Cannabis has long played a role in inspiring trendsetters and fueling counterculture that births the latest trends. Lately, the fringe trends are catering toward a Hunger Games lookbook. Models are serving either dreamlike or post-apocalyptic, with some carefully walking a line in between.
These avant-garde pieces are thought-provoking and exciting, but to style them IRL, you may need to get a little lifted. Check out these runway looks from the last season or two and see which ones are truly ready to wear.
Chaotic Silence by Jill Jiayue She
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[Embedded Instagram post of model wearing black bubble sunglasses with a dress combining red structured wool and grey fitted knit turtleneck dress. It features a glove protruding from the red wool on one hand, the other arm remains free.]
This was Jiayue She’s final collection for the Antwerp Fashion Masters Program. The line brought a playful, y2k edge to functional garb. Zippers and belts are featured beside playful silhouettes, jewel tones, and unexpected textures. This runway show is so good that it could inspire a delicious stoned train of thought.
All the looks are thought-provoking, but our favorite is the second look in the collection. It somehow marries 2000s clubwear with post-future elements, like 5th Element costuming in a different font. And do not, I repeat, do not, sleep on the shoes. They bring the chef’s kiss to the ensemble.
Look 14 by Iris Van Herpen
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[Embedded Instagram post of model walking through a field wearing a white amorphous gown that bounces as they walk.]
The impracticality and the sheer beauty of this look are constantly tipping the scales back and forth, never landing on one. The stunning piece moves as if it’s underwater, leaving the model to appear as if they’re floating in a cloud that’s also blooming around them like a flower.
But, like, how do you sit? That’s what the girls want to know. And what about the peripherals, because there’s no way this dress leaves a full view of goings on around you. But alas, the pieces are haute couture, so why would they be practical.
Bad Binch TongTong by Terrence Zhou
Based in New York, Bad Binch TongTong is like the store of the cool big sister in 90s cartoon shops. Outfits must have gleaned inspiration from such iconic cartoon characters like the Spider from the James and the Giant Peach claymation.
The dresses from the summer line give the 60s flipped bob, and the silhouettes defy any objective truth about beauty while remaining stunning. This designer is no secret, of course, as Zhou’s work was commissioned for Jennifer Coolidge’s W cover. These pieces inspire pondering and don’t make me worried about how to sit down–a true sartorial home run.
Raxxy by Christopher Raxxy
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[Embedded instagram post of model wearing sea foam green, geometric, bubble look from the RAXXY Eternal Catharine Collection 2023AW.]
Both structured and playful, the Raxxy 2023/24 Milano Fashion Week line marries the ethereal nature of clouds with a note of brutalism in the silhouette. Raxxy uses pastels and muted tones to offset the puffy futurism of each coat, dress, and pant. The color choice donates a softness to the hard lines created by each piece.
Christopher Raxxy has a vision that somehow translated into a collection equally whimsical and severe– that’s no easy feat. Puffed pieces reminiscent of packing air pillows still maintain a cascading movement that hasn’t been seen in many other collections.
Fashionistas will wonder how to style the unique line but may also ponder how to ride the subway in these pieces without taking up more than one seat.
Vetements by Demna Gvasalia and Guram Gvasalia
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[Embedded Instagram post of model with face entirely covered by flesh-toned nylon wears extremely oversized jeans, sweatshirts and jackets on the Spring/Summer 2024 runway.]
This design collective is no secret. Vogue shared that Vetements was the most viewed Men’s Spring/Summer 2023-2024 runway show. The latest from designers Demna and Guram Gvasalia thinks big– literally. Baggy, oversized pieces are layered over each other in looks that remind every Millenial that it only takes one rainy day to turn oversized pant legs into a dirty, wet mess.
Vetements are worn by fellow designers. The brand is well-known and revered for setting trends and pushing people to reconfigure how they view high fashion. These looks exist where street style meets the runway, making it ideal to style them after taking a fat bong rip.
Fashion is art, there’s no doubt about it. Some pieces seamlessly integrate into the most basic sense of style, and then there are avant-garde options that take an artful eye to turn into a look. These pieces may be best handled after taking a hit of your favorite created cannabis strain.