Avavav FW25, The Hole – From the Grave to the Runway: Crawling into Avavav’s Darkest Show Yet
For Milan Fashion Week, Avavav quite literally unearthed its FW25 collection—having models crawl out from underground. In a gallery space south of Milan city center fresh grass was laid out on the runway and the only way to enter it, was through a grave-like hole in the ground. A powerful visual metaphor for the collection’s central themes: death anxiety and fragility of life.
With a mix of feminine tailoring and drippy goth street wear, set against a chilling, terror- infused backdrop, the Avavav FW25 collection is as unsettling as it is seductive. Covered in soil and blood, models clawed their way onto the runway with exhaustion and expression of surrender, an embodiment of Creative Director Beate Skonare Karlsson’s recent personal journey of balancing vulnerability with perseverance.
“Lately, I’ve been grappled by a quiet fear – one that lingers rather than overwhelms. It’s not an urgent panic, but a slow, creeping unease. I’ve been dealing with some health problems recently – things I never would have expected to face so soon – and it has forced me to reflect on how I’ve treated my body over the years. I’ve never felt physically weak before, I feel like I’m not in control anymore. Rather than letting this fear consume me, I chose to channel it into this collection. As always, the creative process has been a form of therapy for me, translating the uncertainty into something tangible, something expressive.” – Beate Skonare Karlsson, Creative Director
By exploring the uneasy relationship between control and surrender, the show named “The Hole” presents a collection woven with fragility and strength. As eerie smoke clouded the runway, zombie-esque models emerged from the ground, clad in garments featuring ribcage cutouts, and flowy skirts and furs with skeletal stained patterns. Distorted anatomical illusions—crafted through exaggerated wigs and intricate detailing—signaled bodily instability and decay.
An exaggerated femininity was displayed with excessive use of bowties, dramatic draping, lady like bouclé blazers and sheer veils. Pleated details made a return, in oversized denims and microscopic tees, evoking the grandeur of gothic architecture. One particularly memorable look featured a model in a spectral sweatsuit, paired with sports gloves and sock-heels, her pregnant belly prominently exposed—an unfiltered display of vulnerability and power.
Blood and soil were not the only contrast to the frailness of tailored georgette, wool and satin. The delicateness was juxtaposed with looks featuring armor-like silhouettes, protective gears with broad shoulders reminiscent of American football players. The recurring sportswear influence took on a deeper meaning—imbuing the models with a fit-for-battle attitude, injecting raw tension into an otherwise eerie and ethereal setting.
The show also marked the second season of Avavav’s collaboration with Adidas Originals. This capsule collection introduced shredded skirts and tops, hoodies and shorts with frayed, washed-out details, and a vest with exposed baffles, deprived of its shell. For this season Avavav presents not only one, but two, totally new Adidas Originals footwear toolings. A bold move for adidas, traditionally focused on reinventing its classics, nonetheless appropriate considering Avavav’s reputation for delivering groundbreaking silhouettes into the shoes and accessories scene.
The Moonrubber Megaride, a 90s modern running shoe trapped in a translucent ultra-sculpted sole resembling a clumsy bubble of fictional moon goo, provokes in a time of low profile domination, yet it is bestowing an original silhouette pushing boundaries of what a sneaker can look like. The second design is a reimagination of the classic Superstar, with a sculpted sole and toecap following the anatomy of human feet, resulting in a slightly wonky, distorted look offering a subtle, yet conscious reinterpretation.
Further amplifying the show’s delicate yet powerful essence, Avavav partnered with Swedish jewelry brand Glitter for the styling. Models were adorned with shimmering embellishments and oversized bows, accentuating the collection’s feminine, fragile undertones. One stand-out showpiece was a weekend bag covered in Glitter’s satin bows, adding to the overall theme of hyper-femininity. Guests were also endowed with the runway pieces from Glitter as mementos of the show’s evocative message.
Skonare Karlsson, known for her ability to subvert streetwear with avant-garde precision, delivered a lineup where the duality of strength and vulnerability is masterfully navigated. This women-led brand continues to challenge fashion’s echo chamber, proving that in the face of uncertainty, creativity thrives and out of a hole of darkness, rises an unflinching vision that in fragility, there is undeniable force.
