Andreas Kronthaler Reinvents Vivienne Westwood At Paris Fashion Week

While many have framed Andreas Kronthaler’s Paris Fashion Week 2025 collection as honoring Vivienne Westwood, in reality, it was a declaration of his own legacy.

For years, the fashion industry has positioned him as the guardian of Westwood’s vision—the fashion designer tasked with preserving the icon, Vivienne Westwood and her iconic punk ethos, sexual provocation, and rebellious spirit. But after decades of shaping these joint collections—and especially following Westwood’s passing in 2022—Andreas Kronthaler has most likely been a main creative force behind the house for years. And anyone who has witnessed his power and presence firsthand knows it to be true.

In 2016, the Gold Label collection was renamed Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood—a quiet but telling acknowledgment of his growing fashion design authorship. Yet even then, the prevailing narrative remained that he was extending Vivienne Westwood’s legacy. Paris Fashion Week 2025 changed that. At the biannual event, we saw that Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood was no longer about preservation. It was about authorship. In fact, I’d say few fashion events captured the energy of reinvention quite like Andreas Kronthaler’s Paris runway show, where the past and future collide in theatrical spectacle.

That shift isn’t an easy move to pull off for any leader. Yet, Kronthaler has redefined what it means to lead a legacy as a fashion designer and a business owner. He hasn’t just upheld the iconic Vivienne Westwood brand—he has infused it with his own sensibility, evolved it, and made it unmistakably his. His approach to fashion design and brand leadership has become increasingly personal, pushing silhouettes, textures, gender fluidity, and storytelling beyond what the house has done before. I’ve always believed true disruption isn’t about protecting history; it’s about shaping what comes next. And the latest Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood collection at Paris Fashion Week wasn’t just another season—it was a statement.

Why does this matter? Because every leader faces moments of transition, where they must decide whether to uphold the past or shape the future. Kronthaler shows us five important lessons for anyone navigating change: leadership isn’t just about carrying a torch; it’s about knowing when to light a new one.

1. Legacy: A Platform for Reinvention, Not a Constraint

From first encountering Vivienne Westwood as a 23-year-old fashion student, when Westwood was a guest professor of fashion, to working alongside her in 1989, to marrying her in 1992, Andreas Kronthaler quickly became an active force in shaping the brand’s direction. His influence deepened over the decades, culminating in the 2016 rebranding of the Gold Label collection as “Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood”—a quiet but telling acknowledgment of the role he had most likely long played behind the scenes. His impact was already evident in late 1990s fashion, when Westwood and Kronthaler’s collections reflected an ever-evolving tension between historical references and radical reinvention—an approach that continues to define the house today. After Westwood’s passing in 2022, Kronthaler not only continued to lead the house’s creative direction but also became one of its inheritors, ensuring that the brand’s evolution remains as radical and relevant as its origins.

But legacy is often a double-edged sword—it can be both a powerful shield and a cage. What I believe sets Kronthaler apart is his ability to lead with his own instincts, rather than being confined by expectation. He doesn’t treat legacy as something to be cautiously upheld but as a foundation to build upon. The Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Fall-Winter 2025 collection at Paris Fashion Week was not just another season—it was a statement of artistic conviction, reinforcing his unique authorship within the house. His latest collection reflected his distinct theatricality, sensuality, and artistic irreverence, in addition to staying true to the house’s rebellious DNA. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a mark of a strong leader—one who respects the past but does not allow it to limit the future.

Too often, successors cling to legacy out of fear—fear of too much change, fear of alienating loyalists, fear of losing what made a brand iconic in the first place. And if there was ever an iconic brand, it would be Vivienne Westwood. But Andreas Kronthaler’s approach proves that the most powerful way to honor a legacy is not just to preserve it—but to internalize it and then have the confidence to evolve beyond it, and even to let it go. He has ensured that Vivienne Westwood remains both relevant and radical, not by playing it safe, but by pushing against the industry’s expectations and continuing to set the pace for fashion rather than following it.

Leadership research supports this approach. The IBM Global CEO study highlights that creativity is the most crucial leadership quality for future success, surpassing even integrity and global thinking. This underscores the importance of leaders who embrace change and drive innovation rather than being constrained by existing traditions. Similarly, the concept of Transcendent Leadership emphasizes the ability to balance tradition with innovation, encouraging leaders to rise above limitations, focus on the collective good, and inspire those around them. Kronthaler exemplifies this model—proving that true leadership isn’t about preservation alone, but evolution.

2. The Power of Collaborative Leadership

In an industry where Creative Directors are often seen as singular visionaries, Andreas Kronthaler‘s career is a testament to the power of collaborative leadership, proving that the best creative forces don’t necessarily dictate—they integrate, adapt, and evolve.

His partnership with Vivienne Westwood from the get go could been seen as one of the original designer collaborations, long before such partnerships became a social media marketing strategy. From Westwood’s tutelage of the fledgling fashion designer to their professional and personal partnership, they blurred the lines between individual and shared creativity, personal and professional life, showing that two creative minds could build a brand without one overshadowing the other. And after Westwood’s passing, Kronthaler has continued this approach—by ensuring that the brand thrives through collective creativity, shared influence, and a clear openness to new ideas— the latest collection had a refreshing and welcomed commercial feel.

This is where many luxury brands fail. The modern fashion landscape is increasingly ruthless, with Creative Directors frequently exiting major brands due to conflicts between creative vision and commercial expectations. The reality is success today increasingly demands a variety of leadership styles, including those that embrace multiple perspectives. I’ve emphasized the importance of bilingual leaders, those who are fluent in both the language of business and creativity and that’s precisely what Kronthaler seems to have mastered.

Research confirms that collaborative leadership isn’t just an idealistic concept—it’s a measurable advantage. A study in the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development found a significant positive relationship between collaborative leadership and organizational performance, showing that leaders who embrace shared decision-making create stronger, more adaptable companies that withstand industry pressures. Similarly, another university study explored how executive leadership teams that adopt a values-based collaborative approach become more innovative and adaptive, both key qualities in today’s rapidly shifting luxury fashion market.

Perhaps this impact is best reflected in my own experience with Vivienne Westwood, where every interaction—whether with the head of communications, head of talent, or any other department—felt easy. The team embodied a collaborative spirit where creativity and cohesion were instinctive, making the experience refreshingly effortless. Kronthaler’s leadership proves that fashion is no longer about a single creative genius—it’s about creating an ecosystem where ideas can thrive. His collections continue to integrate influences from a broad range of collaborators, from fashion prize winners at events like London Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week to the industry’s most established voices.

This season at Paris Fashion Week 2025, I‘d say, was Andreas Kronthaler’s ultimate expression of collaborative leadership—bolder silhouettes, more theatrical styling, high society, street wear, sports wear with each look deeply rooted in his own design inspirations, yet still tied to the rebellious ethos that has long defined the Vivienne Westwood brand. The collection was not a singular statement but a conversation—a mash up between past and present, between individual creativity and collective innovation.

3. When Identity Becomes The Brand

Unlike many luxury fashion leaders who maintain an air of mystery, Andreas Kronthaler leans into visibility, engaging openly with the industry, his team, and the brand’s loyal following. His theatricality, humor, and deep commitment to craftsmanship make him not just the Creative Director of Vivienne Westwood but the living expression of its rebellious, boundary-pushing ethos. His personality—bold, magnetic, and unfiltered—has been as much a part of his creative process as the garments he constructs.

This kind of leadership—where the personality of the designer is inseparable from the brand itself—is rare, yet increasingly necessary. Many of you know I celebrate the importance of this type of leadership in my book, The Kim Kardashian Principle. Meaningful fashion is rarely just about aesthetics; it is about connection, about reflections of fashion history and how designers reinterpret the past to create something new. The brands that thrive are those that allow their leaders to be seen, understood, and engaged in the cultural conversations shaping the industry.

It was great to see that at Paris Fashion Week, Kronthaler’s personal history growing up in Tyrol, Austria, skiing seemed to take center stage, as models walked the runway in colorful puffers carrying professional ski gear. It was a nod to heritage—but not just Westwood’s. For a designer who has long balanced his own authorship with the legacy of a legend, this was a statement: Andreas Kronthaler is no longer just shaping Westwood’s world, he’s shaping his own.

Kronthaler’s success is not only due to his design acumen but also to his ability to make the creative process feel deeply personal and accessible. His presence reinforces that Vivienne Westwood was never just a label—it was a radical rejection of convention, a fusion of fashion forces and activism, a subversive take on sex, power, and rebellion. From the provocation of the SEX boutique to the deconstruction of historical silhouettes, the Vivienne Westwood fashion label was never just about aesthetics or an eclectic style of corset tops, bold tartan blazers and bright tartan prints—it was a cultural statement. Kronthaler has continued this ethos, ensuring that the brand remains a movement, a philosophy, a point of view. By embracing this kind of leadership, Kronthaler is not merely directing the brand’s future—he is embodying it.

Research supports the impact of leaders who openly express their personalities and values. Studies show that leaders who embrace authenticity, transparency, and engagement are far more effective in connecting with today’s workforce, particularly Millennials and Gen Z—generations that prioritize relatability over hierarchy. Unlike previous generations who may have been satisfied with distant, corporate leadership, modern audiences expect their leaders to be visible, values-driven, and actively shaping both company culture and societal impact.

A study published in the Leadership & Organization Development Journal found that authentic leadership—defined by self-awareness, ethical decision-making, and transparency—directly correlates with stronger trust, engagement, and job satisfaction. In industries where identity and storytelling are crucial, this translates into greater brand loyalty and long-term cultural relevance. Similarly, research from The Australian underscores that leaders who cultivate emotional connection and shared values within their teams foster stronger, more resilient brands. This is particularly true in fashion and creative industries, where the leader’s personality plays an integral role in shaping brand perception.

Additionally, studies on the biggest personality traits indicate that leaders who score highly in openness and agreeableness foster greater innovation and adaptability—essential qualities for balancing artistic direction with commercial success.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, in today’s evolving landscape, leaders who remain unseen risk losing cultural and commercial relevance. Whether in business, politics, or fashion, the most impactful figures are those who embrace visibility, share their vision authentically, and build a culture of trust and alignment.

4. Evolution Is Not Betrayal

Andreas Kronthaler has never treated legacy as a constraint. His leadership is not about preservation for its own sake, but about ensuring that Vivienne Westwood’s vision remains dynamic, relevant, and continually evolving. Rather than freezing the brand in time or replicating its past, he has embraced change as a necessary force, proving that honoring a legacy is not about imitation—it is about reinvention.

From his earliest collaborations with Vivienne Westwood to his seasonal collections, Kronthaler has balanced respect for the past with a clear commitment to innovation. His approach is neither about erasure nor nostalgia; instead, it recognizes that for a legacy to remain powerful, it must continue to adapt.

His subsequent collections have reinforced this vision, consistently pushing the house into new territory while maintaining its rebellious DNA. Each seasonal collection expands on his signature exaggeration of proportions, radical reinterpretation of historical tailoring, and unconventional use of materials, proving that Westwood’s legacy is not something to be preserved—it is something to be reimagined.

At Paris Fashion Week, Kronthaler leaned toward androgyny, with women in oversized English suits and men exploring gender fluidity in clunky heels. The shift was intentional—Kronthaler wasn’t rejecting the past punk rebellion and raw sexuality that defined Westwood, but rather, expanding it in new directions. His work is a reminder that true authorship isn’t always erasing the past—it’s about redefining it. And this was not a collection bound by history, but one that actively shaped its next chapter.

Inheritances can be as much a burden as they are an advantage. Many successors fear that moving beyond their predecessor’s vision will be seen as disrespectful, inauthentic, or even opportunistic—as if change itself were an act of betrayal. But in today’s brand reality, with a new audience in Generation Z that thinks and feels different from its predecessors, the best leaders don’t just protect a legacy; they advance it. Growth is not a rejection of the past—it is a commitment to its survival. The real betrayal would be to play it safe, to let Vivienne Westwood become a heritage brand instead of a living, breathing force in fashion. Kronthaler’s work ensures that doesn’t happen.

This is the paradox of legacy: to honor it, you must allow it to grow. Vivienne Westwood herself was never about nostalgia. Her work was not a museum piece—it was an evolving commentary on fashion, politics, and society. If she had simply maintained the same aesthetic from the birth of punk, she would have faded into irrelevance. Instead, she continually reinvented herself. It stands to reason, then, that the best way to respect her legacy is not to preserve it in amber, but to keep that reinvention alive.

Andreas Kronthaler understands this better than most. His collections make it clear that legacy and authorship can coexist. His silhouettes exaggerate proportions in ways that feel distinctly his own, while still nodding to the house’s historic love of corsetry, structured tailoring, and theatrical expression. His runway shows have become an intensely personal artistic narrative, filled with influences that feel deeply intimate to him. And yet, the core of the brand—the audacity, the punk defiance, the challenge to authority—remains intact.

Kronthaler’s leadership style aligns with a growing body of research that underscores the idea that true leadership is not about static preservation but about transformation.

A study by Krantz on Leadership, Betrayal, and Adaptation explores the concept of “virtuous betrayal,” arguing that leaders must sometimes disrupt established traditions in order to propel an organization forward. This kind of evolution is not an act of disrespect but a strategic necessity to ensure survival in an ever-changing landscape. Similarly, other work on Legacy Leadership highlights that successful leaders do not preserve tradition for the sake of it; they guide their organizations toward a sustainable future. Their study found that the most enduring brands and institutions are those that adapt their core principles to meet the present and anticipate the future.

These studies reinforce a critical truth: growth is not a rejection of history—it is a commitment to its future. The strongest legacies are not those that resist change, but those that stay true to their essence while embracing reinvention as a mark of respect rather than betrayal.

5. Brand Reinvention Requires Conviction

Throughout his career, Andreas Kronthaler has made bold, often polarizing choices that challenge conventional fashion narratives. While many American designers favor sleek, commercially driven minimalism and French designers are still refining historical heritage codes, Kronthaler has carved his own path—one rooted in radical reinvention and theatricality. At a time when many fashion houses are embracing sleek styles and commercial minimalism, Kronthaler’s designs remain defiantly bold—exaggerated, theatrical, and unapologetically rebellious. He’s dramatic, exaggerated, and deeply personal—rarely reactionary or trend-driven. He does not dilute his vision to fit into industry expectations; he forces the industry to meet him on his terms. There is no doubt that level of confidence is rare, but I believe it is necessary in today’s hyper-competitive landscape to separate those who lead from those who follow.

His Paris Fashion Week 2025 collection was not just another season—it was a statement of artistic conviction. His silhouettes, styling, and references were all rooted in his own creative world, rather than external pressures or nostalgia for the past. The most relevant leaders today do not wait for the world to tell them who they are; they define it for themselves.

This kind of unwavering creative conviction is a leadership lesson that applies far beyond fashion. In business, entertainment, and politics, the most influential figures are not the ones who hedge their bets or dilute their vision to please everyone. They are the ones who commit—fully, unapologetically, and with the kind of clarity that turns ideas into movements. It is that fearlessness that allows them to engage a younger social media generation that prizes marching to their own drumbeat above all else.

Today, the most enduring brands are not just built on legacy; they are built on reinvention. And reinvention, when done with confidence, is what turns a Creative Director into a true industry force and a relatively smaller fashion house amongst the likes of Louis Vuitton into one of the biggest brands with a point of view at Paris Fashion Week.

Research supports the significance of such conviction in leadership. A meta-analysis study by found that transformational leadership is positively associated with employee outcomes, including commitment and well-being. This leadership style emphasizes vision, inspiration, and a commitment to change, aligning closely with Kronthaler’s approach. The study concluded that “transformational and transactional leadership are both valid predictors of leadership effectiveness, although transformational leadership has a slight edge.”

Furthermore, the concept of authentic leadership underscores the importance of leaders being true to their values and convictions. Leaders who demonstrate self-awareness and consistency between their beliefs and actions are perceived as authentic, fostering trust and commitment among followers.

Kronthaler’s leadership is a reminder that embracing one’s convictions and authentically integrating them into one’s work is not only a pathway to personal fulfillment but also a catalyst for organizational resilience and success. True reinvention does not come from hesitation—it comes from having the conviction to create, evolve, and lead without compromise.

Redefining Legacy: Leadership as Evolution, Not Inheritance

The next time you hear that Andrea Kronthaler is honoring Vivienne Westwood‘s legacy, remember the reality is Kronthaler’s leadership is not about brand preservation, nor is it about severing ties to the past. It’s about radical transformation to remain relevant. His latest collection at Paris Fashion Week reshaped the fashion house, taking it beyond its punk scene origins while ensuring its rebellious DNA remains intact. On the French runway, Kronthaler’s Fall-Winter 2025 collection reaffirmed his ability to disrupt and redefine the meaning of legacy in fashion. His silhouettes—deconstructed, exaggerated, and provocative—speak to a designer who does not simply reflect history, but actively remakes it.

To borrow the title of one of Westwood and Kronthaler’s mid-1990s collections, change and upheaval in fashion are supposed to be nothing more than a storm in a teacup—a fleeting moment of disruption before tradition settles back into place. But Kronthaler has ensured that his storm is anything but temporary.

The conversation fashion designers are having today will no doubt be increasingly shaped by Andreas Kronthaler’s leadership approach to embracing fashion—one that proves legacy and authorship are not mutually exclusive. His ability to navigate the debris of collections past while forging an entirely new visual language, often informed by his own handwritten collection notes and meticulous attention to detail, as well as the disruptive energy that defined 1980s collections, proves that the strongest legacies are not the ones frozen in time but those that evolve.

We all face moments like this—where we have to decide whether to uphold what came before or push beyond it. Whether to follow the path laid before us or carve out our own. Kronthaler’s leadership challenges the belief that creative genius must be solitary to be powerful but proves that true authorship is not about replacing the past—it’s about transforming it.

This season, I thought the most radical thing about Vivienne Westwood wasn’t the clothes, the punk attitude, or the rebellion. It was the leadership. Kronthaler isn’t just carrying a legacy. He’s redefining it.

But the real question is: How are you redefining yours?

Named Esquire’s Influencer Of The Year, Jeetendr Sehdev is a media personality, international speaker and the author of the New York Times bestselling sensation, The Kim Kardashian Principle: Why Shameless Sells (and How to Do It Right.)