The runway is rarely predictable when Zomer takes the stage. For Fall/Winter 2025, designers Danial Aitouganov and Imruh Asha upended expectations – starting with a show that opened with the finale. Models walked out to prerecorded applause, paused for a screeching rewind, and then began again. The reversal set the tone for a collection that questioned not only how clothes are presented, but also how they’re worn.
Zomer‘s latest work thrives on contradiction. Collars sprouted from pant hems. A bottle-green dress mimicked a trench coat worn backwards, its seams and pockets inverted yet strangely refined. Denim jackets and jeans appeared reversed without sacrificing wearability. The duo’s knack for sharp tailoring anchored even their most surreal ideas, such as fringed dresses made of curling ribbon or blouson dresses with backward pockets. “Clothes should adapt to the wearer, not the other way around,” Aitouganov noted backstage.
Collaborations deepened the texture of the collection. Knitwear artist Cécile Feilchenfeldt contributed striped dresses that paired spiky nylon exteriors with silk-lined interiors, a tactile contrast that echoed Zomer’s broader theme of duality. Elsewhere, tailored skirts were slit open to reveal men’s shirts underneath, while wool skirts were folded like layered jackets. These pieces blurred the line between construction and styling, a deliberate choice to keep the audience guessing.
Humor flickered throughout. Handles dangled from garments like imaginary purses, pendants attached as if they held “all our money,” Aitouganov joked. But the levity never overshadowed the precision of Zomer’s cuts. Dresses reworked from pinstriped shirts and trenches underscored her growing focus on versatile separates, already a commercial hit.
Not every risk landed. Oversized collars added awkward bulk, and some inverted details felt strained. But the collection’s occasional excesses reflected its ethos: fashion thrives on experimentation, especially when the world itself feels unmoored. “Things are moving backward – it’s insane,” Aitouganov said, referring to global chaos. Zomer’s response-quirky, cerebral, unafraid to misstep-resonates with those seeking clothing that reflects modern disorientation.
©Photo: Zomer