Avavav Fall 2025: Personal, But Unsettling Too

Attendees of Avavav’s shows are well aware the indie brand is known for its irreverent runway concepts with viral appeal, and they look for hints to the latest gimmick creative director Beate Skonare Karlsson has come up with as soon as they step into the venue.

On Sunday, they simply found a runway covered with fresh grass. When at one end of it a hand emerged from below ground and the first model crawled out of a grave-like hole, the effect was certainly surprising — but unsettling too. Considering the current social and political moment, one’s first thought was that there must have been plenty of other — and better — options to create buzz.

But fashion can be an area of self-expression and Karlsson later revealed that the controversial choice was a very personal one.

“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,” she said. “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 the fear take over, Karlsson said she chose to channel it into her fall 2025 collection. “As always, the creative process has been a form of therapy for me, translating the uncertainty into something tangible, something expressive,” she said.

The designer dealt with themes of strength and vulnerability by mixing her signature Goth streetwear with feminine touches, juxtaposing hoodies with rib cage cutouts and baggy denim pants with boucle blazer jackets, asymmetrical skirts, sheer dresses mimicking cable knits and bow embellishments.

Clashing with pieces in georgette satin, protective gear hailing from sportswear and ranging from American football’s shoulder pads to boxing gloves with bow ties emphasized the hunched posture of the zombie-esque models, who were often covered in soil and blood.

The sports references fit with the second chapter of the brand’s collaboration with Adidas Originals, which included oversize shredded T-shirts and logoed hoodies with frayed, washed-out details, among others.