Denim trends: the newest washes and finishes for SS25

As we look ahead to update denim for the SS25 season, the intersections of handcrafting, expression, and sustainability are breathing new life into the beloved, and ever popular, staple. Especially in the case of washes and finishes, which remain consistent focal points of newness and interest. From new takes on distressing to deeply saturated indigo dyes, designers and suppliers are harnessing these emerging washes and finishes for denims, ensuring outcomes will remain both wearable and relevant to growing markets. Having lastly influence into the year ahead. Consider these curated call-outs as a catalyst for what’s to come.

Timeless features

Suppliers are going through great lengths to break away from the rapid churn of social media backed trend cycles and instead are pushing the industry to focus on quality and timeless value for denim washes and finishes. Well crafted and uncomplicated, both heavy weight and lighter chambray style denims will continue to remain essential this season—featuring a wide range of wash varieties from super dark overdyes to "almost white" blue washes, the goal here is to embrace a sense of ease and wearability that feels universal. Leaning into this uncomplicated focus, designers are also prioritizing a refreshing sense of practicality for denims. On recent runways the bulk of collections preferred clean surfaces, as highlighted by 16 Arlington and Sacai, but subtle fades and whiskering, key features at Tommy Hilfiger, were also considered—delivering a casual refinement to sturdy surfaces.

Romantic Adornment

A soft impression of adornment is rapidly gaining traction, merging the romantic beauty of handcrafting with drama dressing for novel denims. Through small detailing or all over treatments, denim suppliers, in particular Isko, Outside, Fashionart, and Sharabati, are continuing to unveil assortments with finishes that are elaborate, dainty, and heirloom-inspired with their usage of floral discharge motifs, ethereal pastel dyes and pieced material mixing as a way to soften denim's sturdy's characteristics in favor of a more feminine focus. Across SS25 runways the most notable confirmations of this shift materialized with the return of jacquard inspired embroideries and devoré burnout effects, deeply reflecting a new era of denim novelty in womenswear.

Playful Expressivity

In desperate need of a mood boost, designers and suppliers are gravitating towards new expressions of denim creativity with artistic and joy-packed techniques that stand out to elevate good vibes. Pushing back on classic design codes layered, embellished and dye obsessed surfaces are transforming otherwise simple fabrics into witty and fantastical works of art worth treasuring. On the runways optimism was back in full force, with dazzling high shine surfaces and velveted finishes that extended into denim ranges at Schiaparelli and Stella McCartney.
From a supplier standpoint, finishers like Garmon are pushing the bounds of creative freedom particularly through metallic coating techniques where PFD fabrics are carefully dyed then finished with metallic foils for a one-of-a-kind, almost painterly effect for buyers.

Rough & Ready

One of the most notable seasonal shifts in finish for SS25 is taking shape in the form of grungier and gritter denim surfaces. With edgier effects broadening their reach, even luxury houses like Burberry and Balenciaga are interpreting their take on toughness and defiance into directional denim looks. Seamlessly transitioning from casual to formal settings, depending on the amount of dye or distressing applied, the angsty denim aesthetic of the past is now being updated with a more actionable and relatable outlook. At Diesel for example, denim was once again taken to new heights, hosting their SS25 collection in a sea of waste. Known for their creative, oftentimes extreme, denim takes, this season the brand’s creative director Glenn Martens wanted to highlight the complexities of circularity in fashion and Diesel’s commitment to beautifying the process with an impressive reimagining of archival fabrics, laser distressing, and a show set that was covered in 14,800 kg of denim scraps that would later be repurposed into future collections. Similarly, the repurposed and repaired focus with pattern-forming frays, patchworking and aggressive chemical washes was also a major highlight at Ferrari and KNWLS.

Given the growing versatility and expansiveness of denim styles across suppliers and designers, it's no surprise that SS25 is shaping up to be one of the most directional wash and finish seasons to date.

FS is a creative futures agency that helps leading consumer-facing brands around the world unlock innovation and propel growth. Through a combination of human and artificial intelligence, we analyze cultural shifts and interpret detected patterns in order to surface trend-driven business opportunities. Learn more at Fashionsnoops.com.