The annual accolade celebrating American design has returned; this edition recognized three brands that reflect technical excellence and the philosophy of quiet luxury.
Marianieves Tejeda
Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Dolce & Gabbana reinforced their love for visible logos. Meanwhile, Versace returned to its baroque prints and the characteristic shine of its DNA.
The American Museum of Natural History in New York became the awards venue for the CFDA Fashion Awards 2025, the gala that celebrates the best of American design, where three brands were the great protagonists: Thom Browne, Ralph Lauren, and The Row. All were recognized for something that seems almost antagonistic to the algorithm: their commitment to discreet elegance. An elegance expressed in the subtlety of the cuts, the sober color palette, and the contained use of the logo.
And although none of them needs to shout their name, each possesses an unmistakable visual identity and reputation. The so-called quiet luxury is not just a trend but an attitude. It represents the maturity of consumption less compulsion and more permanence, thus valuing the garment for its construction and history, not for the weight of its name.
This is a clear message and perhaps a direct response to the recent wave of maximalism that is once again sweeping European runways. During the latest fashion weeks, Gucci, under the creative direction of Demna Gvasalia, opted to resurrect “logomania,” double Gs, shiny leather, and a touch of nostalgia for the excess that defined another era.
However, Balenciaga surprised by taking an unexpected turn: it left the noise behind and explored more sober and structured lines, recovering the purity of its heritage and flirting with quiet luxury from an almost introspective perspective. Meanwhile, American fashion seems to be seeking to recover its calm.
Brands like Ralph Lauren and The Row remind us, with their classic romanticism, timeless vision, and impeccable construction, that true luxury doesn’t need to shout its name. And this is where the real debate opens: Can quiet luxury survive the allure of the logo? Because, deep down, both respond to the same impulse: the urge to be seen and to belong.
The logo screams “look at me,” while quiet luxury whispers, “if you know, you know.” Both strategies communicate status, but they do so for different audiences. One seeks immediate visibility; the other, the complicity of those who appreciate detail and share more subtle codes.
The tension between both worlds is not new, and today, that conversation returns, but with a generational nuance. The newer, more conscious audiences, tired of fast consumption and digital noise, seem to lean toward a more contained aesthetic. But even they flirt with the theatricality of logos when nostalgia returns.
In fact, some brands have managed to play between both extremes. Chanel, for example, presented a waterproof jacket that discreetly reveals the maison’s logo when wet, invisible under the sun, visible in the rain. A perfect metaphor for how fashion can speak softly and still get noticed.
Perhaps true elegance lies right there, in knowing when to speak and when to be silent. Because, amidst so much noise and ephemeral trends, what remains is not the logo or the label, but the emotion of a well-made garment. In the end, fashion needs both extremes—the excess, to remind us of its theatricality, and the silence, to remind us of its art.
