over the last few seasons. We’ve seen plunging V-necks and statement collars pulling focus, as well as retro-inspired turtleneck love. But at NYFW for SS25, strapless silhouettes were having their moment in fashion’s spotlight. From romantic sweetheart iterations with cutout details at Michael Kors, to straight-cut off-the-shoulder dresses at Carolina Herrera and minimalist bandeau tops incorporated into several Alaïa looks. Not just for scorching hot weather or super-formal evening looks, the sans-straps style looks to be upping its versatility.

There’s no shortage of bold fashion statements being made on and off the runway, no matter the season. But this NYFW, a new aesthetic has caught my eye, one that seems to mystically whisper as opposed to shouting loud. Ethereal dressing (spoken in a hushed, wispy tone) is whimsical and daring in the most understated and elegant way. 

On the runway at the Khaite show, sheer materials were tightly wrapped around models to form simple, straight maxi dresses with draping across one shoulder to create an undone look. Plus, a draped, poncho-style garment finished with a sheer, satin-ish sheen and (my favourite) super-light sheer trousers paired with a top made up of tightly knotted strips of material forming what looked like an enlarged floral motif. Michael Kors also presented transparent looks that felt more of the other-worldly variety, an interesting move on from the sheer dressing phenomenon.

READ: MY 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM MICHAEL KORS SS25

It seems like an obvious one but black and white monochrome dressing is still a big trend on the runways (obviously). If you thought fashion had done all it could with the two simple tones of black and white – think again. There were so many creative approaches to monochrome at NYFW. 

Some of my favourites include black and white polka dots at Carolina Herrera, florals and black and white colourblocking at Michael Kors, plus chequered patterns at Tommy Hilfiger to inject the trend with some classic preppy all-American vigour. Khaite backed all-black looks too with one dress and blazer combo on the runway mastering the fusion between romance and rock ‘n’ roll. So you’ll have plenty of ideas to draw upon when styling the trend into the next season – just pick your inspiration.

There’s no denying that black and white monochrome had a stronghold on the NYFW runways this season but that doesn’t mean colour didn’t make an appearance. When brighter hues did creep in, it was often in the form of bold primary colours – think taxicab yellow and scarlet red. Often these appeared head-to-toe throughout looks – I loved the sporty zip-up jacket that cut off at the hips paired with a knee-length skirt with a tie detail at the front and subtly flared hem, both in a rich red on the Off-White runway. Over at Carolina Herrera, the bright yellow puffy full floor-length skirt of an evening gown was contrasted with a black deep V-neck bodice and straps for a bold effect.

If we learnt anything from the ‘00s cult classic The Devil Wears Prada, it’s that florals for spring are anything but groundbreaking. So to add interest for SS25, the designers at NYFW are enlarging their flower motifs to maxi scale. Whether it’s appliqué details or super-sized prints, this season it’s all about making florals seem a little bolder.

Nobody needs to tell the brands and equally stylish fashion set of New York that bold is better, so instead, they used the recent NYFW to proclaim it to the world. From exaggerated silhouettes to an inventive use of textures that seemed to trick the eye, there was a fun element of bold dressing at play this season in the Big Apple. Sweeping capes teamed with frilled mini skirts and shaggy cover-ups at Alaïa gave minimalism a run for its money. And daring hanging fringe at Ralph Lauren and Proenza Schouler served as a reminder of the city’s love of making bold statements.

New shoe crazes are often the fashion trends I love following the most so the slew of new footwear phenomenons both on and off the runway at NYFW felt like a treat just for me. Street style aficionados and designers alike went heavy on chunky embellished details. Tory Burch’s pierced pumps proved an A-lister favourite, and there were also sandals adorned with fringed raffia courtesy of Michael Kors and more for me to obsess over and plan outfits around in my head.

That rounds up my trend report from New York Fashion Week SS25. Which styles are you most excited to try?

READ MORE FASHION WEEK CONTENT: 

MY 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM MICHAEL KORS SS25

NYFW OUTFIT DIARY

7 TRENDS TO KNOW FROM COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK SS25

xoxo, Tamara