Which Pop Stars Are Forecasted to Dominate Fashion in 2025? 

Fashion is on the hunt for its next muse.

Last year, 32-year-old British avant-pop and electronic superstar Charli XCX — who skyrocketed to mainstream success last summer with the release of her sixth studio album “Brat” — dominated the fashion scene, landing campaigns with brands like H&M, Skims, Acne Studios, Google and Converse (to name a few). 

Despite the rapid succession of these partnerships, Charli XCX made each campaign feel unique while driving significant revenue for the brands involved. For example, the tastemaker’s appointment as Converse’s new face was a “key strategic move” to generate buzz around the brand’s Chuck Taylor sneaker, according to Karis Munday, retail analyst at Edited. In fact, following the campaign’s launch, Converse U.S. had 150 percent more canvas Chucks in stock (to keep up with the demand) compared to the previous year. 

Meanwhile, her cotton rib collection campaign for Skims achieved a 35 percent majority sell-out rate — indicating that at least 51 percent of stock keeping units sold out — within its first three months of launch in the U.S. This surpassed pop princess Sabrina Carpenter’s Stretch Lace collection for the brand last April, which achieved a 29 percent majority sell-out rate, according to the retail intelligence firm.

“[Although] celebrity partnerships are a staple in fashion marketing, the degree to which Charli XCX was featured in 2024 is remarkable,” Keith Fraley, assistant professor of fashion business management at FIT, told WWD. “From a fashion business management perspective, her omnipresence provided brands with consistent and high-impact touchpoints to reinforce their messaging across multiple platforms, ultimately enhancing consumer engagement.”

Now, as Brat summer fades into the past, the one question is: Which pop star will emerge as 2025’s ultimate fashion muse? 

According to Aoife Byrne, senior fashion and retail analyst at Edited, 35-time Grammy Award winner and global icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is poised to be one of the top celebrities shaping fashion trends this year.

A major factor contributing to her fashion influence is her upcoming “Cowboy Carter & the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit” tour, which kicks off on April 28 in L.A.

“Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour this summer will no doubt be one of the most impactful for trends. For example, suede jackets and double denim will be two of the most commercial trends, alongside corsets, cowboy hats and boots,” Byrne said. “We can definitely expect country-inspired fashion to take off even more thanks to her.” 

Designers have also begun drawing inspiration from Beyoncé‘s upcoming tour, including Brooklyn-based designer Lucas Stowe.

Last month, Stowe released a pair of assless chaps inspired by Western culture and the “16 Carriages” singer. Priced at $300, the black chaps are made from coated canvas and embellished with rhinestones from top to bottom, capturing the edgy (yet chic) look Beyoncé is known for — and that consumers are eager to embrace.

Meanwhile, on the fall ’25 runway in New York, designer Kim Shui backed the trend in a “contemporary way,” presenting furry cowboy hats, silver-tipped belts and branded bolo ties, Byrne added.

Heritage denim brand Levi Strauss & Co. is also utilizing Beyoncé’s influence. Toward the end of last year, Beyoncé starred in Levi’s “Reiimagine” campaign — the first of a year-long marketing initiative — which reinterpreted some of Levi’s most iconic advertisements. The campaign kicked off with a remake of an 1985 commercial featuring a young man going into a laundromat, stripping off his Levi’s and waiting in his underwear while his jeans were in the washer. In the updated version, Beyoncé struts in confidently — sporting a pair of classic 501 jeans and an essential white T-shirt paired with a denim cowboy hat — ultimately doing the same thing.

Following the campaign release, Beyoncé posted the images to her Instagram account which amassed $1.3 million in Media Impact Value, according to Launchmetrics. Over a period of 48 hours, the campaign earned $5 million in MIV (a proprietary metric that assigns a true monetary value to marketing strategies across print, online and social media to calculate ROI).

Continuing their partnership, the two teamed again earlier this month to recreate the brand’s 1991 “Pool Hall” ad. The campaign features Beyoncé — wearing Levi’s ribcage wide-leg jeans, braided vest and spade trench — taking on the local pool shark, played by “Santa Clarita Diet” actor Timothy Olyphant.

“For the second chapter in our collaboration we had even more fun in reimagining the denim-on-denim narrative, through the lens of a woman, who can be sexy, bold and a fierce competitor, all at once,” the singer said. “We wanted to celebrate the duality of grace and power.”

Despite Beyoncé being the top trendsetter, several other pop stars are set to make a splash in fashion this year.

In fact, thanks to her numerous upcoming festival performances — like Primavera Sound, Way Out West and Syd For Solen — Midwest princess Chappell Roan is “flying the flag” for hot new subcultures like Castlecore and the Rococo Renaissance, according to Byrne. 

Pinterest, for example, has seen a rise in searches for Castlecore and Rococo Renaissance among Millennial and Gen Z users thanks to the unapologetic pop star, while Edited tracked a 30 percent year-over-year increase in metallic apparel and accessories sellouts for fall 2024.

“It”-girl Billie Eilish is also set to inspire trends as fans prepare for her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour, which begins later this month. 

“The singer’s signature look, including oversized graphic Ts and basketball shorts, is sure to drive sales in the booming baggy clothing category, fueled by the continued success of oversized jeans,” Bryne said, noting that searches for baggy shorts, basketball shorts and Bermuda shorts grew by 36 percent year-over-year in SS24. “For SS25, we anticipate these numbers to rise even further with Eilish’s tour.”

Cultural trailblazer Lady Gaga is another pop star set to dominate trends, especially with the release of her new album “Mayhem” dropping March 7.

While the star has always been known to start a trend or two, she is now influencing consumers across multiple categories. For example, when she and Bruno Mars teamed up for “Die With A Smile” at the end of 2024 — both channeling ‘70s Western fashion in looks reminiscent of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner — the pop duo boosted demand for companies’ existing offerings, Edited argued, as reflected in spiking sales. In fact, suede — worn by both pop stars — was up 62 percent year-over-year following the music video’s release.

Now, with the release of her gritty new single “Abracadabra” — a nod to her 2010 era with “The Fame Monster” — Lady Gaga is again embracing a raw aesthetic, similar to Charli XCX’s approach with “Brat.”

“Lady Gaga is one of the few artists who, like Madonna before her, seamlessly fuses style and sound. Each of her albums has been a full visual reinvention — ‘The Fame’s’ disco futurism, ‘Born This Way’s’ biker-glam, ‘Joanne’s’ stripped-down Western vibe,” said Bill Werde, director of the Bandier program for recording and entertainment industries at Syracuse University. “If ‘Abracadabra’ signals a new era for her, we could see another major shift in fashion, proving once again that she is at her best when she’s dictating the trends, not following them.”

Twenty-time Grammy Award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar is currently leading trends for men, especially following his Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance in early February.

During his 13-minute set, Lamar crammed 11 songs from his extensive discography, including Drake diss track “Not Like Us.” He was joined by special guests like Sza, Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams.

Although his performance was undoubtedly the highlight of the show, one of the most talked-about moments was his bootcut light wash Celine jeans, which retail for $1,300. In fact, within 48 hours of the Super Bowl, Google searches for “flared jeans” spiked 5,000 percent, according to Google Analytics. Meanwhile, the French brand earned $2.3 million in media impact value, according to Launchmetrics.

“Lamar’s Super Bowl performance is a great example of how influential artists can reshape menswear narratives in real-time,” Fraley said. “His choice to wear bootcut jeans — a silhouette often overlooked in recent years — signals a broader shift toward individuality in men’s fashion.”

His choice to wear bootcut jeans also reflects a larger shift in men’s fashion, with Western-inspired pieces making their way into high-fashion collections. For example, during New York Fashion Week, Los Angeles-based brand AG presented its fall ’25 collection, divided into three deliveries. The first delivery, “The Artist,” focused on the artist’s process and their impact on the natural world. It featured workwear pieces like utility jumpsuits and Western denim shirts for men.

The influence of Western-inspired fashion is also gaining momentum across the globe. Earlier this week in Milan, Dsquared2 celebrated 30 years of design with an extravagant runway show featuring a range of Western-inspired pieces, including cowboy hats, denim tuxedos, fringe and chunky belts.

“We’re always trying to outdo ourselves,” Dan Caten said backstage, as WWD previously reported. “We have a story, we have lots to tell, and we have lots to look back at and to look forward to.”

While these celebrities are currently leading the trends, only time will tell if they can sustain their influence — especially for newer talents like Roan, Werde noted.

“Chappell Roan’s theatrical, high-camp approach recalls the kind of statement dressing that made Cyndi Lauper and Boy George icons, but her challenge will be taking that visual identity beyond their core fans and into the wider fashion conversation,” Werde said. “Regardless, music and fashion will continue to shape each other in 2025 as they always have.”