Thom Browne Reveals an Aviary and Flight of Fantasy for Fall/Winter 2025

New York Fashion Week always carries a certain electricity, but when Thom Browne takes the stage, that excitement soars even higher. For Fall/Winter 2025, the 59-year-old designer transformed the runway into a surreal aviary. Guests watched with 2,000 origami birds suspended from the ceiling—these served as symbols of hope and freedom, setting the tone for what was to come down the catwalk.

The show opened with two ornithologists in hooded wool parkas and suede waders, settling at a desk to observe the spectacle ahead. Browne’s signature grayscale palette lays the foundation in this collection, but the new season also introduces deep browns and subtle yellow accents—a nod to his high school mascot, the canary. Personal touches continued with the number "65" appearing on a collegiate football pinnie, referencing the Pennsylvania-born designer's birth year.

“Birds of pure fantasy come to life atop herringbone, glen plaid, houndstooth, and windowpane checks, created through the collaborative drawing exercise ‘exquisite corpse,’” show notes say. These textures and fabrics added depth to the collection’s restrained yet dynamic color palette.

Every hemline is unique across Fall/Winter 2025 looks, reflecting Browne's meticulous attention to each garment that leaves his hands. Traditional menswear details—suede elbow patches, contrast collars, and self-covered buttons—are reimagined while modular gingham silk shirts feature removable collars and cuffs. Browne didn't shy away from his creating his signature spectacle, adding a trompe l'œil dress adorned with (casually) 3,500 Swarovski crystals—a feat that spoke to the supreme level of craftsmanship and dedication from the Thom Browne team. 

Click through the gallery below to see celebrity front row attendees. The story continues after these photos.

Beauty looks took flight on the runway with avant-garde hairstyles sculpted into ribbon-like twists and delicate feathers on models’ eyelashes, embodying the essence of freedom without veering into the literal. "There are little accents of curls meant to emulate a duck tail... [Thom] told me he wanted everything to be precise, clean, and conceptual," hairdresser James Pecis tells L’OFFICIEL backstage.

The front row attracted an impressive list of celebrities, as Thom Browne shows usually do, and each VIP guest was decked out in the label's grey suit classics. Adrien Brody, Kerry Washington, Peso Pluma, and Queen Latifah were a few of those among the crowd who sat front row to watch Browne's aviary vision unfold. 

Beyond the meticulous tailoring and star-studded front row, Browne's latest collection carries an unspoken yearning—a quiet longing for freedom and self-expression. In Browne’s world, once-caged are now soaring.

Click through the gallery below to see every look from Thom Browne's Fall/Winter 2025 collection.