Text by Mark Benjamin
After much soul searching, a strong case emerges for JUUN.J as the zeitgeist of elevating streetwear into high fashion. This is perhaps most evident in the Spring Summer 2025 collection 'WORKOUTURE,' just shown at Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
JUUN.J has long been known for taking risks through bold reinvention, either through materials or shapes once deemed exclusive to streetwear. This season witnesses his most recalcitrant designs yet. The iconic A-2 Bomber, a favorite of many designers - including Raf Simons, who used it as a vehicular metaphor for youth culture - becomes a gown. Similarly, an oversized denim jacket and jeans are outfitted with a zip train, crafting a sartorial denim masterpiece.
Perhaps the greatest standout feature this season is the re-imagination of football shoulder pads as a silhouette. This shape, well-traced over by Thom Browne in his iconoclastic Fall/Winter 2012 show, colloquially known as the “Punks versus Jocks” show, appears in this collection with shoulder pads tucked away beneath fabric like magnified 80s shoulder pads. The results are beautiful feminine shapes. A notable look: a bubble skirt dress in classic rugby stripes with a polo collar. Lace also gets a spotlight this season with a full white bodysuit adorned with a zip parachute skirt that resembles both a veil and a piece of tactical sportswear.
If the sports reference isn't yet apparent, consider the Klein blue parade: an assemblage of unisex sheer football jerseys imagined as somewhere between a dress and a cover-up - either way perfect for a balmy day. And what's sportswear, or high fashion for that matter, without celebration? Bejeweled stockings and gloves walk with a matching handbag adorned with eye-catching iridescent hardware.
Fit for the sidelines or the game of life, whatever game that may be, the JUUN.J Spring Summer 2025 collection is a clear victory. For the brand legacy, it solidifies its fashion-historical importance and sends a message to the wider industry that high fashion and sportswear can coexist, informing each other with synergies as opposed to what often amounts to lazy appropriations.
Ultimately, SS25 is a covetable collection that's in tune with the larger trend of fashion, pop music, and entertainment increasingly tuning in to sports. Whether it be Taylor Swift or a front row filled with NFL players at a fashion show, we are reminded of shows like this one, perhaps on the periphery to most, that bear the torch of innovation for the wider, much fatigued fashion industry.