A Look Back at the Top 10 Fashion Phenomena of 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re once again looking back at the stories that shaped the intersection of architecture, art, design, and technology. This year, fashion delivered its own share of striking moments: unexpected, imaginative, and sometimes delightfully bizarre. These are the creations that twisted familiar garments and accessories into something entirely new, earning their place under our fashion design phenomena tag. Because for every piece that gets it perfectly right, there’s always one curious outlier that gets everyone talking.
From Iris van Herpen’s haute couture illuminated by reactive bioluminescent algae and Vollebak’s virus-killing copper jacket to Gustaf Westman’s viral spiral baguette holder and a wearable AirPod backpack by Bravest, here are the top 10 fashion stories that captured our attention and defined the past 12 months.
REACTIVE BIOLUMINESCENT ALGAE DRESS BY IRIS VAN HERPEN
image courtesy of Chris Bellamy of Bio Crafted
Surrounded by darkness, Iris van Herpen’s dress came to life with the glow of reactive bioluminescent algae during Paris Haute Couture Week 2025. Co-created with biodesigner Christopher Bellamy, also known as Bio Crafted, the piece features 125 million bioluminescent algae, illuminated against a runway set designed with light sculptures by artist Nick Verstand. In an interview with designboom, Bellamy explains that he initially developed the technique for encapsulating the microalgae in collaboration with indigenous artists and scientists in French Polynesia. ‘A bespoke 35-step process was developed, which encapsulates the algae in a nutrient gel and protective coating, allowing them to survive for many months,’ he says.
Once encapsulated, the algae require only regular sunlight to photosynthesize and maintain their circadian rhythm. The biomaterial can thrive for months, even in hot conditions, and Bellamy notes that some samples have survived for over a year. ‘However, as this material is still highly experimental, we are continuing to study its behavior and understand exactly how it functions,’ he adds.
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VIRUS-KILLING COPPER JACKET BY VOLLEBAK
image courtesy of Vollebak
From illuminating the runway with millions of living microalgae in Iris van Herpen’s couture to actively defending against invisible threats, fashion this year explored the power of the microscopic in bold new ways. Vollebak’s Full Metal Jacket takes this concept from spectacle to protection, using copper to neutralize viruses and bacteria before they can even grow. The technical garment features three layers of textile woven with 11 kilometers of copper wire, transformed from industrial rods into fine, uniform yarns using precision lasers.
Each strand is carefully measured for softness and consistency, coated with a thin layer of lacquer to prevent corrosion, and then woven through a six-day curing process that includes scouring, heat-setting, and drying. The copper layer is paired with Vollebak’s c_change membrane, a waterproof and breathable barrier that adapts to temperature and humidity. In hot conditions, the jacket opens to release heat and moisture; in cold weather, it closes to retain warmth, offering both protection and comfort.
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UNIFORMS WITH BUILT-IN ELECTRIC FANS BY ANREALAGE
image courtesy of Anrealage
Just as Vollebak used copper to defend wearers from microscopic threats, Anrealage turned to airflow and cooling to help humans adapt to their environment. At the NTT Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka, the brand decided to equip staff uniforms with built-in electric fans, keeping wearers comfortable in the heat while pushing the boundaries of functional fashion. Inspired by the concept of parallel travel, the clothing uses wind to evoke the sensation of moving through time and space. Hundreds of blue dots across the white fabric symbolize connection with distant beings.
The staff uniforms consist of five pieces: outerwear, a polo shirt, a bag, a hat, and a logo badge. It’s the outerwear that houses the electric fans, allowing staff to stay cool while moving through the Expo. The fans are positioned on the lower-left side of the jacket, with protective grilles to prevent any contact with the spinning rotors. When activated, the airflow causes the outerwear to balloon, giving the wearer the ethereal appearance of a floating ‘cloud.’
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ZZZN PUFFER JACKET FOR SLEEP
photo by Yusuke Maekawa courtesy of ZZZN SLEEP APPAREL SYSTEM
While Anrealage focused on external comfort and climate adaptation, other designers explored clothing that responds to our internal rhythms. ZZZN’s Sleep Apparel System takes this concept to the next level, transforming a puffer jacket into wearable sleepwear that helps users rest anywhere, anytime. It uses biometric data monitoring as well as headphones that play two types of music with frequency bands to help people fall asleep. The ZZZN puffer jacket for sleep modernizes Yagi, which is a traditional Japanese winter or nightwear. The apparel has drawstrings on the sleeves and hem, all adjustable to fit the user’s body type. The wearer can also adjust the cuff tabs to their fit, making sure that they’re comfortable when they’re about to sleep.
The ZZZN puffer jacket for sleep uses photoelectric fiber as its padding. With this in mind, the sleepwear is lighter than it looks. It also keeps the internal temperature warm for the users, especially during cold and extreme weather conditions.
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RICE STRAW-MADE RAINCOAT AND MICRO-SHELTER BY FABULISM
photo by David Carson courtesy of Fabulism
Where ZZZN explored sleep through sensors, sound, and smart materials, other designers embraced low-tech ingenuity. Fabulism’s Chaude Couture turns to rice straw, an ancient, organic material, and transforms it through meticulous weaving into a water-repellent raincoat and micro-shelter. The Berlin-based design practice rejects plastic-based rainwear in favor of natural, protective textiles, working closely with skilled artisans to weave the entire garment from rice straw.
The piece is shaped to provide shelter, forming a dome-like silhouette that covers the wearer’s upper body. Its elongated, rounded top fits comfortably over the head without adding weight, allowing the raincoat to function as both an expressive fashion statement and a lightweight, wearable umbrella.
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HARIBO GUMMY BEAR CROCS
image courtesy of Crocs
From natural‑materials protection to pop‑culture delight, fashion doesn’t just serve function; it also indulges in fun. Enter Crocs’ gummy-inspired collaboration with Haribo, turning the classic clog into eye‑candy footwear. The upper is made from a translucent material that mimics the look of the candy, giving the shoe a playful appearance. The design comes with Jibbitz charms, including oversized Goldbears, one of Haribo’s most recognizable symbols. Even the sole of the clog features embossed Goldbears, making the Crocs Haribo Classic Clog a novelty footwear piece.
In addition to its themed design, the footwear is water-friendly and buoyant, so users can wear it in various settings, including wet or outdoor environments. It is lightweight, weighing only a few ounces, which enhances comfort and reduces strain during prolonged wear.
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HAVAIANAS’ FIRST-EVER 3D PRINTED FLIP-FLOPS BY ZELLERFELD
image courtesy of Zellerfeld and Havaianas
Staying in the world of clogs and sandals, Zellerfeld and Havaianas have introduced the brand’s first-ever 3D printed flip-flops, featuring a rounded toe cap for added comfort and protection. The footwear’s top still has a Y-shaped strap, a familiar design of the sandals company’s products. It connects between the big and second toe and extends along the sides of the foot.
The brand’s name is printed on the strap, along with a textured pattern, which is a prominent part of the 3D printed design. The toe area is covered with a rounded front piece, wrapping over the front of the foot and linking it to the base. This toe covering helps to hold the foot in place and protect it from being exposed.
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SANDALS SHAPED LIKE ZIGZAG PAVER BLOCKS BY PDM BRAND
image courtesy of PDM Brand
Continuing in sandal territory, PDM Brand took things a step further with unisex sandals shaped like zigzag paver blocks, designed so that wearers ‘fill in’ gaps on the sidewalk as they stroll. Chunky like the real blocks but made from a cushiony, rubbery material instead of stone or concrete, the sandals maintain a concrete-gray color, helping the wearer blend in while staying safe on uneven surfaces. The sandals feature a matching toe strap, and even the packaging mirrors the design of real concrete bricks.
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SPIRAL BAGUETTE HOLDER BY GUSTAF WESTMAN
image courtesy of Gustaf Westman
From rethinking how we walk to reimagining how we carry, Gustaf Westman has designed a spiral baguette holder that carries a loaf of bread like a handbag. The playful accessory is designed to fit a baguette snugly around three loops and is part of a summer-long pop-up experience, in which the designer takes over private residences across different European cities instead of traditional exhibition spaces.
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AIRPODS WEARABLE BACKPACK BY BRAVEST
image courtesy of Bravest
If Gustaf Westman made bread portable in style, Bravest makes gadgets wearable in the most literal way. The streetwear brand’s AIRPACK is a backpack shaped like Apple AirPods, featuring removable ‘earbuds’ interior pouches. The backpack stays faithful to Apple’s original design: the white AirPods shape is scaled up, and instead of a magnetic lock like the AirPods case, it has a zipper that runs around the bag. Unzipping the top reveals two removable interior pouches shaped like the iconic earbuds themselves.
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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:
2024 — 2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019 — 2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013
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