“2025… I don’t know what’s going on” was the disarming introduction to a trends seminar that proves that trend researcher David Shah doesn’t know exactly what’s going on at the moment, but he does provide valuable insights into the future of swimwear and Underwear for spring/summer 2025 has.
In a nearly two-hour-long trend seminar at Mare Di Moda, a stretch fabrics trade fair in Cannes, Shah presented his predictions for the swimwear of the future, taking into account social parameters, pop culture, various design elements and taking into account catwalk trends – and that everything with a huge pinch of humor, wit and self-irony. FashionUnited has summarized the five overarching themes for spring/summer 2025 chosen by the trend expert and the inspiration behind them for you.
Exuberant: The exuberant world of swimwear
“Swimwear is no longer for swimming,” with these seemingly contradictory words, Shah introduces the first trend topic of the lecture. The theme is called Exuberant and the exuberant name also says it all visually, because the swimwear that goes with it is intended for parties, festivals, cocktails and the pool, according to the expert. The first and most complicated trend for SS25, as Shah calls it, is glamorous, sexy and is characterized above all by fabrics unexpected for swimwear, extravagant design elements and fluorescent, loud colors, which the expert describes as “shape-shifting hypercolors”.
The “wonderfully escapist and optimistic” colors are used in pieces with transparent layers, ruffles, flounces and appliqués to achieve the look of “star allures”, says Shah. Sequins, lurex and a touch of couture should not be missing either, because This trend is all about remembering a bygone, more glamorous time and highlighting it in a new hyperreality. “It can be difficult, but you have to be open to a bit of glamor and glitz, even in these difficult times especially when it comes to accessories.”
Conscious: Swimwear is brought into consciousness
While cheerful, hyper-realistic, bright colors were previously the focus, the conscious trend relied on a muted color palette that adapts to the availability of resources. The movement takes the industry’s current focus on sustainability and transforms this into colors and textures.
Upcycling and recycling is not nearly as widespread in the swimwear sector as in other parts of the clothing industry, but washed-out délavé and threadbare effects have now also arrived in swimwear, as have off-cut effects, which were previously mostly reserved for the denim industry were. Of course, these are trends that are most applicable to small production facilities and studios rather than large productions, but it says something about the underlying sense of nostalgia and desire for craftsmanship, says Shah.
At Ease: Serenity meets romance and denim
According to Shah, people are currently looking for three things: comfort, serenity and romance – and the “At Ease” trend meets all three needs. The soft and neutral color palette with its beige, gray, taupe and baby blue tones offers a feeling of protection, comfort and empowerment, but what exactly does a bold red do among these colors? Well, first of all, because Shah wants a bang, as he joked during his presentation, but mostly because romance is back in business. The red, as well as small but fine details such as unexpected cut-outs, subtle decorations and shape that follows function, make what at first glance appears to be a minimalist trend into something special. “This trend is all about the subtle things, like a little bit of ruffles and details in places you don’t expect them and all the lacing that’s a little longer. It’s about basics with a twist and there’s inclusion, but with a technical component.”
A denim look also contributes to this, hence the blue in the palette, because according to Shah, denim could also play a role in swimwear for spring/summer 2025. “There is no escape from denim, so I’m not saying use denim fabrics, but the whole concept of denim jersey, denim knit, indigo, all these things are becoming very, very important,” explains the expert.
Magical: Between nature and provocation
Although moss may not initially seem like the most fashionable of natural phenomena, the green plant is considered one of the biggest inspirations behind Shah’s fourth trend, Magical. “Everyone loves moss. And if you don’t collect moss, you become spiritual,” says the trend researcher, who with these words lays the foundations for this trend and its nature-inspired color palette. The colors are reminiscent of the diversity of a forest floor, from brown tones to khaki and various shades of green to dark purple tones, while materials often come from regenerative fibers such as mycelium, hemp and raffia.
This nature-loving palette is mixed with a pinch of Gothic, shamanism and fetishism. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of lace, often in the form of layering, chiffon and a homage to the so-called mini-crinis by Vivienne Westwood. Flowers and colors are not used as such, but are reminiscent of a ghost of themselves, slightly faded or “bleeding” or “fading”.
Transformed: 90s energy meets AI
Nowadays, no trend seminar would be complete without a discussion of technologies and artificial intelligence. Shah’s fifth and final trend, Transformed, is a colorful, ’90s rave-esque and growing digital trend because “the product can be boring, but if you present it in an AI-generative way, then it becomes sexy “, said the expert. In terms of color, this palette is reminiscent of a digital malfunction, a “glitch” in the system. They are youthful, diffuse and sophisticated, but above all playful – in the truest sense of the word, because the world of gaming plays a key role in this trend.
“It’s happy, it’s playful, it’s exciting, it’s individual, it’s really AI-generated, it’s 3D printed,” says Shah, introducing the fifth trend and presenting bright, rubbery and eccentric materials that could be rethought and repurposed for swimwear. For once, more is more, with inspiration derived from manga, cartoons, wild fantasies and the street style of Tokyo-based Harajuku style.
“I know it looks crazy, but you have to realize that this is something that consumers, especially young consumers, want,” said Shah, speaking to the Diverse and Colorful Sea of colors and textures before ending his presentation with a smiley-embellished children’s swimsuit and the words “Let’s go back to the old days of smileys” and a big smile.
FashionUnited was invited to visit Mare Di Moda in Cannes.