Is this Hermès?
Is this Prada??
Is this Loewe???
Why are these luxury brands suddenly so reluctant to flaunt their status?
The Spring/Summer 2025 Men’s Fashion Week has truly been a battle of the titans. Not only are the luxury brands showcasing bags with impeccable aesthetics, but they’re also embracing subtlety in their designs. They’re simplifying their looks to such an extent that they’ve almost forgotten to include their logos!
Hermès
Who wouldn’t fall for the soft, rosy hues of Hermès menswear?
With an increased focus on gentle color palettes and romantic details, how can one resist the charm of this new Hermès man?
Each Hermès menswear show offers a unique experience, and this time, it’s given us a fresh perspective on traditional formal menswear design.
First, let’s talk about the bag designs. Hermès has taken understatement to a whole new level in their men’s collection this season.
Take a look at this new flagship bag model. If you weren’t told it was Hermès, would you be able to guess?
The design is minimalism personified. You won’t find a single logo on the entire bag, not even a heat-stamped nameplate. It’s as if they “couldn’t be bothered” to include one.
Of course, this contributes to the bag’s ultimate simplicity. The base of the bag uses the same design as the Birkin, making it very structured. However, the opening features a full leather flap, accented with metal clasps on both sides, resulting in an incredibly streamlined look.
For those who appreciate understated elegance, this bag is a perfect choice. It comes in multiple colors and exudes a strong intellectual vibe, giving off an air of luxury without ostentation.
As for the new Hac, it continues to impress with its good looks and understated luxury.
This season also introduces many practical handbag styles, all designed with the same restrained aesthetic. Even the color palette sticks to predominantly dark hues.
While many designers are focusing on creating dreamlike, fantastical fashion, Hermès, a brand that one might expect to build towering castles of luxury, remains firmly grounded in reality. They continue to design new-age gentlemen’s wear that meets practical needs and fits seamlessly into daily life.
Though the overall style is gentlemanly, it doesn’t compromise on casualness or romance.
Bright pink hues paired with utility jackets, blazers, and shirts in various practical cuts seem like a promise from the designer to Hermès men this summer – soft yet wearable.
A closer look reveals a series with collar designs reminiscent of lazily tied bow ties, paired with simple white tees. This combination exudes an air of top-quality casualness that’s both lively and adorable.
The galloping horse motif adds boundless imagination to this season’s collection, working alongside a system of everyday pieces constructed from solid colors to support the Hermès man.
We often ponder the meaning of life, but looking back at Hermès, perhaps life’s meaning lies in finding those small moments of happiness amidst the ordinary.
Prada
Prada: No need to “iron clothes” when going out anymore!
Have you noticed that the clothes in Prada’s latest Spring/Summer 2025 men’s show have a nostalgic feel reminiscent of our parents’ era?
“Wrinkled”
What once seemed like an intolerable detail – “shrinkage” – can now become fashionable. At first glance, you might think the designer got lazy, but upon closer inspection, you’ll find it quite intriguing.
Let’s start with this season’s new bags. The currently popular Prada men’s Buckle bag has been upgraded again, with the strap now adorned with studs, adding a punk flair.
As for the newly released handbags, waist bags, and other new styles:
The designs have been stripped back to their original forms, without any superfluous embellishments. Without the logo, it would be hard to recognize these as Prada.
At the same time, Raf has incorporated off-season suede into the new collection. I suppose this is a form of rebellion for the intellectuals.
Continuing with this season’s ready-to-wear, the deepest impression I got was a sense of texture and memory weathered by time. It’s as if you’re in such a hurry to put on the clothes that you don’t even have time to iron out the wrinkles on the surface.
Although visually it might trigger some “OCD” tendencies, you’d still stubbornly protect it. Because every detail, inside and out, is a connection to family, a representation of blood-is-thicker-than-water nostalgia.
Wrinkled clothes are all too familiar in daily life. Normally, we’d choose to iron them out. But in Prada’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons chose the most “intimate” design approach, preserving these original traces and even emphasizing these details on the garments.
The look that left the deepest impression on me was this gray suit.
What attracted me most about this suit was its surface texture and wrinkle design. It gives a sense of accumulation through time’s ups and downs and life’s hardships. Compared to traditional flat suits, this realistic representation is more eye-catching. All these design elements are achieved within the space of the garment itself.
When you wear it, you won’t be bothered by the wrinkles. It’s a kind of relaxed feeling akin to that of an intellectual. After all, the best bonus points come from your rich experiences, and items that display your true state might actually make people applaud your honesty.
This season’s “shrunk” designs in ready-to-wear are quite interesting too. This tightened design that hugs the body’s curves serves as a warning against the current oversized trend.
The so-called relaxed feel of intellectuals doesn’t rely on merely increasing size, but on presenting the most real version of oneself in reality.
Just like the collar of the blue top’s faux two-piece design:
Or the dyed body of the striped shirt.
Compared to piling on elements for the sake of glamour, I prefer this kind of authentic, intimate design that reflects reality.
Loewe
What game is Loewe playing with their Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection?
Many netizens are scratching their heads, as the uniform feather headpiece designs in this show are already enough to give one a “headache.”
However, from my perspective, Loewe’s collection this season is outstanding. Its charm lies in its ability to present eye-catching designs at just the right moment.
These handbags might look somewhat “casual,” but that doesn’t diminish their appeal one bit.
This handbag may look simple:
But the minimalist round handle design and the compressed thickness of the bag allow the body to showcase its texture to the fullest extent. Whether carried by hand:
Or worn crossbody, it’s very stylish.
The long-beloved Puzzle handbag has been upgraded once again, this time appearing even more luxurious with the addition of premium materials.
Additionally, Wang Yibo, who recently became Loewe’s global brand ambassador, attended this grand show.
His colorful outfit from the Fall/Winter 2024 collection was truly stunning.
This ready-to-wear piece is challenging both in design and in how to wear it. The layering of pants, polo shirt, and short-sleeve top adds a sense of asymmetry to the original garment. However, Wang Yibo balanced the weight of this look well by using a structured suit and work boots, allowing the colors to be displayed most vividly.
In this new collection, Anderson once again showcased his whimsical side. All models wore feather headpieces on their faces, giving a fresh and ethereal feeling.
The metallic armor-like outfits set the tone for this season’s ready-to-wear, being both self-expressive and highly protective.
The outfits wrapped in scarves printed with the Loewe logo are exaggerated yet not lacking in tension, making for a stylish undershirt beneath suits.
On the suit jackets, the designer blurred the notched lapels, making them almost invisible at first glance. Combined with a deeper V-neck, this adds a more sensual air to this conventional item.
Double belts, inverted trouser labels, tri-color collars and cuffs, and other design details left a deep impression on me.
Anderson always manages to stand on the foundation of traditional dressing aesthetics and break the rules, using new structural adjustments and detail upgrades to define entirely new styles.
One dares to wear, the other dares to design. How could such individuals, born for creativity, not be a perfect match?
The shift from complex to simple designs in luxury handbags reflects two aspects. On one hand, it demonstrates designers’ confidence in their brand power. On the other hand, it encourages luxury enthusiasts to reassess the value that luxury goods bring to us, beyond the logo.
Whether it’s handbags or ready-to-wear, for people, the greater value lies in their “use”. The increasing simplicity actually allows us to better grasp the essence behind luxury goods.
An item with a more prominent logo might enhance our social status more strongly. However, a low-key item that doesn’t rely on a logo to stand out in the market isn’t necessarily inferior.
Regarding this trend, what’s your assessment?
Hermès and Prada: Luxury Brands Going Incognito? The Surprising New Trend in Designer Bags!
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