By Jesse Scott
Deliberate, liberated, and undeniably sultry. These were the key themes for Ashi Studio's Spring-Summer 25 couture show, which was entitled "Velvet Underground." Creative director Ashi led guests on a sensual boudoir-inspired journey to a moment in time at which, in his words, "women experienced unbridled emancipation and aspired to be the sole selector of their destiny." Sumptuous fabrics slowly danced down the darkened runway, winking at guests with the self-assurance of one who knows they can command a room with a fleeting gaze but derives more pleasure from a carefully curated secret life lived far from the glare of spotlights. A more delicate offering than we've typically seen from Ashi, the collection remained true to the couturier's DNA while embracing a seductive sensibility that expanded his aesthetic vocabulary.
Silhouettes Whisper a Powerful Tale
Often whispers are louder - and more powerful - than screams. That was the case with the Velvet Underground collection. Rather than striding down a brightly illuminated runway with the urgent purpose and poised determination that have come to define the model walk, Ashi's models sauntered slowly in carefree zig-zags, smirking in indulgent satisfaction and even making eye contact with guests. Embracing the spirit of emancipation, these models had nothing to prove and nowhere to be but the moment. The attitude was echoed by the clothes. Ashi described this season's vision as a "subtle couture." Lust was omnipresent; it was a refined lust, suggested not stated and draped in velvet, duchesse satin, and ephemeral Chantilly lace.
The show was deeply rooted in an intellectual and historical foundation. Ashi explored the aesthetic vocabulary of a particular French bourgeoisie, embedding references to Coromandel screens and marquetry furniture on pearl-frosted corsets. His muses included Madame Claude, the iconic "madame" who led a sophisticated group of French call girls (allegedly serving shahs, presidents, and business tycoons) in the 1960s. Also central was Serge Lutens, a master of all things sensual in fragrance, photography, and film. The result was a nuanced collection that explored powerful themes in a delightfully indulgent way.
The Season of Sheer
Many designers, from Georges Hobeika to Alexis Mabille to Juana Martin, embraced sheer black lace and lingerie-inspired silhouettes this season. Sheer is having a moment across couture, but no one, unexpectedly, has seized that moment as enthusiastically as Ashi. The opening look - black widow deadly - featured a fiercely structured and delicately embroidered corset balanced by a flowing black veil (Look 1). A tiny lace bralette was paired with a massive emerald-frosted skirt (Look 4), while black swan imagery was invoked by a slinky sheer gown with long black feathers extending from the back like wings and from the neck like a Victorian ruffle collar (Look 7).
Feathers recurred throughout the collection, ingeniously used to make small dog sculptures clutched by the models as accessories. The dogs added a subtle sensuality to the collection. One could easily imagine them in a commercial for one of Lutens' fragrances or a nostalgic film about one of Madame Claude's call girls: curled obediently next to a perfectly coiffed woman as she reclines on a velvet couch. Unlike many bold accessories, they did not seize the spotlight. Rather, their inclusion came with the art of camouflage. Pure white and jet black poodles nestled into furry coats of the same colours, the black poodle sporting an elaborate feathered hairdo that complemented both the texture of the accompanying dress and the aforementioned swan aesthetic (Look 11, Look 18).
Gilded or bejeweled details are central to Ashi's DNA, and they returned this season. Among the most spectacular pieces were a black velvet dress almost entirely ensconced in silver heron and botanic inlays. Meanwhile, the antepenultimate look, a sharp silver-encrusted sheath, captured the essence of the collection. Seductive, yet to an extent unapproachable and most definitely uncontrollable, it was a dress for a "mistress of her own fate" (Look 20). In the show notes, Ashi poetically described his protagonist as bearing a "gaze lost in the haze of her own rebellion." It's a rebellion that I would gladly descend into the enveloping darkness of the velvet underground for.
