Caroline Hu’s dreamy creations were her response to a cruel reality. For fall 2025, she imagined waking up from a nightmare in which sad news on TV haunted her.
But Hu isn’t a pessimist. Instead, she offered the crumbling world of her nightmare a deeply romantic collection, juxtaposing textile innovations inspired by her watercolor paintings with dramatic, couture-like shapes.
”I follow the news very closely. I think the world has become a bad place, but my response is not to make very gothic or dark designs. I want to show the good side of the world, but I am not ignoring the heart-wrenching side either. My understanding of dilapidation is hidden in the details,” Hu said.
She adorned big tulle dresses with delicate rose ribbon embroideries, distressed ruffles and ostrich feathers, and dialed up the volume of the mullet dresses as if they were mushroom clouds.
Building on her signature smocking technique, she experimented with quilted floral appliqué, seen on a long sheer, layered shift dress on the runway. In the showroom, the same technique was commercialized for more accessible commuter attire.
While the show leaned more toward the realm of fantasy dressing, Hu said her women are grounded in reality — wearing Adidas Originals sneakers instead of heels, for example — and they choose to embrace romanticism in a chaotic world because they are resilient and courageous.
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