To Conclude New York Fashion Week, Thom Browne Takes Flight

An exclamation point to the end of New York Fashion Week, Thom Browne’s men’s and women’s Fall/Winter 2025 presentation embraced avian symbols and evoked the attributes of rare and imagined birds—from a silk intarsia magpie snatching an emerald green Swarovski crystal to a coat silhouette that imitates the body of a barrel-chested flycatcher. Set within a meticulously lit stage populated with 2,000 origami paper birds, the spectacle was imbued with an otherworldly theatricality led by two “ornithologists” dressed in a variation of the classic Thom Browne uniform which incorporated semi-sheer argyle stockings and suede waders.

Sixty-four distinct looks followed. It was the fabric and tailoring featured in the unfurling showcase that conveyed the most, from the custom heritage tweeds to silk duchess satin. Elsewhere, birds came to life, crafted from satin stitch and gold bullion embroidery, born of the “exquisite corpse” process—an artistic collaboration where each attribute is drawn by a different person. The final two looks—a shimmering Swarovski trompe l’oeil dress, and the pairing of a nipped waist sportcoat in oversized check hunting tweed embroidered with layered bugle bead feathers and sequins with a high waisted box pleat skirt composed of gunclub check hunting tweed atop a tulle petticoat—heightened the atmosphere further.