A dozen of the biggest brands in fashion have new talent at the helm. What makes them tick?

This is a season of seismic change. The tectonic plates of fashion are shifting, remaking the landscape in a way that has not been seen since … well, ever. This year, almost 20 fashion houses, including some of the most famous, influential names (Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Balenciaga), appointed new designers, meaning the clothes you see in stores or on the street will soon be very different.

After all, each designer will be trying to make their mark, break through the noise and redefine the very idea of chic, not to mention actually define the look of the decade. That’s the opportunity. Those are the stakes.

It started in January, when Peter Copping made his debut as creative director of Lanvin, and continued in February, when Calvin Klein returned to the runway under Veronica Leoni, Sarah Burton took over at Givenchy, and Haider Ackermann bowed at Tom Ford. But the biggest shift is taking place this fall, as 12 different designers set forth their visions for what we will wear next. (Two more are scheduled to make debuts in February.)

Why? The global slowdown in the spending that once powered the luxury boom has investors and executives in a dither. The first answer to any such reversal is always “Fire the designer!” Find someone new to reignite the desire that can drive a window shopper to spend thousands on the promise of a new self inherent in a new handbag or skirt shape or trouser cut, in an unexpected combination that casts the otherwise familiar in an entirely fresh light.

From there begins a cascading series of moves to reinvent ad campaigns, stores and celebrity ambassadors.

Yet for all the change taking place, the actual change makers seem, at least on the surface, very much the same.

Of the 13 designers, a dozen are white men, and 10 are ages 40 to 47. Ten are Europeans, and three are Americans. Only one is a woman – Louise Trotter, at Bottega Veneta. (In February, the runway ranks will be joined by two more women: Meryll Rogge at Marni and Rachel Scott at Proenza Schouler.)

To get below the very similar surface, we asked the new guard a set of simple questions. Not about their plans for their brands but about their taste: their personal likes and dislikes, the choices they make. Some of the answers were surprisingly consistent. Not a single designer wears a smartwatch; Demna, now at Gucci, and Jonathan Anderson, at Dior, favour Bic pens over all others; and the most popular ice cream flavour is vanilla. Some were unexpected. (Their taste in workout music varied widely.) But many were revealing. Be careful what shoes you wear in their vicinity.

Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director, Balenciaga

Piccioli, 58, comes to Balenciaga after 25 years at Valentino, 16 of them as creative director, where he was widely recognised for his bold use of colour, his humanity (he regularly brought his entire couture atelier on to the runway for a bow) and his lack of grandiosity. (At Valentino, he eschewed living in Rome to stay in the small seaside town where his family grew up.) Piccioli started his gig at Balenciaga by working alongside Demna, then its creative director, a rarity in fashion (two creative directors overlapping!) but one intended to create an easy transition for the team.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: My uniform – black tee, black pants.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit is: I look at the way they wear the outfit.

I skimp on when buying: I never skimp.

I splurge on: I always splurge.

I am never caught wearing: Cowboy boots.

My favourite:

Art: Beato Angelico.

Cologne: Aqua Universalis by Maison Kurkdjian.

Stationery: Oil pastels and rough watercolour paper.

Ice cream flavour: Pistachio.

Pen: Uni black pen from Osama.

Pizza: Napoli (anchovies, mozzarella and capers).

Cocktail to order at a bar: G&T.

Shampoo: Whatever my family leaves in the shower.

Car: Not a fan.

Music for working out: Any playlist from my daughter Stella.

Flowers for saying thank you: white peonies.

Louise Trotter, creative director, Bottega Veneta

Trotter, 55, is the first woman to lead Bottega Veneta, the Italian fashion house known for its intrecciato woven handbags, in more than 20 years – and only the second since the house was founded in 1966. A Brit and the mother of three, she was also the first woman to become creative director of Lacoste, which she ran for five years before taking over Carven, a label she put back on the fashion map. Now she is bringing her bent for minimalist luxury and dry wit to Milan.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: Menswear.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit: Are they confident?

I skimp on: Travel insurance.

I splurge on: Vintage watches and jewellery.

I am never caught wearing: You can hold me to never wearing paisley.

Item I will never let go of: My grandmother’s wedding ring.

My favourite:

Piece of art: It would have to be a portrait. A Lucian Freud, a Franz Gertsch, a Celia Paul.

Cologne: My husband’s.

Ice cream flavour: Vanilla! I have a test in a gelateria. If they can master vanilla, they can do anything.

Pen: I use pencils much more. My current pencil is a Blackwing 602 from Japan.

Bed linen: Crisp cotton, white.

Pizza: Margherita! It’s up there in the classic testing stakes with vanilla.

Cocktail for a party at home: I don’t drink, but I can make a decent martini.

Shampoo: Leonor Greyl.

Car: I no longer have one, but my 1969 Mercedes-Benz Pagoda is the best car I’ve ever owned.

Michael Rider, creative director, Celine

Rider, 44, did not have a traditional fashion education – he went to Brown University – but an early stint at Balenciaga under Nicolas Ghesquière followed by 10 years at Celine under Phoebe Philo and six years as creative director of Polo Ralph Lauren prepared him for his new post. He brought Celine back to the official runway after Hedi Slimane, his immediate predecessor, decided he would be beholden to no schedule but his own, and even brought Anna Wintour back to the front row. (Slimane had banned her from the house.) It’s the new open-door policy.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: Shorts.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit is: Their face.

I skimp on when buying: Condiments.

I splurge on: Fruits and vegetables.

I am never caught wearing: Sunscreen.

Item I will never give up: Dad’s ring.

My favourite:

Piece of art: A waiter’s tab signed by Picasso three times for my dad when he met him on a beach.

Cologne: Don’t wear it.

Stationery: Don’t have any.

Ice cream flavour: Coffee.

Pen: Sharpie.

Pizza: Pepperoni.

Dinner party main course: A roast chicken.

Cocktail to order at a bar: Bourbon, no ice.

Shampoo: Whatever my husband buys.

Car: My grandmother’s Bordeaux Cadillac.

Music for working out: Anything by Timbaland.

Flower for saying thank you: Wildflowers.

Matthieu Blazy, artistic director, Chanel

Blazy, 41, snagged the most coveted job in fashion in December after a six-month search by Chanel. He will be only the fourth designer in Chanel’s history, tasked with transforming the brand for a new generation. Most recently, he did exactly that for Bottega Veneta, with a fashion sleight of hand that made leather look like denim – and leather look like cotton, and leather look like flannel. Now, as he comes home to Paris, he is expected to work a similar alchemy on the pearls, camellias and CCs of the house that Coco built and Karl Lagerfeld redefined.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: Nothing.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit is: His or her smile.

I skimp on when buying: Things for myself.

I splurge on: Things for my twin sister.

I am never caught wearing: A printed T-shirt.

Item I will never give up: The broken Bulova Accutron watch my father gave me.

My favourite:

Piece of art: The Three Graces by Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Cologne: Vetiver.

Ice cream flavour: Stracciatella.

Pen: Staedtler HB2.

Bed linen: Always white.

Dinner party main course: Lemon chicken.

Cocktail to order at a bar: Negroni.

Car: Lowly Worm’s Apple Car.

Music for working out: 1990s Euro dance.

Flowers for saying thank you: Poppies.

Jonathan Anderson, creative director, Dior

Anderson, 40, made fashion history when he became the first Dior designer since Christian Dior himself to be in charge of both women’s and menswear for the house. (Moreover, Dior dabbled only in men’s pieces and never did a full collection, so in some ways, Anderson is a pioneer.) An 11-year stint at Loewe, where he took the brand from largely irrelevant to one of the hottest names in fashion, with an estimated $2 billion in revenue, convinced LVMH, which owns Dior, that Anderson was the man to unite the two sides of the couture house. If that were not a big enough gig, he’s still moonlighting as Luca Guadagnino’s costume designer.

I feel best wearing: Nothing.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit: Neckline.

I skimp on when buying: Clothing.

I splurge on: Art.

I am never caught wearing: Florals.

Item I will never let go of: A navy crew-neck sweater.

My favourite:

Piece of art: Paul Thek, Untitled (Diver).

Cologne: Cheap body deodorant.

Stationery: Lined paper.

Ice cream flavour: Vanilla.

Pen: Bic.

Bed linen: White cotton.

Pizza: Margherita.

Dinner party main course: Cottage pie.

Cocktail to order at a bar: Mezcal Mule.

Shampoo: Tea tree.

Car: Land Rover Defender 90.

Music for working out: Mashup of SoundCloud bad remixes.

Flowers for saying thank you: Potted orchids.

Demna, creative director, Gucci

Eyebrows were raised when the mononymic Demna, 44, announced that after a decade, he was leaving Balenciaga, the fashion house he had taken from ivory tower elegance to pop culture phenomenon, to try a turnaround at Gucci. The Georgian-born designer, who will split his time between Los Angeles and Milan, now has to prove he can achieve the rare feat of reinventing himself and his (new) house, not merely repeat himself. Fans like Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman and Michelle Yeoh will be watching.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: My own clothes.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit is: Colours.

I skimp on when buying: I don’t skimp on much.

I splurge on: Books and antique porcelain.

I am never caught wearing: Something I have not designed.

Item I will never give up: My wedding ring.

My favourite:

Piece of art: I have not seen one yet.

Cologne: Gucci Envy.

Ice cream flavour: Vanilla.

Pen: Bic.

Bed linen: White and starched.

Pizza: Margherita, especially if in Naples.

Dinner party main course: No idea.

Shampoo: Head & Shoulders.

Car: 1980 Black Lincoln Continental.

Music for working out: I listen to political podcasts when I work out.

Flowers for saying thank you: Pink peonies.

Joke: I don’t really know any jokes.

Duran Lantink, creative director, Jean Paul Gaultier

Lantink, 38, founded his namesake label in 2019, a year after Janelle Monáe wore his “vagina” pants in her “Pynk” music video. The Dutch designer won the Andam Special Prize in 2023 and LVMH’s Karl Lagerfeld Special Jury Prize in 2024, but it was a stunt during his fall 2025 ready-to-wear show – putting a topless man in a prosthetic female torso and vice versa – that made him internet famous. He shares a glee in thumbing his nose at propriety with the Gaultier founder, not to mention a facility for using fabric to reshape the body.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: White.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit is: Shoes.

I skimp on when buying: Clothes.

I splurge on: Books.

I am never caught wearing: Latex.

Item I will never give up: A 1990s White & Lethal trash shirt by Walter Van Beirendonck that I have since the age of 12.

My favourite:

Piece of art: Fountain by Marcel Duchamp.

Cologne: Brutus by Orto Parisi.

Ice cream flavour: Mocha.

Bed linen: Khasto Cotton Cashmere Collection.

Pizza: Pepperoni with oil picante.

Cocktail to order at a bar: Spicy margarita, extra spicy with Mezcal.

Shampoo: Melograno from Santa Maria Novella.

Car: Bike.

Music for working out: I play tennis, so no music.

Joke: Phone call pranks.

Simone Bellotti, creative director, Jil Sander

No one ever thought Swiss label Bally would be a must-see of Milan Fashion Week, but that’s what happened after Bellotti, 47, took over in 2022 after 16 years behind the scenes at Gucci. At Bally, his penchant for accessorising rigorous tailoring with strawberries and cowbells demanded that everyone look twice and should serve him well at Jil Sander, where he takes over from Luke and Lucie Meier.

I feel best wearing: Denim and a blue wool sweater.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit is: The face and shoes.

I skimp when buying: A mobile phone.

I splurge on: Records.

I am never caught wearing: Skinny pants.

Item I will never give up: My stereo at home.

My favourite:

Piece of art: Study After Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X by Francis Bacon.

Cologne: Geo. F. Trumper Curzon cologne.

Ice cream: Pistachio.

Pen: An old Parker Ciselè in silver from my father.

Pizza: Roman pizza at La Montecarlo in Rome.

Shampoo: I steal from Martina (wife).

Car: Black Saab 900 Turbo Coupé Aero.

Music for working out: Always music, but not for workout.

Flowers for saying thank you: for everything, buttercups.

Joke: More often others play jokes on me.

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, co-creative directors, Loewe

McCollough and Hernandez, both 47, became the latest Americans in Paris when they were handed the reins of Loewe earlier this year. As part of the deal, they stepped down from Proenza Schouler, the New York label they founded in 2002 (just after graduating from Parsons School of Design) and upped stakes for France, the better to concentrate on Loewe, where they are following in the (large) footsteps of Jonathan Anderson.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing:

McCollough: My old clothes.

Hernandez: New clothes.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit is:

McCollough/Hernandez: Shoes.

I skimp on when buying:

Hernandez: Toiletries.

McCollough: Socks.

I am never caught wearing:

McCollough: Jewellery.

Hernandez: Flip-flops.

Item I will never give up:

Hernandez: A small gold chain my mother gave me as a kid that I never take off.

McCollough: Our farmhouse in Massachusetts.

My favourite:

Piece of art:

McCollough/Hernandez: Impossible question to answer.

Stationery:

Hernandez/McCollough: Email.

Ice cream flavour:

Hernandez: Plain Vanilla.

McCollough: Hazelnut.

Pen:

Hernandez/McCollough: Pentel mechanical pencil 0.5.

Pizza:

Hernandez: Lucali in New York.

McCollough: Joe’s Pizza in New York.

Cocktail to order at a bar:

McCollough/Hernandez: Martini.

Car:

McCollough: Vintage Land Rover Defender.

Hernandez: Vintage Toyota Land Cruiser.

Music for working out:

McCollough/Hernandez: Podcasts mostly (in the rare occasion we do work out).

Flowers for saying thank you:

McCollough: Dahlias.

Hernandez: Peonies.

Glenn Martens, creative director, Maison Margiela

Like Martin Margiela, Glenn Martens, 42, is Belgian. Like Margiela, he went to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. (Martens graduated first in his class.) Like Margiela, he has a propensity for experimentalism and challenging classical ideas of beauty. Moreover, he is not just taking over the house that Margiela built, he is coming after John Galliano, the most recent creative director, and doing double duty at Diesel, for which he also designs.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: Black T-shirt and black denim.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit: Shoes.

I skimp on when buying: I buy my deodorant at the supermarket.

I splurge on: Food and drink.

I am never caught wearing: Socklets.

Item I will never give up: My jewellery: a ring that was my mother’s that she wore her whole life, even when she gave birth to my brother and me; another ring that was my dad’s engagement ring, which he received from my mother; and necklaces and trinkets from friends and past lovers. I never take any of them off.

My favourite:

Piece of art: St John Altarpiece by Hans Memling.

Cologne: Fumoir by Arte Profumi.

Stationery: A3 printouts.

Ice cream flavour: Cookie dough.

Bed linen: Anything freshly ironed.

Pizza: With artichoke.

Cocktail to order at a bar: Margarita.

Shampoo: Whatever stops balding.

Car: Whatever I can sleep in.

Music for working out: Never worked out in my life!

Miguel Castro Freitas, creative director, Mugler

Castro Freitas, 45, was catapulted from unknown to must-know overnight when he was chosen to succeed Casey Cadwallader at Mugler, the house that big shoulders, bigger spectacles and a perfume called Angel built. Still, the Portuguese designer and Central Saint Martins grad has Dior (under John Galliano), Saint Laurent and Dries Van Noten on his resume.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: Shorts.

The first thing I look at in another person’s outfit: Shoes.

I skimp on when buying: Clothes.

I splurge when buying: Books and the Criterion Collection films. (I’m old-school.)

I am never caught wearing: red.

Item I will never let go of: A black T-shirt.

My favourite:

Piece of art: “The Machine-Gunneress in a State of Grace” by Hans Bellmer.

Cologne: LAVS by Filippo Sorcinelli (the pope’s tailor), a base of incense with notes of cedar, leather and amber.

Ice cream flavour: Nocciola (hazelnut).

Pen: Pencil.

Dinner party main course: Roasted chicken and fingerling potatoes, with lots of garlic, onions and herbs.

Cocktail to order at a bar: St-Germain Spritz.

Car: I don’t drive and know nothing about cars. I love a bike.

Music for working out: Disco or house music.

Flowers for saying thank you: A combination of different seasonal flowers, especially if chosen from Debeaulieu, my favourite flower boutique in Paris.

Dario Vitale, creative director, Versace

The first Versace creative director who is not actually a Versace, Vitale, 41, comes to the fashion house after 14 years at Miu Miu, most recently as design director under Miuccia Prada during its period of explosive growth. His experience working with Mrs. P should stand him in good stead at Versace, since the Prada Group acquired the brand with the Medusa logo earlier this year.

Fill in the blank:

I feel best wearing: It’s not that I feel best wearing them, but it takes only one garment to feel dressed, like a pair of socks or maybe a few rings and an earring.

I skimp on: Most things.

I splurge on: Gestures. The memory of the response outlasts any object. Admittedly, I spend most money on flowers, especially strong-smelling ones like lily of the valley or helichrysum italicum.

I am never caught wearing: A watch.

My favourite:

Piece of art: A statue at Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, the Farnese Hercules. The beauty is that it’s just there, like a God among men. It’s Hercules, but a little relaxed with a quiet melancholy about him.

Cologne: I don’t really wear it. I prefer to scent the things around me – bedsheets, napkins – so I end up creating a kind of personal fragrance from the mix of everything in my space.

Pen: Black Paper Mate Flair, medium, for both sketching and writing.

Cocktail to order at a bar: I used to work at a bar in Brera – no frills, just a good old-fashioned bar, so I appreciate the simplicity of a vodka soda. Whichever vodka, whichever soda water, it’s impossible to mess up.

Flowers for saying thank you: I’ve been sending chamomile flowers lately. There’s nothing grand about chamomile, so it feels like an honest gesture – quite naked and vulnerable – but it’s an earnest way to say, “Sincerely, thank you.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Written by: Vanessa Friedman

Photographs by: Federico Sorrentino and Valerio Mezzanotti

©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES

More on fashion

Wellington’s Fashion Darlings Kowtow On Their Blueprint For The Future. Change is afoot for one of New Zealand’s most innovative fashion labels.

Fast Fashion Is Trying An Earth-Friendly Makeover. Is It Real? Here’s how to avoid getting fooled by greenwashing.

Designer Vince Ropitini Reasserts The Art Of Passive Resistance. The designer speaks about threading histories of protest together and the influence of contemporary Māori art.

Vintage And Second-Hand Wedding Dresses In NZ: Something Old Becomes Something New. Pre-loved bridal wear in New Zealand is seeing a surge of interest.