Sportmax’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection arrived with a clarity that felt both fresh and familiar, reaffirming the brand’s legacy of challenging norms while grounding itself in the tactile allure of texture and form. Set against the haunting backdrop of Milan‘s Rotonda della Besana – a former paupers’ graveyard turned cultural landmark – the show reflected the collection’s ethos of transforming the ordinary into something strikingly vibrant.
Since its debut in 1969, Sportmax has championed ready-to-wear as a canvas for experimentation. This season, that spirit returned with a vengeance. The design team abandoned storytelling in favour of pure, unapologetic craftsmanship. Closed-loop silhouettes dominated, reimagining everyday staples through inventive construction. Handkerchief dresses made from a single piece of jersey looped between the legs defied expectations of structure. Silk frocks featured panels that protruded sharply before wrapping around the neck, creating movement without excess.
Texture played a subtle but central role. Denim-like shirts and trucker jackets turned out to be intricate imitations, their surfaces embossed with crocodile patterns or faux fur finishes. A sleeveless minidress composed of laser-cut strips of organza cascaded into delicate fringes, blurring the line between clothing and art. Outerwear leaned towards the dramatic: double-knit woollen trenches with overcaps trimmed in fringe, paired with built-in scarves that twisted into graphic statements.
The show’s press notes echoed Sportmax’s founding mission to act as a ‘catalyst for the ready-to-wear revolution‘. Fall/Winter 2025 honoured that legacy through hyper-reinvention. Collars on shearling jackets and leather dresses stretched skyward, while boots slouched with deliberate imperfection. Accessories, such as foldover bags embellished with sleek ‘S‘ hardware, balanced utility with flair.
What stood out was the brand’s refusal to chase trends. Instead, Sportmax doubled down on its identity, embracing exaggerated details that felt purposeful. Fringes trembled from sleeves and hems, adding kinetic energy without clutter. Faux shearling wraps, indented with reptilian textures, elevated simplicity to luxury. The result was a collection built for impact, both in person and through the lens of a screen.
Sportmax’s resurgence felt timely. At a time when fashion often prioritises concept over wearability, the Fall/Winter 2025 line-up proved that innovation need not come at the expense of function. Garments whispered practicality – the exaggerated volume of a wool coat, the clever drape of a silk dress – while screaming creativity. This was Sportmax at its most confident, channeling five decades of reinvention into looks that felt rooted in history yet urgent in their modernity.
©Photo: Sportmax
