The beginning of 2025 marked a significant change in the fashion world. The collections of the new creative directors appointed last year set the tone for the season. Debutants include Julian Klausner for Dries Van Noten and Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford, bringing back the brand's iconic stateliness and sensual elegance, somewhat lost in previous seasons. But the personnel changes do not end here: several leading fashion houses are saying goodbye to their long-term leaders, giving way to new visionaries. Let's find out how these changes will affect the industry.

In March 2025 it became known about a new appointment in the management of Jil Sander: Simone Bellotti became the creative director of the brand, replacing Luke and Lucie Mayer, who had led the house for eight years.

JIL SANDER

Prior to that, Bellotti spent almost 16 years at Gucci, holding key positions in the design of the men's and sportswear collections. His professional portfolio also includes A.F. Vandevorst, Dolce &amp; Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Gianfranco Ferr&eacute; and Bally, for which he has attracted particular industry attention.
Belotti's combination of sophisticated textures, austere cuts and a fresh take on Swiss identity have made Bally one of the main talking points of Milan Fashion Week. It will be interesting to see how the designer, drawing on the legacy of Jil Sander and the work of his predecessors, will reimagine the brand's minimalist aesthetic, bringing his unique approach to cut and accessories. At the same time, he will face the challenge of restoring the commercial growth of Jil Sander and the OTB Group.

In April, Loewe was taken over by Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez, founders of New York-based Proenza Schouler. Before that, its creative director for 11 years was Jonathan Anderson, thanks to whose efforts Loewe became one of the most successful fashion houses with annual revenue of more than 1.5 billion dollars. According to rumors, Anderson's next step could be Dior (this is just confirmed).

LOEWE

McCullough and Hernandez are best known for their ability to combine European couture aesthetics with American functionality, as well as their meticulous attention to detail and experimentation with textures. Their success in the global marketplace, including the iconic PS1 bag, has placed Proenza Schouler among the iconic American brands.
While this appointment is the start of a new chapter for Loewe, it's worth noting that McCullough and Hernandez come to McCullough and Hernandez at the height of the brand's popularity, and therefore positioned to translate the designers' vision on a scale not available to independent brands. At Loewe, designers are likely to add more definition and structure, as well as taking a fresh look at working with leather, the brand's key material.
Meanwhile, LVMH&nbsp;is continuing a major staff reshuffle. This is due to the challenge of restoring the companies' profit growth after a decline in sales last year caused by economic and political events, as well as weakening demand in China, a strategically important area for the brand.

The fashion house Gucci is changing course once again in an effort to strengthen its position as Italy's largest luxury brand. Instead of Sabato De Sarno, who emphasizes elegance through emotional response, the brand is bringing Demna Gvasalia, known for his conceptual approach to fashion, to the helm. He will begin his new role in July, having previously presented the latest collection for Balenciaga.

GUCCI

Gvasalia has been revolutionizing the idea of luxury for years, breaking traditional fashion canons and offering bold experiments with form and style. He skillfully blends bold streetstyle silhouettes with haute couture and ruthlessly integrates the luxury industry into mainstream culture. Under his leadership, Gucci may be taking a step in a new direction by combining sophistication and avant-garde.
Kering Group entrusts Gvasalia with a large-scale mission to strengthen the image and increase the popularity of the brand, which, of course, should have a positive impact on its commercial performance. As a reminder, Gucci sales account for almost two-thirds of Kering's profits, and last year they almost halved.

For the first time in the history of the legendary fashion house, its creative leadership is in the hands of a person who is not a member of the Versace family. In March, it became known that Dario Vitale had been appointed as the brand's new creative director.

VERSACE

Donatella Versace, who has faithfully held this position for nearly three decades, remains with the company as the brand's Chief Ambassador, continuing to uphold the brand's legacy and embodying the true spirit of a strong and sexy woman &ldquo;Versace style&rdquo;. Under her leadership, the brand has not only maintained its DNA as the quintessential Italian fashion brand, but has also adapted to current trends.
Versace's new creative director has years of experience in the fashion industry. After graduating from Istituto Marangoni, Dario Vitale started his career at Dsquared2, then worked at Bottega Veneta, and later devoted 15 years to Miu Miu, where he was responsible for the design and image of the brand. His style is characterized by a harmonious combination of structure and femininity, as well as masterful work with proportions and attention to the smallest details.
Dario Vitale is the perfect fit for Versace. He has a deep respect for the brand's heritage, but also sees huge potential for growth. Under his leadership, Miu Miu, part of the Prada Group, has become one of the most successful companies in the industry, far exceeding the growth of all retail sales in the luxury segment. At the same time, Versace experienced a decline in sales. These two factors, by the way, may indicate that Prada Group is considering buying the brand (also confirmed).

The absence of the French fashion house's collection show at the last fashion week in Paris has made it clear that big changes are coming in the brand's management, and already in spring it became known that Miguel Castro Freitas will become the new creative director of Mugler.

MUGLER

As of 2018, the brand was led by Casey Cadwallader, elevating it to cult status amongst stars and bloggers. The public admired the recognizable New York style with a bold futuristic aesthetic, and figure-enhancing nude jumpsuits became Mugler's signature. However, with changing fashion trends and a slowing market, the brand faced challenges.
Miguel Castro Freitas started his career under John Galliano at Dior. During his 20 years in the fashion industry, he has worked for brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Dries Van Noten, and also headed Sportmax. Castro Freitas recognizes the importance of Thierry Mugler's legacy but intends to bring his own vision to the brand, based on a deep respect for his illustrious past.
L'Or&eacute;al, which acquired Mugler in 2019, has always emphasized perfumery, taking its time to invest in the fashion segment. However, with the industry increasingly favoring understated elegance, the management decided to radically change the creative direction.

The year started with the news of the appointment of John Galliano's successor at Maison Margiela: it was Belgian designer Glenn Martens, who has been working in the fashion industry since 2008. Martens' graduate collection after graduating from the Antwerp Royal Academy attracted the attention of Jean-Paul Gaultier himself, which allowed the designer to start his career in his brand.

MAISON MARGIELA

Winner of the ANDAM award for innovative cuts and experimental approach, Martens is known above all for his intelligent approach to fashion. For more than a decade, he headed Y/Project, working in parallel with Diesel since 2018. He first worked on the brand's capsule collections before becoming Diesel's official creative director two years later, a position he held before joining Maison Margiela.
Three years ago Martens created the Jean Paul Gaultier collection as a guest designer, so he has experience in couture as well. The designer's ability to combine conceptuality with functionality, as well as his love of intricate construction and layering, fits perfectly into the identity of Maison Margiela.
Martens' appointment confirms the trend for design innovators capable of rethinking brands' heritage and adapting them to the demands of a new generation. Martens' debut collection promises to be one of the most anticipated in the industry: everyone is curious to see how Maison Margiela will be reinterpreted.

PHOTOS CREDITS:
EVAN AGOSTINI/2021 INVISION/AP/SCANPIX /LETA; RICK GOLD/&copy;GOL/CAPITAL PICTURES/SCANPIX /LETA; JENNIFER GRAYLOCK/INSTARIMAGES/COVER IMAGES/SCANPIX /LETA; PICTURE ALLIANCE/IK ALDAMA/SCANPIX /LETA; PICTURE ALLIANCE/IK ALDAMA/SCANPIX /LETA; PR-МАТЕРИАЛЫ

Intensive courses for stylists: Paris and Milan. Fashion expedition to Antwerp, fashion trends spring-summer 2025 and autumn-winter 2025-2026.
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Elga Homitska&nbsp;- fashion stylist, personal shopper, fashion analyst, practicing stylist for movies, photo studios and fashion houses. Author of photo shoots and fashion reviews for fashion publications. A teacher of author's seminars, an accredited journalist at the world fashion weeks, a lecturer at the international training center&nbsp;Bogomolov Image School, a lecturer at the&nbsp;British Higher School of Design&nbsp;and&nbsp;EDS&nbsp;at the&nbsp;European Design School, conducts style training in cooperation with&nbsp;Dyloan Studio Manufacturing Technologies for Fashion, Art and Design&nbsp;in Milan, MBA degree.
<a href="https://www.homitska.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.homitska.com</a> @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/elgahomitska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elgahomitska</a>

A TIME OF CHANGE: Leading fashion houses change their leaders

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