Blessed by a beautiful winter day of clear blue skies, Aistė Hong FW25 was suspended atop the world.
The power of Aistė Hong’s FW25 collection lies in the dramatic poetry threaded into the clothes. Described by the brand as a “fusion of nature, nostalgia and modern femininity,” the looks blended structured, corporate siren energy with irreverent rock and roll: the wardrobe of a woman with sharp teeth.
The show ran about half an hour late, mostly due to the logistical chaos of getting guests from the lobby to the fifty-fourth floor of a luxury Park Avenue South building. On my way up, we stopped at the backstage floor and picked up a few of the models, ready in their looks – it was a chaotic, yet intimate moment that reminded me of the community that builds New York Fashion Week. We’re all here to simply appreciate the art of (hopefully) good fashion and hear what designers have to say. Even if influencers rush to have their picture taken on the runway before the start of the show.
A talented violinist and cellist performed live music as models walked slowly down the runway. Some seemed to struggle with the slow-motion walk, but the movement allowed appreciation for the clothes in detail, and moreover, felt antithetical to the hectic chaos of the city. It’s as if Hong was telling us: right now, we are here, there’s no need to rush, nowhere else to escape. This idea of stillness feels like a brave take during the blustering fashion week schedule.
The beautiful models, tall, skinny, and young, had the features of trends that transcend the color of the season: the appearance of the hottest beauty crazes of “preventative” botox and lip filler. Perhaps obvious, but I saw it as a symptom of the deep grasp of today’s beauty standards. This trend felt somehow antithetical to the clothing, but the collection added a layer of sophistication and individuality that made the women visibly come into their power. I would have liked to see older faces on the runway, and an emphasis on exalted natural beauty.
At first glance, there’s a serious, sophisticated side to Hong’s modern woman, which consisted of detailed tailoring and highly skilled finishing details. Pants with perfectly angled seams to fit the model’s body, blazers with cape detailing, classic belts with golden logo buckles, exaggerated pussy bows, sleeves that balloon and flow. What Nicole Kidman should have worn in Babygirl, if you ask me.
But the collection has a second side, the hidden face of a woman who is tired of the bullshit and embraces her sensuality, her individuality, and her power. Slouched leather elbow-length gloves adorned with golden bubble rings. Dramatic faux fur accessories and jackets. The cape-blazer hybrid, but in a black leather-like material, paired with a matching skirt and an exaggerated pussy bow blouse. An electric green, a shade more mature than Brat green, loudly breaks the palette of cream, black, and baby blue. Shiny fringe irreverently cascades down one sleeve of an otherwise quiet, traditional bodycon, long-sleeved LBD. Somehow, also what Nicole Kidman should have worn in Babygirl.
If I saw a woman walking down the street in these clothes, I would think she looks ethereal, and at the same time, I’d get the message: don’t fuck with me. With the exception of a shoulderless top that resembled the texture of a bath mat too closely, the clothes were beautiful and daring.
The setting was perfect: a luxury apartment, adjusted to runway use, with floor-to-ceiling north-facing windows to an impactful view of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, among other New York City icons. Blessed by a beautiful winter day of clear blue skies, Aistė Hong FW25 was suspended atop the world. 🌀 7.8
Laura Rocha-Rueda is a Colombian fashion and fiction writer based in Brooklyn who holds a Creative Writing MFA from The New School. She is your local Swiftie and will gladly chat about anything glittery and soft, and about why dismissing pop culture as frivolous is misguided and sad.