Everything is in the details! 5 Catwalk-Inspired Denim Outfits to Try at the Spring/Summer Shows

An interesting thing happened when I was looking through the Spring/Summer ’25 collections. As I scoured the runways for denim trends, I became less obsessed with them. leg shape (still baggy btw) and washes (true blue) and more in detail shots. Admittedly, I’m interested (obsessed?) with choices that help a brand distinguish his jeans from all others. (Have you ever noticed, for example, that Stella McCartney likes to mark the J-stitch with a rivet?) In my search for these tiny gems, I ended up striking an entire outfit with gold.

Bear with me as what follows is an unusual exercise in dressing from the catwalk to reality… A way to read the collections that inspires something brand new centered around–my favorite–jeans. It was the men’s look at Bottega Veneta (Look 19) that first got me thinking: what would happen if I pulled out individual elements and themes of fabrics in close-up and applied them to shopping? I was bold about the style, sticking to the color palette, abandoning direct imitation for free interpretation. Okay, in some cases the translation was more literal (woven leather loafer to woven leather ballet flat). But I did a lot of improvisation, allowing, for example, a maxi skirt to replace the wide legs when the wash was appropriate. The most fun was turning the accessories (crocheted flowers, chevron bag) into bright sweaters. The result looks so comfortable, relevant and cute.

Below are five memories from the Spring/Summer 2025 collections that caught my eye and inspired me to wear something very current and new.

Indigo art and craft crochet

Knitted flowers make this look so exciting. I wanted to create a similar bouquet by combining a hand-knit sweater with a brooch pinned to a trench coat. As long as the denim is true blue, any fit will do.

Correct English with a bow on top

The floral hem on these jeans was just begging to be a blouse, and the key was finding one with a black background. The pointe socks smoothly transform into a sweet sweater with sleeves. I took a close-up look outside and added a red accessory just for fun.

Catwalk: Chanel

Feathered Tops and Robin’s Egg Blues

As much as I loved the flowing chiffon cape, the first thing to do was find something more comfortable to wear. This one from Toteme balances out the wide leg of the jeans – it’s suitable for daytime and also suitable for holiday parties.

Catwalk: Ralph Lauren

Chevron and Chambray all the way

This Ralph Lauren look has a lot going for it: the bag’s bamboo handle and chevron print; rope belt, paisley scarf. To make this outfit work right now, I directed the print of the bag onto the sweater and everything fell into place. If not as a hair accessory, a scarf can easily be tied around a bag handle like this one Claire W.

A classic with an everyday cool touch

Inspired by the look of the Sacai 9, I thought the sneaker would go well with the boot. Mixing metals is also a must for this look — gold buttons, silver jewelry. To tone things down even more (besides the top), I suggest looking at her lip color—how gorgeous! — and apply them to accessories. Try a delicate sock (eg it or it) for a romantic contrast.