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Visiting Avavav’s temporary Milan studio, two days out from the brand’s Spring/Summer 2025 show, I was surprised to see a model sprinting back and forth across the room. He was wearing an oversized blazer with the Adidas three stripes, layered with tailored Adidas track pants and Avavav’s signature claw shoes. “We need to make sure they can run in the baggy pieces,” said creative director Beate Karlsson, looking on, “so they don’t get caught [on anything] in the show”.
Acielle @StyleDuMonde
Taking place on the track in Centro Sportivo Forza e Coraggio stadium, this season’s Avavav show during Milan Fashion Week was a pseudo 100m world record attempt, with models one by one attempting to run the 100m in under nine seconds. Many were wearing a new Avavav x Adidas collaboration, unveiled during the show and dropping in November this year. Some tripped, some fell, some cursed at the commentator, one was even “sick”. “We’re not sure what to make the vomit out of yet,” Karlsson said at the fittings on Friday, “maybe Coke mixed with something? We don’t want it to be too disgusting.”
Adidas approached Avavav over 18 months ago about the collaboration, so she’s been mulling the show concept for a while, bouncing ideas around with her boyfriend (a film director who used to work in advertising), who’s helped her plan all her recent stunts. At Avavav’s SS23 debut, the models purposefully fell on the runway, many wearing the brand’s signature thigh-high fluffy boots. Covered by every news outlet, the show garnered tens of millions of views across TikTok and Instagram and thrust Avavav into the spotlight. For AW23, the looks fell off and fell apart, as models were blasted by an industrial fan.
