Vain – AW25

“At some point, I started seeing hearts everywhere. I paid attention to them and it felt like they have somehow been haunting me my whole life,” says Jimi Vain, creative director of Vain. “I thought that I’d like to bring the heart back to people’s daily lives in a way that doesn’t necessarily scream it – it could be a small detail, for instance – but we believe in the revolution of hearts.”

The heart is a motif that lies at the core of the Finnish brand, from its iconic logo to its clothing, where the emblem appears in various shapes and forms. The heart – and what it symbolises: love – also served as the inspiration for Vain’s spring/summer ’25 collection, a notion the label continues to explore further in its autumn/winter ’25 offering, entitled ‘Altered Faces of Love’. “The idea behind this collection is very similar to last season. The intention, from the beginning, was to create a sort of hybrid collection that connects the two,” Vain explains. “However, this collection delves more into the darker side of love.” Roope Reinola, CEO of Vain, chimes in: “A recurring theme in both collections, and in the entire brand, is that love isn’t the same for everyone and doesn’t always appear in the same way – it’s not that overly beautiful, pop-culture-created idea filled with chocolate boxes and heart-shaped pink balloons.”

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While Vain’s SS25 line-up took on a lighter approach, AW25 boasts a grittier mood, with the co-founders noting central themes of loss, longing and letting go. Embracing a darker colour palette, Reinola and Vain gravitated towards horror flick influences, “mixing cute things with a darker aesthetic and playing around with contrasts.” Raven-black leather shorts meet soft, white cable knits, while bulky puffers layer over hoodies with zipper-adorned cut-outs reminiscent of a heart that’s been slit open. Elsewhere, light-wash jeans have been fashioned into a midriff-baring minidress, creating an upturned, heart-like silhouette. Some styles, such as the transparent, buckle-strewn trench coat and cut-out jeans, have been carried over from SS25, bridging the two collections.

For AW25, the brand has also highlighted its continuing love for the planet. Expanding its ‘Vain Upcycled’ product line, the collection’s denim, down and some of the leather pieces have been crafted from deadstock materials from luxury houses.

See all the looks from Vain's AW25 collection below: