Following a tide of anticipation that had curdled and compounded for weeks, at the last minute, LaQuan Smith elected to cancel his fall-winter 2025 show, instead inviting clients and buyers for a close viewing of his latest offering at his Long Island studio. “It's really an important time to focus on my business, focus on the collection, focus on my market,” he said to Vogue.
Consistent with his signature aesthetic, his latest collection leans into a sumptuous blend of sexy and provocative; a range of looks that recall the distinctive sense of grandeur and fearlessness that defined American fashion in the 80s. “The FW'25 collection is a striking homage to the audacious allure of American gangster films, reimagined through the world of LaQuan Smith,” reads the official press release.
Railing against the minimalist sensibility that seems to have enveloped the greater part of today’s fashion landscape, the looks in this collection aim to take up space and do so in style. All which is to say, if you’re looking to fly under the radar at an event, or at least blend in with the crowd, you’d be better off with something else.
The collection seems to lean into a diverse yet cohesive constellation of aesthetics. Yet, certain motifs decidedly stand out. Smith generously taps sheer looks—a favorite aesthetic of his over the years—in multiple iterations. Sheer dresses appear in the collection but so do elegant sheer rompers and bodycon jumpsuits. Geometric patterned silhouettes, gorgeous bold colors, and graceful fur coats also make repeated appearances.
LaQuan Smith’s fall-winter collection is carefully constructed around the serrated and ominously exciting atmosphere of 80s gangster films. In an age where mining nostalgia has become the primary propulsive force for creativity—Y2K being the most plumbed era—it is easy for such reimaginations to fall flat, or fail to inspire excitement. But this collection, thankfully, offers a surfeit of exciting moments and a general sense of nostalgic release. Poring over the collection—photos of which are available on their Instagram—one is transported to the dreamscape of the 80s where danger, sex, and beauty exist in a stunning equilibrium.
