Innovation, internationalisation and emerging talent define Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid SS25

The 80th edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid concluded on Monday, September 16 with the city's runway shows, marking the end of five days filled with presentations and immersive experiences. Some of the most prominent names in Spanish fashion outlined the trends set to characterise the upcoming Spring/Summer 2025 season.

Organised by Ifema Madrid, the event continues to solidify its position as a benchmark within the global fashion landscape, championing the internationalisation of the catwalk and resolutely supporting national emerging talents through its Fashion Talent and Allianz Ego Confidence in Fashion awards.

In this analysis, we will explore the highlights of this edition, emerging trends, and the influencing factors shaping consumer expectations within Spain’s fashion industry.

New voices and awards on the Madrid catwalk

MBFW Madrid's first day opened with the runway show from the students from the UDIT school of design, innovation and technology, who presented their ‘Parallel Worlds’ collection. The show delved into profound values such as nostalgia, the transition between childhood and adulthood, and contemporary social issues. It demonstrated a fusion of creativity, innovation, and social commitment, marking them as part of fashion's future.

Within this context of celebrating new voices, on the evening of Sunday, September 15th, the young Madrid talent Alejandre was awarded the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talent prize for the best emerging brand at MBFW Madrid. Mallorcan designer Alineo Studio won the Allianz Ego Confidence in Fashion award.

Among those honoured at this 80th edition were the brands Pedro del Hierro and Isabel Sanchis, along with model Pino Montesdeoca, who received the L'Oréal Paris awards for Best Collection —a recognition granted for the first time to two brands— and Best Model, respectively.

Despite her professional debut at the age of 54, Pino Montesdeoca has become one of the most prominent figures at recent editions of Madrid Fashion Week. This edition, she shared the runway with other renowned models like the curvy Sevillian Lorena Durán, who received this award in September 2022.

However, even though more body types are walking the runway and —especially— models of different ages, the portrayal of women on the catwalk remains limited. This lack of diversity reflects the need to broaden beauty standards within the Spanish fashion industry.

The emerging designer circuit seems to be leading this change with more inclusive casting and disruptive proposals. This reflects a clear trend towards a more relaxed and unisex style, in addition to the more performative shows seen on the Allianz Ego catwalk.

Sustainable fashion and timeless elegance: The new era of Spanish design

Significant progress has been made in terms of sustainability. Increasingly, Spanish brands are embracing sustainability as a fundamental pillar of their work, valuing slow fashion and craftsmanship in contrast to the prevailing fast fashion model. One such example is SKFK, which combines contemporary design with a strong environmental conscience, utilising recycled materials and responsible practices like upcycling in its manufacturing processes.

This trend has manifested generally in a subtle and restrained use of prints, prioritising timeless elegance and understated luxury. Statement pieces, though often in neutral tones like nude, white, and black, are far from forgettable and become long-lasting essentials in our wardrobes.

The use of soft, ethereal colours goes hand-in-hand with an influence from the world of ballet, which has persisted for several seasons in the form of light, voluminous skirts paired with bows and lace.

Despite the dominance of neutrals, pops of colour remain essential. Passionate red has established itself as the favourite for completing any look.

Lime green, the star of the "brat summer" proclaimed by Charlie XCX, has also found its place on the catwalks for those seeking a Spring/Summer 2025 season that is anything but conventional.

We also saw the first hints of Transformative Teal, the colour of the year 2026 according to WGSN and Coloro. This shade, situated between blue and green, was chosen for its way of "championing the importance of a mindset centred on our planet Earth," further reinforcing the connection between the digital and the terrestrial.

Among the Great Fashion Capitals

Demonstrating MBFW Madrid's ongoing commitment to expanding its global footprint and gaining influence on the world stage of fashion, American designer Michael Costello took to the Madrid catwalk. This marked the second step in a surprising foray into Spain, which began with him dressing the duo ‘Nebulossa’ for their performance representing Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

This edition also continued the collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Week, bringing emerging designer Tomas Nemec to the Madrid runway.

A key difference between this event and other international fashion weeks is the opportunity to experience the shows firsthand. This approach departs from the almost inaccessible nature of events in larger fashion capitals, which tend to be restricted to industry professionals, corporate events, and celebrities. This reinforces the foundation of MBFW Madrid as a showcase rather than solely a business event.

Maintaining the balance between accessibility and professionalism is crucial to ensuring that the event remains relevant to both the general public and industry professionals.

Ticket prices range from 45 euros for a single show to 950 euros for a VIP experience that includes three shows per day.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.ES, translated and edited to English.

It was translated using an AI tool called Gemini 1.5.

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