From Paris to Seoul: The AW25 adventures of men's fashion

A yearning for experience and escape from the everyday. For autumn/winter 2025, the urban jungle gives way to the wilderness, where modern cowboys and knights saddle up. Or was it all just a dream? The stories told by menswear designers in Paris, Milan, Berlin, Seoul, and New York provide the answers.

Modern medieval

The journey through time begins in the Middle Ages, a tale of heroes and mystical characters. Designers catapult the trends of knights and elves into the modern era, where they encounter contemporary cuts and materials.

The absolute pioneer of this movement is Marie Lueder, who is known for integrating this bygone era and its personalities into her collections. While this season she explored 21st-century archetypes like the hooligan and the decadent romantic, the Middle Ages continued to play a role. Werewolves appeared as prints and in the styling, via long, pointed fingernails and "blood-smeared teeth". The Hamburg-born designer also incorporated a hybrid pullover-monk's hood, a recurring element in past collections.

A less sporty yet similar hooded overgarment was seen at Ziggy Chen. The Chinese designer, however, combined the accessory with more classic and workwear-oriented looks. The restrained colour palette, fabric choices and garments like double-breasted shirts and a short jacket evoked the image of a medieval craftsman, such as a miller.

Meanwhile, Kiko Kostadinov united modern sportswear and workwear with this medieval mystical world. The resulting characters seemed to emerge from a video game, where these two stylistic references blended naturally rather than clashing. A colour palette reminiscent of brightly-hued 90s tracksuits met oversized scarves resembling capes. Elf-like makeup and hairstyling, heraldic prints, and medieval hoods completed the London-based designer's collection.

For New York-based designer Carolina Sarria, everything revolved around the crown. The rather punky collection, which carried a DIY feel, featured classic heraldic animals like lions and dragons, along with the crown, as recurring prints. Splashes of colour, chunky boots, tartan and patchwork highlighted the juxtaposition of medieval and punk influences.

New cowboys

As in previous seasons, the cowboy look was a key theme in AW25 collections. While some brands like Sean Suen focused on looks reminiscent of classic Wild West attire, others reinterpreted the style.

Swedish brand Acne Studios incorporated typical cowboy elements like denim, boots and large belt buckles, but combined them with a cropped pink T-shirt and a fitted jacket. Streetwear brand Kidsuper, known for its imaginative designs, also utilised such accessories. Belt buckles and bolo ties were given a playful twist. Meanwhile, French label Ami experimented with the bandit silhouette, revealing a bright yellow shirt with a matching neckerchief beneath a long, heavy coat.

Bluemarble romanticised the rural lifestyle with T-shirt slogans like "Countryside is for lovers". The French brand integrated the cowboy trend through fringed leather trousers, jeans tucked into brown leather boots and floral embroidery reminiscent of cowboy shirts.

Outdoor adventurers

Brands also ventured beyond the ranch, drawing inspiration from more than just cowboy workwear. Layered workwear looks in dark colours played a central role, evidenced by utility jackets and vests with multiple pockets. For this, fashion brands relied on specialists.

Japanese luxury brand Sacai collaborated once again with Carhartt Work In Progress, the streetwear offshoot of the eponymous workwear brand, for various jackets and sweaters, while fellow countryman Junya Watanabe went hunting with Filson. The Japanese designer leveraged the expertise of the American outdoor supplier for plaid shirts and outerwear reminiscent of North American hunters. Beneath the many layers of Watanabe's workwear looks, a patterned shirt and tie always peeked through.

After work, it was time for hiking or camping. While some brands like Emporio Armani focused on the proper attire for an outdoor adventure with appropriate waterproof clothing, others experimented with equipment. Everyday objects like quilts at Kidsuper and entire tents at Japanese label Kookaburra and Korean brand Lie were on display. Buckle closures and backpack straps complemented this approach.

Bundling up

To ward off the icy nighttime temperatures, several brands also considered appropriate attire. From dressing gowns adorned with cartoon motifs and hot water bottles at Doublet to fluffy blanket- and pillow-inspired looks at Parisian streetwear brand 3.Paradis, designers demonstrated how to bundle up in style.

London-based designer Andrej Gronau, meanwhile, had nostalgic dreams for his Berlin debut, recalling his grandmother's home. The kitsch-infused collection offered wool sweaters with floral prints, whose colour combinations could easily be imagined as a grandmother's blanket.

Fur jackets

This season, no menswear fashion week could escape the use of faux fur jackets. From the cowhide-like vest with a faux fur hood at Italian fashion house Prada to the urban two-piece set of hooded jacket and shorts at Kidsuper to the off-the-shoulder coat at Berlin label GmbH, there was something for everyone.

David Koma utilised the fur look for a large part of his menswear collection. In addition to various long jackets and coats, accessories such as hats, belts, ties, and even a coffee cup holder were also on display.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.DE. It was translated to English using AI.

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