Caroline Hu Spring Summer 2025 “Reverie”. Story by RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Caroline Hu.
Caroline Hú’s Spring Summer 2025 collection, “Reverie,” is an evocative exploration of love, death, and the emotions we navigate between them. Hú’s collection draws deeply from personal experiences and the nuanced beauty of life’s fleeting moments, creating a poignant narrative that flows through every stitch, fabric, and silhouette.
Exploring Love and Loss
Love in Hú’s world is multifaceted—capable of exuding both joy and sorrow. In “Reverie,” she delves into this duality, capturing love as an intense force that can lead to happiness or evoke darkness, greed, and loneliness. The collection reflects on moments that intertwine love and loss, whether it is the grief of losing a loved one or the nostalgia of stumbling upon a landscape that stirs memories of someone no longer here. The pieces aim to translate the complex dance between these emotions, reflecting how they shape our lives and perceptions.
Inspired by these sentiments, the collection infuses delicate silhouettes with vibrant hues, presenting garments that evoke the fleeting nature of connection and introspection. The fabrics mirror the concept of capturing light—illusory colors reminiscent of a beam of sunlight breaking through dark clouds, the soft glow filtering through leaves, or raindrops casting red reflections on window panes. Blues of melancholy and bursts of warm reds articulate both the tranquility and the turmoil inherent in Hú’s thematic journey.
The Poetry of Movement and Volume
In an effort to bring these emotions to life, Hú incorporated a live performance by dancers Emma Portner and Léo Handtschoewercker, choreographed to amplify the collection’s fluidity. The dance evokes a narrative, freezing certain elements in time and highlighting how movement can translate emotion. This idea of “freeze-framing” is further seen in the collection’s design, with boning and wire worked into hems to mimic garments caught mid-motion, and playful shapes that seem to be tugged by an invisible hand—much like life’s unpredictable forces.
Hú’s selection of fabrics reflects her dedication to combining luxury with functionality. Key materials include silk taffeta and technical fabrics that blend the aesthetic of sportswear with the elegance of high fashion. Printed silk organza features Hú’s original illustrations—flowers, roses, mountains, and sky—while fine stretch jerseys replicate the delicate appearance of organza. Each piece is meticulously crafted to capture unintentional moments of romantic detail, as if paused in a daydream.
Smocking Technique
The collection features Hú’s signature smocking technique, a textured, gathered detailing that emphasizes her dedication to fine craftsmanship. Continuing her partnership with French lace maker Sophie Hallette, Hú has created intricate tulle lace appliques that add an ethereal quality to many of the garments. There’s a sense of timelessness blended with modern design, a signature of the brand, that allows the wearer to feel both rooted in tradition and propelled into the contemporary.
Reverie also continues Hú’s collaboration with major brands. In partnership with adidas Originals, she presents a unique take on the classic SL72 and Superstar sneakers, slated for a November 2024 release. Additionally, a collaboration with Casetify adds an accessory twist with handcrafted ceramic pendant tops that blend fashion and technology, reflecting the collection’s blend of tradition and modernity.
A Dance of Two Worlds: Emma Portner & Léo Handtschoewercker
The collection’s unveiling was graced by the dynamic performance of Emma Portner and Léo Handtschoewercker. Both renowned for their ability to channel emotion through movement, their dance brings the clothing to life, transforming fabric and design into a tangible experience. Portner, recognized for her complex devotion to dance and widely regarded as a powerful voice in the movement industry, brought a haunting grace to the performance. Handtschoewercker, with his eclectic blend of hip-hop, electro, and contemporary style, added a contrasting vigor and poetic disequilibrium, creating an interplay of balance and unbalance, which mirrors the themes of the collection.
Caroline Hú: A Visionary Romantic
Since founding her brand in 2019, Caroline Hú has sought to capture life’s intimate moments through clothing. A graduate of Central Saint Martins and Parsons School of Design, Hú’s recognition in the fashion world is ever-growing. With accolades like being a finalist for the LVMH Prize and winning the BoF China Prize, she has solidified her voice as a modern romantic, shaping each collection with innovative construction and a heartfelt narrative.
“Reverie” for Spring Summer 2025 stands as a testament to Hú’s unique vision—a confluence of emotional depth, high craftsmanship, and avant-garde silhouettes. In merging love and loss, light and darkness, stillness and motion, Hú invites us all to reflect on the beauty and fragility of the fleeting connections that define our lives.
The collection, as seen through both fabric and dance, transcends mere fashion and becomes an invitation to introspection—encouraging each wearer to embrace every fleeting moment as it passes, much like a reverie that lingers just long enough to leave its mark.