Move over, Milan, step aside, Paris, Atlanta is striking a pose of its own. Atlanta Fashion Week (ATLFW) 2025 stitched together four days of style, sound, and Southern swagger.
Held this year at Atlantic Station, Atlanta Fashion Week transformed the city into a living runway filled with shows, pop-ups, and brand activations. The event celebrated the designers and dreamers shaping Atlanta’s ascent as a global fashion capital.
Building From the Ground Up
Among those taking center stage was Chance Sanderlin, a 20-year-old junior at Clark Atlanta University majoring in Business Administration. Selected to design pieces for Adidas’s ATLFW capsule, Sanderlin brought youthful energy and streetwear sensibility to one of the week’s most anticipated collaborations.
“I’m just grateful to be here,” Sanderlin said. “Being able to put my own input into the clothes and bring my ideas into the Adidas space was huge.”
Sanderlin designed three full outfits, seven pieces total, and said the process was one of persistence. “We had to keep revamping things. It was trial and error, but everything came out good in the end.”
Having started his brand Overrated Cultuur at just 12 years old, Sanderlin said Atlanta’s diverse style scene continues to inspire him. “Everybody in Atlanta has their own way of being,” he said. “You get to take bits and parts of what you like and make it your own.”
Watching his designs hit the runway, Sanderlin described the moment simply, “I felt grateful that something I created is out there being worn.”
A Platform for the City’s Makers
That sense of gratitude echoed across the vendor space, where Atlanta-based designers showcased their work to new audiences.
Robert Ware, founder and creative director of Faith+Figures, said ATLFW gave his streetwear brand a chance to reach beyond its usual markets. “We do a lot of streetwear events, but nothing like Fashion Week,” Ware said. “Atlanta culture is second to none. It’s about Black brands, Black support, just support in general. That’s what makes being here special.”
For Nashon Lee, bringing his menswear line Nohsan at ATLFW was a breakthrough moment. “I’ve participated in New York Fashion Week and L.A. Fashion Week, but Atlanta takes the cake,” he said. “We have an amalgamation of cultures and flavors. People here actually participate and enjoy the company of up-and-coming brands and artists.”
Bria Bryant, founder of the new fragrance brand Leier Fragrances, also brought her creative vision home. “Atlanta drives culture, and fashion is culture,” Bryant said. “It just makes a lot of sense.”
Her debut collection, The Origin Collection, reimagines the vintage Halston scent that first inspired her as a child. “I’m from Atlanta. I’ll always have deep Georgia roots,” she added.
Redefining the Atlanta Lens
Designer Jai Lyle had his inaugural ATLFW runway premiere this year during the GOAT x Jai Lyle show, describing the experience as both validation and vision. “I feel great,” he said. “It’s like playing a game, you’re so locked in you don’t realize what’s happening around you.”
Lyle said his mission is to merge Atlanta’s fabric and heritage with global appeal. “We want to elevate the taste level of who the world thinks Atlanta is,” he said. “We’re here to redefine it and add value to the blueprint that Atlanta has already laid down.”
Quintin James Crumpler, founder of GOAT by James King, added that Atlanta’s fashion scene thrives on individuality. “We don’t follow trends,” Crumpler said. “It’s a melting pot. You see a lot of different looks and aesthetics. Everyone can be their own individual; that authenticity is what makes it special.”
Evolution of a Movement
Even attendees had the opportunity to step into a designer’s role. Rae Holliday, who has attended fashion weeks from New York to Paris, said Atlanta’s take on fashion feels distinctively hands-on.
At the Adidas Originals pop-up, one of ATLFW’s interactive highlights, guests were invited to design their own custom T-shirts. “I’m accustomed to just attending shows and purchasing,” Holliday said while pressing his design featuring the ATL logo. “But this is actually my first time being invited to create my own custom piece.”
Reflecting on the city’s creative spirit, he added, “I think Atlanta has its own style. New York concentrates on other brands bringing it there, while Atlanta actually spotlights its own fashion.”
Reaching Beyond The Runway
“I’ve probably been to at least ten Atlanta Fashion Weeks,” said Carlea Woods, culture and style editor for Impact and Elevate magazines. “It has evolved tremendously, from partnerships to locations. Angela keeps finding new ways to put Atlanta on the map and support local designers.”
Produced by RAGTRADE ATLANTA, the 2025 edition of Atlanta Fashion Week featured major partners and sponsors, including Adidas, BMW, Bloomingdale’s, Clinique, and IKEA, amplifying the city’s creative momentum.
“This year proved that Atlanta has the energy, the brands, everything it needs,” said Angela Watts, founder of RAGTRADE ATLANTA. “I’m already starting on 2026.”
After the final shows at Atlantic Station, vendors and featured brands gathered at Bloomingdale’s Lenox Square for The Fashion Edit finale, a curated pop-up that brought the spirit of Atlanta Fashion Week directly into the retail space.
As the weekend came to a close, Watts reflected on how far the event had come. “It’s been a long journey, but I purposely took time to build it and really understand the learnings each year,” she said. “Now to see how quickly we’ve jumped from 2024 to 2025, the brand exposure, the designers, the way things were curated, I’m just happy. Atlanta has the energy, and this year proved that to me.”
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