Fashion Week
McDonald's House Of Arches NYFW Event Showcased 2025’s Top Trends
Corp sleaze, the mob wife aesthetic, and plenty of sheer moments all made appearances on the runway.
New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025 is officially over, but the memories will continue to live rent-free in people’s minds. After all, it’s not like anyone could forget Julia Fox’s hyper-realistic breastplate at MAC’s NYFW kickoff event, all the stars at the NYLON Nights party, and all the stunning beauty looks.
To round out a week of all things style, McDonald’s hosted a grand finale event worthy of the biggest trendsetters in the business. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the fast food chain’s Change of Fashion program, the brand’s initiative that aims to improve Black representation in the fashion industry, put on its House of Arches runway show featuring five all-Black designers as they showcased their capsule collections.
Prior to the big reveals, McD’s held a cocktail hour that included themed drinks (think: a Golden Arches mocktail, with lime juice, ginger simple syrup, and pear nectar — *yum*) and a snack truck menu (featuring its iconic McNuggets, fries, cheeseburgers, and a selection of dips). The music and photo ops also helped set the tone for the evening ahead.
Then, it was time for the pièce de résistance: the fashion show. Below, you’ll see five of your fave trends at McDonald’s House of Arches presentation, from designers Larissa Muehleder, Nia Thomas, Durrell Dupard (Freddie Estelle), Heart Roberts (Hearthrob), and Shareef Mosby (Victim15).
1. Corpcore
Elsa Hosk’s go-to aesthetic made waves during the event. Muehleder’s collection had a selection of ties and bedazzled pantsuits and dresses; the designer herself even strutted down the catwalk in a no-pants blazer look.
Nia Thomas and Hearthrob also put their spins on corporate dressing. The main difference: where the former went the more traditional and demure route, the latter went full corp sleaze, inching up the long-sleeved pinstripe top to cover only the model’s bra.
2. (Faux) Fur Real
Hearthrob played around with two of the mob wife trend’s biggest components: leopard print and thick fur. Other brands forwent the animal print, but leaned into the fuzzy fave, with one Victim15 model wearing a pair of fluffy black heels, while Freddie Estelle’s Dupard rocked a couple of J.Lo-approved boots.
3. Asymmetrical Designs
What was once deemed cheugy is now making its way back into the fashion zeitgeist. Per Kylie Jenner and her recent quiet luxury trench, as well as Victim15’s own asymmetrical coat dress, the high-low trend of the early 2010s is cool again.
If Muehleder and Nia Thomas’ lineups were anything to go by, the rise of asymmetry won’t stop at outerwear — no-pants styles and even evening attire will apply the look to their sleeves (or lack thereof).
4. Sheer Bliss
The naked dress has a long-standing history, yet celebs keep finding new ways to push the boundaries of barely-there dressing. The same goes for fashion houses — at the big event, Muehleder, Victim15, and Nia Thomas served their best takes on the see-through trend in a variety of enviable iterations.
5. Cherry Red
Red was the standout color of the night, which, as one of McDonald’s two signature hues, was actually quite befitting for the House of Arches. Hearthrob’s Kill Bill-coded ‘fit, Nia Thomas’ fisherman dress, and Muehleder’s sheer mini were just some of the fire looks in the same exact shade.
