Retailers welcome price cuts on designer menswear for spring 2025

Are the high prices of designer fashion and luxury streetwear becoming a reality?

Retailers are welcoming the arrival of a group of menswear brands at lower prices in spring 2025 at a time when many aspirational customers are shut out of the market.

“Brands are becoming more cautious and reassessing their pricing strategies, especially in light of inflation,” said Alice Feillard, men’s buying director at Galeries Lafayette in Paris. “Many brands are stabilizing or lowering prices between fall 2024 and spring 2025.”

She believes it’s a smart move, given the need to target mostly local customers who are affected by economic uncertainty.

“If they raise prices too much, brands risk losing the ‘aspiring’ shoppers they need to grow the luxury market, which cannot rely solely on wealthy overseas customers such as Chinese customers who now travel less,” she said.

In covering the spring 2025 collections, WWD found that many brands, including 44 Label Group, 1017 Alyx 9SM and AMC Aldo Maria Camilo, recognized the tough times and offered deep price cuts as a way to increase the appeal of their brands.

“It’s important to take into account that end customers tend to be more conservative when it comes to spending money on emerging designers,” said Camillo, who in the spring launched a capsule collection made in Italy from recycled polyester at a price point about 40 percent lower than his previous collection. “Customers are aware that some brands are often too expensive, so it’s important to keep prices competitive.”

Additionally, Camilo is broadly committed to improving transparency and sustainability.

“I’m speaking to a customer who doesn’t necessarily think that high price equates to quality or luxury,” he said in an interview. “Rather, I’m trying to communicate shared values ​​and a new sense of luxury that’s centered around beauty, sustainability and a commitment to good quality at an affordable price.”

In his view, the key is “finding reliable suppliers, minimizing shipping costs and sourcing sustainable and innovative fabrics at a fair cost. Zero waste in production is another strategy to keep prices down.”

Ahmet Ocal, chief merchandising officer at Turkish retailer Beymen, said some brands were adding new series of entry-level products to expand their customer base, while others were responding to changing trends.

“Streetwear has been losing popularity for the past few seasons, and some brands are taking the necessary steps to survive in this environment,” he said. “This strategy may be beneficial for brands to reach target customers who want to wear certain branded clothes but cannot afford them.”

Recently, many fashion brands have rushed into the ultra-luxury sector in an attempt to capture the growing segment of ultra-rich consumers.

“Thanks to the quiet luxury trend, high-quality and creative brands are still doing well, but we are seeing resistance to prices among customers, especially from luxury fashion brands whose collection structures and silhouettes are driven by current trends,” Ocal said. “Today, functionality and top quality are the essence.”

He noted that male consumers seem to be willing to accept higher prices when it comes to footwear, but not when it comes to ready-made clothes.

Meanwhile, in the accessories category, “men’s brands are investing in affordable leather goods, hats, scarves and sunglasses,” Feillard said.

Elena Cappellini, head of menswear at Italy’s Luisa Via Roma, agreed that male customers are looking for high quality and strong brand identity, and certain staples such as Maison Margiela shoes are bucking the slowdown in luxury spending.

“Shopping has become more conscious and targeted, and purchasing power has slowed,” she said, “although brands with a strong identity like Rick Owens and brands with high hype and demand like The Row are doing well and price doesn’t seem to be an issue for the end customer, especially in certain categories.”

Cappellini said luxury brands were generally sticking to their strategy of increasing prices despite the changing consumer environment, but noted there were some exceptions, such as Sacai and Etro, that could appeal to a wider customer base.

But the retailer has noticed a drop in menswear prices of around 10-15 percent in the contemporary segment of the market, especially in its jersey products, which cater to a larger customer base with different purchasing power. At LuisaViaRoma, for example, T-shirts from a range of brands, from Ami and Jacquemus to Acne Studio and Casablanca, are selling for between 150 and 300 euros and are still selling out.

Feillard argued that there is a “psychological cost” to some key categories.

“You can’t ask for more than €1,000 for a pair of five-pocket jeans or €400 for a T-shirt,” she says. “The added value and quality of the product has to justify the price. Successful brands are those that improve not just on price but on the quality of their product and their global customer experience.”

“It’s good to see some brands starting to reassess their pricing strategies as some have gone too far with their markups,” she added. “Men are more practical shoppers and those who want a functional wardrobe tend to wait for promotions or procrastinate on shopping, making it a lower priority.”

Claudio Marenzi, president and CEO of Italian fashion house Herno, expressed confusion over the skyrocketing prices of many luxury brands.

“I think the perception of the fashion world is changing, with big brands raising prices above what is fair as a strategy to increase profits,” he told WWD at the Pitti Uomo trade fair earlier this year. “I think this has created a perception in the market that the fashion industry is taking advantage of and exploiting consumers. Consumers are realizing that there is little alignment between the intrinsic value of goods and the price. I think this has sealed an identity crisis for our industry.”

Marenzi stressed that Herno’s integrated supply chain and in-house manufacturing allow the company to maintain a good balance between quality and price, noting that its cashmere coats, for example, sell for less than 2,600 euros and most of its pants for under 400 euros.

“As the post-pandemic boom draws to a close, we are beginning to see a slowdown across the industry,” O’Cal says. “Every product is now available to everyone, making uniqueness more important than ever. In that sense, customer spending is primarily geared towards high-quality, exclusive products.”

Still, entry-level price remains a priority.

“We offer a wide range of products across all categories and genders at a variety of price points,” O’Cal said. “All price points are determined and balanced according to previous season data and customer demand.”

Galeries Lafayette’s Feillard agreed: “More affordable designer and luxury brands are using their advantage to reach a customer base that can no longer afford luxury goods.”