“Before dawn, there is a moment when longing becomes absolute. The Ashi Studio 2026 collection explores the space between devotion and destruction, where Victorian rituals of mourning meet modern haute couture and desire and possession become indistinguishable.” It was Ashi Studio’s formula, and it was poetic. Instagram framing. But the collection itself was sensual, sculptural, and…hairy.
And what does haute couture love more than femininity (of which there was a lot)? A piece of history. Corsetry was the collection’s architectural obsession. Crafted in 18th-century fashion, the bodice was cinched to within an inch, forcing a bell-shaped silhouette and bulging out at the hips into a rounded, shell-like shape. Basically, I value architecture more than anatomy.
meanwhile, victorian erathe hair was almost ceremonial. Remembrance didn’t just involve wearing black, it also included pinning deceased loved ones with jewelry, wreaths, and even embroidery. Think of it as a tangible connection to the person who died and an accessory to everyday grief. Necklaces, bracelets, lockets, fabrics, and even ornaments. Especially for women, the memorial was more like a presentation. At Ashi Studio, the hair was sewn straight into the silhouette and a pattern was also created.
Fabrics were drawn by hand, cotton treated with adhesives to appear perpetually wet, trompe l’oeil effects strutted down the runway, and the erased texture of the plastic beneath the clothes suggested the bodies were more made in a doll factory than alive. Much of this work was typically outsourced to people who fake blood for a living, such as the hair team on last year’s Dracula.
Under Mohamed Ashi, the collection delivered on its promise: corsets, fabrics, embroidery, plastics, everything neatly and seriously. History was everywhere, and the body pretty much followed that history. There were flowers and bright colors everywhere that week, black and sadness felt surprisingly refreshing, even the furry bits.
Source: Our Culture – ourculturemag.com
