Athleisure as a term has been floating around for a while, but what does it mean? With the importance of wellness and health more emphasised than ever, in 2024 we’ve seen the emergence of art with functionality from designers’ ambitious collaborations with sportswear powerhouses. Designers CDG, Jacquemus, The Attico, and AVAVAV are showing us how we can let the outside reflect our inner health guru while keeping a showstopping edge.

This sporty 2024 highlight shows a key shift in design. Expressing style at the gym, running errands, and walking the dog is just as important as it is when strutting through Paris, and people are more inclined to invest in designer pieces they can integrate easily into their daily lives. So where did the trend start?

£ £295

CDG Salomon Phantasm Platform White

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CDG X Salomon
Back in February, Japanese fashion brand Comme des Garçons (CDG) teamed up with terrain sports expert Salomon to present the SR811 Platforms as seen on their Fall/Winter 24 runway. Featuring an exaggerated platform, tonal metal eyelets and an elastic collar, these trainers elevate the shoe game and ensure you turn your head on dog walks and catwalks alike.

£ £69.99

Nike x Jacquemus Swoosh T-Shirt

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£ £111.99

Nike x Jacquemus Women’s Trousers

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Jacquemus x Nike
A seemingly unlikely alliance between a luxury brand and sportswear giant expertly combines Simon Porte Jacquemus’ chic, Parisian style with Nike’s vintage sportswear pieces in a collection that highlights versatility and style.

The collection, which debuted in Spring of 2024, is inspired by the belief that sport isn’t simply about performance, it is also an expansion of style and self. The Spring 2024 Nike x Jacquemus Collection features women’s and unisex apparel, a new J Force 1 and a first-ever accessory, the Le Swoosh bag, the first time Nike’s iconic Swoosh has been imagined into a handbag, and Nike athlete, style icon and 2024 Olympic hopeful Sha’Carri Richardson, led the campaign.

While these previous collaborations played a key role in pioneering this duality of style,’ the current SS25 shows that this art form has solidified.

£ £800

The Attico Melange grey sweatshirt

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£ 527

The Attico high-waisted trousers

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£ 270

ATTICO Berta Sunglasses

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The Attico X Nike
Debuted at Milan Fashion Week for SS25, The Attico teamed up with Nike to give a sporty edge to their collection. Focusing more on athleisure rather than sports gear, the looks encompassed a laid-back, effortless vibe to complement their show. The label’s SS25 runway was graced with a signature pop of Nike apparel and trainers, juxtaposing a sporty aesthetic with sexy-chic edge.
Nike sports bras and bodysuits in faded colours were paired with sheer skirts and oversized jackets for a trendy “no pants” vibe while an alternative look saw sexy, underwear-style bottoms paired with baggy tracksuit trousers.

£ £70

Adidas Adicolor Classics Loose Firebird Track Top

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£ 45

Adidas Badge Of Sport 3 Stripes Wide Joggers

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£ 25

Adidas Luxe Sports Bra

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AVAVAV X Adidas
In perhaps the most on-the-nose collaboration, AVAVAV recruited Adidas to work alongside them in their recent Milan Fashion Week SS25 runway. Their catwalk, or should we say track lane, saw the seamless amalgamation of the practical and impractical to produce a complex collection of sportswear and athleisure that anyone can make their own.
Notable pieces included deconstructed tracksuits, figure-hugging slip dresses, and Adidas’ signature tri-stripe motif. According to AVAVAV designer, Karlsson, sportswear giant Adidas instructed “Do whatever you want, but don’t f*** with

the stripes.” And Karlsson certainly did not, letting the iconic tri-stripe design speak for itself in her pieces. Elsewhere, models were bundled in bloodstained bandages in a comment on the dark sides of both art forms: sport and fashion.

While AVAVAV and The Attico may not have set any PBs or won any medals at Milan Fashion Week, the brands have certainly made history in these ambitious collabs, balancing chic style and functional sportswear in a feat of fashion innovation.

Words By Isobel O’Connor

The post Looks Like Fashion Meets Sports Isn’t Going Anywhere for SS25 According to The Runways! Game-Changing Collaborations You Need To Know About! appeared first on Voir Fashion.

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Karlsson took AVAVAV to notoriety with her transformative footwear, her most famous design being the thigh-high, rubbery, green boots with long toes that went viral across Tik Tok and Instagram. Influencers such as Mia Maples were trying them out, baffled at their wacky toe design which elongated the toes and created a monster/chicken foot at the bottom. Doja Cat then also appeared at the 2021 MTV Awards sporting multi-coloured, thigh-high boots that resembled chicken’s feet at the bottom, which drew attention to the brand with their outlandish design and narrative surrounding human dysmorphia, with the addition of extra-terrestrial or animalistic elements. 

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The brand’s debut at Milan Fashion Week for their S/S 2023 collection was heavily discussed, with a dramatised runway that saw their models intentionally falling over whilst wearing clothing adorned with dollar signs, the slogan ‘filthy rich,’ and multiple Rolex watches that covered the models’ arms completely.

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Karlsson made it clear that this was a commentary on the superficiality of the luxury fashion market and the false belief that wearing luxury brands means a person is superior. AVAVAV’s bold critique made for a memorable debut, garnering attention and much speculation surrounding their next runway show.

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For AVAVAV’s F/W 2023 show, Beate Karlsson continued her commentary on the state of the fashion industry, sticking with the critique of the luxury fashion market and creating a runway show titled “Fake it Till You Break It.” This saw the models’ clothes falling away from their bodies as they made their way down the catwalk, with poor stitching and intentional rips on display as a commentary on the decreasing quality of clothing in the luxury market due to uncurbed consumption and demand for luxury goods. To end the show, Beate herself entered to give thanks to the audience when the walls began to collapse around her – marking an extravagant and poignant end to the show.

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More recently, AVAVAV’s debuting of their S/S 2024 collection at MFW left the internet rocked, with Karlsson’s collection titled “No Time to Design” which appeared hasty and unfinished, with models in incomplete outfits, or dressing themselves in a rushed manner as they hastened down the runway. Again, Beate continues her discussion surrounding the lack of quality and creativity in the luxury market, parodying luxury brands humorously by implying their designs are rushed and lack creativity in order to keep up with increased demand and consumption. 

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Their most recent work is a collaboration between AVAVAV and East Pak – “Built to Resist,” combining durability with design as AVAVAV reimagines the traditional bag work of East Pak through multiplication of their designs and deconstruction of their more conventional bag styles. This collab appears a match made in heaven, as both brands are clear with their intentions towards the sustainability of their garments.

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AVAVAV makes a strong commitment to upcycling, using scrap materials sourced from renowned brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Jacquemus and continuously using sustainable methods of designing and packaging. East Pak has also made a mission statement surrounding sustainability, aiming to reduce consumption by increasing the warranty on their products to 30 years and attempting to use recycled fabrics where possible.

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Their collaboration launch saw their products packaged in rubbish bags and egg cartons, with a theme of ‘trash’ throughout the launch event and runway show as a commentary on the increasing disposability of luxury fashion and the ever-growing number of clothes sent to landfill each year. 

_{Written By Bethan Gwynne}

The post Trash To Flash: AVAVAV X Eastpak Launch New Collection appeared first on Voir Fashion.

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Dior SS24

Renown for their feminine silhouettes cult label Dior threw away their playbook this season instead, Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri has injected feminism the collection, willing for women to dress for themselves.

Chiuri invites us to reimagine the female archetypes, from the ‘dangerous’ medieval witches to the ‘devilish’ femme fatales of 19th Century France. In a nearly all-black color palette, the show was a funeral for the clichés we have been fed our whole lives, unchaining the women of the present through garments that reclaim the power of the past.

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Bewitching displays were present in fishnet and cobweb patterns, charred gray denim, delicate lace dresses, and frayed tailoring. The Parisienne Independent Thinkers were in the maps and Eiffel Tower graphics on structured blazers and long woolen coats. She reframed female stereotypes by adding gladiator straps to ballet pumps, utilitarian silhouettes to aprons and capes, and fitting power suits under dainty, cinched belts.

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Contrasting her earnest message was a colorful backdrop filled with satirical feminist slogans: the ‘Not Her’ art installation by Italian artist Elena Bellantoni. “It’s the dark side of Dior!” Chiuri claimed with a enchanting glint in her eyes.

Karoline Vito SS24

On the closing day of MFW, just as the sun finally shone after a week of rain, Karoline Vitto made history. Known for her body-positive clothes, the London-based Brazilian designer had a tear-filled, monumental show supported by Dolce & Gabbana. Although she has been making waves for the last two years with her inclusivity message at LFW, it’s nothing compared to the significance of having only plus-sized models strut down the Milan runways.

Vitto brought true, authentic inclusivity to the fashion capital. Models from size 10 to 24, were flown in from her London studio. The collection further proved this, as she used her signature jersey and metal materials to hug the folds and curves society condemns women for.

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Structural metal rings laddered down hips and thighs, while skimpy swimwear, barely-there slip dresses, and low-rise trousers celebrated models’ bodies. Structured bustiers, skin-bearing vests, and jersey cutout dresses followed. Vitto wants the runway to represent real women because, in her own words, ‘the majority of us are not sample size, we should be seen.”

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After showing with incubator Fashion East at LFW for the past two years, Vitto gained the support of Dolce & Gabanna after world-renowned stylist Katie Grand vouched for her. It comes as no surprise then that we saw classic Dolce lingerie shapes and references to their 1992 collection, coupled with the archive fabric and size-inclusive heels gifted to Vitto by the Maison.

Post-show, editors, models, guests, and the designer herself hugged in joyful tears. Ashley Graham, who opened the show, exclaimed: “You should be crying, it was incredible! We just made history!” She then turned to the reporters. “It feels normal. You want diversity? This is diversity. More designers should be doing this. We need more curves on the runway, we need to have this be the normal. If I’m feeling normal on a runway with this many girls, it means that there’s something that doesn’t feel normal on runways everywhere else.” If this is where fashion is going, count all of us in.

Vaquera SS24

For the SS24 season, Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee brought their signature NY subversive eroticism to Paris. The show was a look at how celebrities navigate a life filled with cameras– and how we do too, now that we’ve all become our own paparazzi.

Models used ball caps, black-tinted sunglasses, and bags to hide from the flashing cameras and high-pitched tones that made the runway. They dodged and pushed their way through standing guests who, ironically (or appropriately) filmed everything like fans pushing against a security barricade.

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Inspired by the 00s and 10s, we saw fishnet bodysuits, puffball gowns, bottomless chaps, and a ‘I Heart NY’ shoulder bag. Titled ‘Does It Really Matter’, the show even brought back Tumblr’s most wanted 2000s piece: the ‘Commes des Fuckdown’ slogan cap.

Vaquera questions whether celebrities’ need to be either constantly filmed or remain anonymous really matters when everyone has an iPhone anyway. Whether our own desire to hide or film ourselves truly deserves any attention. Reflecting this camera-shy vs. camera-loving duality, conventional looks were split down the back to reveal buttcheaks and bra straps.

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A traditional black tube skirt was overlayed with pink underwear, simple black pantsuits had bondage straps, and golden tank tops had breast cut-out circles. Even if the show stood out for bringing out its classic devilish fun, the message behind it gave us food for thought–or, in this case, fashion for thought.

AVAVAV SS24

Every season, Stockholm-born designer Beate Karlsson breaks the internet with her humor-riddled show (last time the clothes literally fell apart down the runway). And, although the SS24 crowd also ended in laughter and delightful. And, although the SS24 crowd also ended in laughter and delightful gasps, the now-viral collection called out the toxic hustle culture we live in.

Stressed-looking models sped down the runway as they finished dressing, some even sporting half-finished designs or mascara running down their faces. The show opened with the backstage staff quickly stamping ‘AVAVAV’ post-its on the wall and pushing a model onto the runway. After anxiously trying to return BTS, she took off in quick strides as the second model appeared wearing an unfinished graphic T-shirt with “ADD BACK?! lettering.

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The show was about emoting the pressure, chaos, and overwhelm we deal with regularly. It called out the time crunches and unrealistic deadlines designers have to meet while juggling a million things season after season after– you get the point. Models fought back tears as they sported sheer leggings, gloves, and furry boots with “Filthy Rich” tattooed on their chest instead of a top.

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Some hid their faces altogether with front-facing hoodies, others had question-marked Sharpie annotations on T-shirts and one walked out wrapped in duct tape. Near the end, a model even ran down the runway with two foam blocks that read “ADD SHAPE”. What really took the lid off was the last look: a power suit made entirely of empty post-its. Titled, “NO TIME TO DESIGN”, AVAVAV somehow managed to be the most out-of-the-box and relatable show of Paris Fashion Week, simultaneously.

^{Words by Alexia De Las Heras}

^{Header Images by @avavav @globalfashionstylist & @vaquera}

The post This Fashion Season/Fashion Week Wasn’t About The Clothes- It Was About A Revolution! appeared first on Voir Fashion.

First a heel snapped, then a bag strap, sunglasses came crashing to the ground and pearls rolled down the runway; before we knew it clothes were bursting off the models and the whole set collapsed. What originally seemed to be a runway disaster was quickly revealed to be a purposeful critique of the superficial and serious nature of fashion; Beate Karlsson took to Instagram to share her vision behind the ‘Fake it til you break it’ show:

“I’ve been asking myself; why is luxury so serious? The last collection was all about keeping up a fake projection of wealth and the personal failure of losing face when this illusion crashes. I’m still on that theme, there’s something very interesting with shame and what happens when we are vulnerable. What is the most embarrassing thing that can happen to a fashion house? I figured garments breaking might be it. Right now, I feel the coolest attitude is exposing your vulnerability, carrying it as an accessory.”

But you might be wondering what this all has to do with fast fashion? Well, it is this superficial projection of wealth that fuels the fast fashion industry. People become so obsessed with having every trendy item, excessive fast fashion hauls online promote an attitude of quantity over quality, all in an attempt to keep up appearances. Influencers promote an unrealistic level of consumerism, that has now become normalised. Viewers are growing up thinking that buying a new outfit for every night out and only wearing it once is completely normal and sustainable. People would rather never wear an item again than allow Instagram to see it on them twice. This has created a generational attitude that clothing does not need to last longer than one night. 

The show also explored the themes of shame and vulnerability, and this is an interesting concept when it comes to clothes. Yes, if you are out in public and you have a wardrobe malfunction you feel vulnerable and exposed, but I’m not sure that you as the customer necessarily feel ashamed? Embarrassed maybe, but not shame. The notion of shame in this collection, therefore, comes from the designer and manufacturer; an admirable response to creating low-quality goods in a world that has completely normalised the lack of durability in the fashion industry. 

The attitude towards fast fashion items breaking has become alarmingly normalised, the attitude of “oh well, it only cost £5” or “you get what you pay for” is seen as totally reasonable. However, you compare this attitude to this idea of clothes breaking being “the most embarrassing thing that can happen to a fashion house” and it cements the idea that clothes are meant to last. They are not supposed to rip or tear after a couple of wears, this attitude to clothing needs to be dismantled. And yes, we are aware that there is an astronomical price difference between high-street fast fashion brands and the collections that we see during Fashion Week, but you don’t need to spend that much to have clothes that last. In fact, buying higher quality items that don’t need to be replaced as often is actually better both environmentally and economically. In 2019, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee found that “around 300,000 tonnes of textile waste ends up in household black bins every year, sent to landfill or incinerators”, a statistic that is both scary and completely unnecessary. Similarly, The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) found that “Extending clothing life has been identified as the single largest opportunity to reduce the carbon, water and waste footprints of clothing in the UK”.

Ultimately, this show served as a reality check, reminding viewers that clothes are supposed to be well-crafted and durable items, not the things that are filling landfill sites across the globe. If we were shocked to our core at seeing items breaking on the runway, why are we not similarly shocked when it happens in our own wardrobes? Hopefully, the feeling of shame surrounding clothing waste will spread, and people will begin to make more conscientious decisions with their wardrobes causing fast fashion companies to confront their contributions to the climate crisis. 

^{Words by: Amelia Gregory}

^{Header Image: AVAVAV}

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