The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2025 - Issue 37

bitecatwalk FASHION WEEK LONDON Spring/Summer 2025 T his collection exudes a sharpened, refined elegance that embodies power. The show focused on themes of survival, ritual, and rebirth. The setting was stark and industrial, featuring low lighting and soft ech- oes, creating a space where silence felt heavy. The first model emerged like a shadow cutting through the fog, making it clear from the outset that this season emphasised intention over ornamentation. The collection played with contrasts: structured yet flowing, soft yet armoured, ethereal yet grounded. Layering was a central theme, with coats peeled back to reveal harnessed bodices and sheer over- lays floated over sculptural tailoring. Zhaoyi seemed to propose a new kind of protec- tion—not to conceal the body but to celebrate its strength. Colour was employed sparingly yet powerfully, showcasing earthy, muted tones such as charcoal, slate, ivory, and ochre, all of which felt tactile and alive. Occasional bursts of oxidised blue or rust red disrupted the palette like a bruise or a heartbeat. Fabrics varied from hand-dyed cotton and raw silk to mesh, leather, and waxed linen, with every texture serving a distinct purpose. One look featured a sharply tailored, sand-coloured jacket worn over a delicate, translucent dress cinched with a trailing rope belt, resembling some- thing pulled from a post-apocalyptic shrine—regal and ready, haunted yet hopeful. The details told stories of hand-stitched seams, frayed edges, and subtle distressing, revealing signs of use, memory, and movement. This woman was anything but passive; she moved with the weight of experience. There was a sense of ritual in how the garments were wrapped and tied, as if each look was donned with the ceremony. Some pieces referenced traditional East Asian closures and workwear silhouettes but were abstracted and filtered through a futuristic lens. The minimal yet meaningful accessories feature sculpted metal ear cuffs, rope chokers, and leather pouches worn like relics. Footwear was functional, grounding the looks with thick soles and hand-laced details. Beauty was stripped back, showcasing dewy skin, strong brows, and damp hair tucked behind the ears, resembling someone emerging from water or ash. The deliberate and almost sacred final walk felt less like a fashion finale and more like a ceremo- nial passage. The models moved without flourish or performance, stepping out of one world into another, carrying the weight of experience and quiet resilience. This design showcase felt like a form of expression in its own right. Each fold, fastening, and raw hem spoke a language of survival, softness, and inner strength. https://www.instagram.com/p/DABBZYrN9Lz/ ZHAOYI YU