The Politics of Ugliness: Anti-Beauty and the New Avant-Garde

Centuries before punk or avant-garde existed, German mercenaries were already slashing fabric, clashing colours, and defying social codes. The Landsknechts of the 15th century turned rebellion into style, and their fearless self-expression still echoes across today’s runways.

When perfection becomes propaganda, ugliness becomes resistance. Across the avant-garde, designers are weaponising distortion, decay, and discomfort to fracture the polished surface of contemporary fashion. Transforming the grotesque into a radical language of defiance.

Carl Jung’s archetypes offer a new lens to decode avant-garde fashion. From Browne’s Trickster to Yamamoto’s Hermit, each silhouette becomes a vessel of the collective unconscious. Proof that fashion, at its most radical, speaks the language of the soul.

Womenswear designer Antonio Femia looks to the hometown forests in Belgium for his graduate collection at Central Saint Martins. Bridget Devine discovers more about his ritualistic design universe…

While the fashion industry has drawn inspiration from the internet for years, a new wave of digital-first aesthetics is accelerating the evolution of trends.

In revisiting some of the most thought-provoking moments from recent seasons, Rokh’s Autumn/Winter 2025 show stands out as a masterclass in sculptural tailoring and conceptual storytelling.

Rick Owens draws from the shadows of musical subcultures, transforming their raw energy into a sculptural aesthetic. His work carries the spirit of underground movements, rebellious, ritualistic, and imbued with a dark romanticism. These influences do more than just inspire him; they form the backbone of his language. So what are they?

Isabelle Taylor is a beautifully unconventional surrealist fashion designer specialising in fish leather, a sustainable material made from the byproducts of smoked salmon, which she uses to create garments through her brand, Skinned Potential.

Mia Gosset continually rethinks what jewellery and objects can be. Here, she shares her process, inspirations, and the vision behind her practice, uncovering what truly makes Mia Gosset, Mia Gosset.

A retrospective look at Alexander McQueen’s ‘Voss’ Collection.

Tracing avant-garde’s path from its revolutionary roots of Elsa Schiaparelli, Rei Kawakubo, and McQueen to today’s branches of gothic elegance.

Designing the Unwearable Inside an Inhospitable World…

To mark the release of The Shrouds, we revisit six moments when Cronenberg’s grotesque genius oozed into the world of fashion.

Japanese designers redefined avant-garde by merging tradition, philosophy, and innovation. From deconstruction to minimalism, their influence reshaped Western fashion and continues to inspire a generation seeking authenticity over perfection.

How directors like David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Denis Villeneuve envisioned Dune’s universe, and how it continues to inspire avant-garde fashion.

“Avant-garde” gets thrown around a lot in fashion, but where does it come from, and what does it actually mean? From its radical roots to its presence in lifestyle and design, here is what truly sets avant-garde apart from passing trends.

Blending video game design, CGI, and couture craftsmanship, Victor Clavelly transforms technology into poetry. His creations stretch the limits of the body, reimagining what fashion – and reality – can become.

For those stepping into the avant-garde realm of fashion, Carol Christian Poell is an essential figure. Though now retired, his legacy endures. Through radical construction, cryptic processes, and garments that confront both the body and time, his influence continues to shape the fashion world.

While the recent media frenzy around the Vatican might have cooled off, fashion keeps returning to Catholic imagery, and perhaps that is no coincidence.

Why the Fashion World is Exploring Hair… Down There

What if beauty wasn’t preserved, but allowed to rust? Justin Matringe turns decay into design, crafting garments that corrode the very idea of fashion itself.