Avavav - AW25

Avavav’s latest trick? Resurrecting models from the dead. For autumn/winter '25, Avavav (by now the GOAT of viral runway moments) had models emerge from a freshly-filled grave, covered in dirt and moss, sometimes bleeding – impossibly cool gothic streetwear zombies ready to storm the runway to the tune of Broder Daniel’s “Shoreline”.

It was a cheeky stunt that’s already lit the internet ablaze, but its origins were both dark and personal (we are dealing with death here, after all). “It usually comes from something I’m going through, or a state of mind I’m heavily in,” says Swedish creative director Beate Skonare Karlsson of the show’s origins. “It’s a very dark, depressing collection and show, about anxiety in general and feeling physically weak.” While Skonare Karlsson has dealt with the mental peaks and valleys of anxiety throughout her life, this past year she’s been burdened with physical heath issues as well – both of which manifested in today’s morbid moment. Throughout the design process, she blasted the beloved Swedish tune to which the show was set. It boasts the refrain: “You die when you’re young”.

The collection itself exists at the intersection of, as Skonare Karlsson puts it, streetwear, goth and femininity. A recurring motif, appearing on relaxed jersey pieces (including that signature shoulder-less zip-up), is that of a skeleton’s ribcage, achieved through double-layered material scored with rib-like cuts along the torso. The goth girl notion, meanwhile, shines through in playful mini skirts, made flouncy by way of ruffled tulle-like underlays, and oversized black bows, which adorn both hair and nipples. Elsewhere, football shoulder pads worn under hoodies and jerseys belie the youthfulness of these undead characters – fallen high school heroes.

While the streetwear staples are Avavav’s bread and butter, Skonare Karlsson also goes deep into tailoring (most of it pinstriped, evoking the dapper skeleton Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas), playing with asymmetric gathering on tightly tailored blazers and finishing shirts with black skinny ties. Also on deck, a resurrection of the brand’s sought-after collab with Adidas Originals. This time around, Skonare Karlsson brought new life to classic Superstars, blowing them up to fun house-esque proportions. The accessory du jour is a bill-like cap (“I wanted to make this sculpted cap for, like, a year,” says Skonare Karlsson), a natural pairing with Avavav’s beloved finger boots.

The origins of the show may be macabre, but there’s something undeniably optimistic about rising from the dead. Skonare Karlsson may not be totally through the darkness (“anxiety is something I’ve always dealt with”) but she is, at the very least, confronting it. “I think that the shows – not intentionally – become a little bit like CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy. I try to put on the runway what I’m going through, personally,” says Skonare Karlsson. “It helps to talk about what you’re going through, and share it and be honest with yourself.”

See the full Avavav AW25 runway collection below.