Paolina Russo's Autumn-Winter 2025 collection, "The Ballad of Ramona Blvd", presents a narrative through fashion that merges suburban memories with dream-like elements. The collection creates layered uniforms that move between time periods, incorporating both medieval influences and early 2010s aesthetics.
Purple dominates the collection, appearing across denim pieces, hoodies, prints, and knits. This color choice references the early 2010s era of Justin Bieber's popularity and the supposed 2012 doomsday predictions, serving as a protective element for the collection's imagined hero.
Medieval tailoring influences appear in ruched thermal pieces worn as layers under wool and denim or as outerwear. The brand's signature warrior knit has evolved into a more refined form of "armor" with a streamlined, feminine silhouette rather than traditional corset shapes.
Notable pieces include a double-zip knit wool jacket in pencil graphite paired with a waist cut-out skirt, and gauze knit wrap cardigans featuring pencil crayon colors in rainbow patterns. These items incorporate doodles reminiscent of long bus journeys and sports field trips.
Recurring motifs include stars and hearts that appear not only in this collection but in previous ones. Gold foil embellishments adorn various textiles as a reference to heraldic design traditions. The denim pieces, including baggy low-rise jeans, mini skirts, and shin-buttoning capris, feature gold accents.
The collection includes practical accessories such as detachable pilgrim hoods and helmet beanies. A collaboration with Converse has produced knee-high boot covers featuring Russo's signature denim graphics and colors.
Photographer Dean Hoy captured the lookbook in Deptford's suburbs, evoking the early blogging era when self-timers and tripods were commonly used. The images aim to connect past and present while capturing the feeling of temporary escape.
London-based Paolina Russo and Lucile Guilmard's design approach combines artisanal methods with industrial production. They modernize traditional crafts like knitwear and natural dyeing to create a distinct aesthetic that balances folkloric tradition with futuristic elements.
The brand has gained significant recognition, appearing on Forbes' 30 under 30 list for Arts & Culture, receiving the Paul Smith Foundation's Residency at Smithfield Studios, winning the Zalando Visionary award in 2023, and being named finalists for both the LVMH Prize and International Woolmark Prize in 2023.
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Kristin Kaye
Insatiably curious about human expression, she immerses herself in literature, theater, art, and dance. Her academic journey led to degrees in Modern Literature, where she delved into The Furioso, and Historical Sciences with a focus on Contemporary History. Her studies took her to the prestigious Erasmus University Rotterdam, broadening her international perspective.
Her passion for culture isn't confined to personal enjoyment—it spills onto the pages of various publications. There, she explores not only artistic endeavors but also civil rights issues and the myriad ways human culture manifests itself. For her, writing about these topics isn't just a profession; it's an irresistible calling that stems from her deep-seated fascination with the human experience.