A Magazine curated by

At a time when clothes are more disposable than ever, and brands must cater to the full spectrum—from logomania to Quiet Luxury—finding exploratory expression within constraints offers a welcome respite from the sensory overload storm.

At J.W. Anderson and Khaite, the founding designers used cotton, silk, leather, and cashmere as the foundation of their collections, breathing life and creativity into materials often statufied by their noble character. By revealing their potential through texture, tactility, and volume, they cautiously moved away from the overtly sexy aesthetic that has dominated recent seasons. Exaggerated peplums and clouds of organza signaled a more liberated and multifaceted vision of womanhood—one that embraces complexity rather than conforming to the male gaze or traditional notions of femininity.

Ellen Hodakova Larson, this year’s LVMH Prize recipient, similarly bent expectations of wearability by incorporating unconventional materials—spoons, riding boots, and even paintings—into her designs, drawing inspiration from surrealist traditions to challenge norms and ignite imagination.At Prada, the inspiration diverged. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons turned to the storm itself—the algorithm and the chaos it has wrought on our perception and receptivity to culture. Their collection juxtaposed futuristic and BDSM-inspired elements with archival references, electrifying the audience and, at times, inducing a deliberate sense of dizziness in its commentary on the current quest for uniqueness.

Whether through exploration within a limited lexicon, surrealist reinterpretations of wearability, or the reaffirmation of brand identity, the common thread was as much about the clothes as the codes they projected into the minds of the audience. These codes, though abstract to some, become a shared language for a happy few—built through repetition and assimilation. They form a connection between the brand and a knowing client, one who intellectualizes the message and develops a deeper, more enduring relationship with it.

A Lab Curated By is a high-end consultancy at the intersection of fashion, culture, and the best of tech.