Do you remember the certain spunk the mid 2000’s had when it came to fashion? There wasn’t a fashion magazine page you could turn or red carpet picture you could see that didn’t have a gorgeous woman donning a formalwear look – whether a dress or two piece set – that didn’t have even if just an ounce of fun embedded in it’s design.

It was chartreuse. It was bold patterns. It was rich tones. It was draping. It was GLAM.

And now, for his first show of 2025, Christopher John Rogers has brought back that sense of fire to the formalwear game in his Collection 015 entitled “Exhale”. Returning to the traditional NYFW calendar after five years, the brand finds themselves as a forerunner in this season’s opening shows with the overall collection providing whimsy and fun to the pre-deemed “timeless” and “monochromatic” aesthetics of peer shows present. And with the current attack on DEI, seeing a Black Designer run toward joy in fashion feels like a much-needed style protest against the machine.

Here are our favorite looks and trends from this show stopping collection.

Image by Vogue Runway.

Trend #1: Fun Patterns

Choosing a dress, whether for your bridesmaids, yourself or if you’re a guest attending, with a pattern on it is a great choice for those looking to add a sense of fun and display their personality in their wedding day fashion look.

Image by Vogue Runway.

Trend #2: Rich Hues

Rich tones look well on literally every skin tone and CJR’s choice of olive, burgundy and shimmering opal prove that sentiment true.

Image by Vogue Runway.

Trend #3: Shaping

To add dimension, depth and drama to your wedding day look, shaping is a route that’s generally less travelled but breeds great reward to those unafraid to try a layered look or billowing skirt.

Our Favorite Looks:

Image by Vogue Runway.

Image by Vogue Runway.

Image by Vogue Runway.

Image by Vogue Runway.

Image by Vogue Runway.

Image by Vogue Runway.

Written by Fashion & Beauty Writer, Kennedi LéShea.