Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Hangzhou, AWR, short for Awonder Reborn, is quickly establishing itself as a force in fashion innovation. With a focus on reimagining the modern woman’s winter wardrobe, the brand continues to build its identity around its core design concept: “BREAKING THROUGH THE BORDER- MIRACULOUS REBIRTH.” The phrase speaks not only to AWR’s visual language but to its ambition, pushing boundaries in how downwear can exist beyond its utilitarian roots. Photographer Sohom Das captured the energy behind the scenes at the AWR FW25 show , exclusively for DSCENE Magazine.
BACKSTAGE
At the heart of the company is founder Weng Wenbiao, whose expertise in down products spans more than a decade. Drawing influence from Nordic avant-garde fashion and youth culture, Weng’s approach to design resists categorization. Under his leadership, AWR launched AWONDERREBORN, the high-end designer line focused entirely on experimental downwear. With this platform, the company aims to challenge traditional perceptions of winter fashion by merging performance with conceptual design. AWR’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection, titled AvenirModerne, continues this trajectory. Taking visual cues from Alex Garland’s 2014 sci-fi film Ex Machina, the collection explores future aesthetics with a human edge. Rather than imagining a distant, abstract future, AWR zooms in on the urban woman’s present, refracting her daily reality through a futuristic lens. The result is a series of outerwear silhouettes that retain the warmth and structure of down jackets, while introducing design lines, textures, and finishes that lean toward the avant-garde.
More than just seasonal fashion, AWR’s collections are a commentary on how clothing can evolve alongside the shifting demands of city life. AWR’s downwear isn’t just about insulation, it’s about intention, transformation, and adaptability. As AWR continues to expand, its growing presence signals a renewed interest in innovation from within China’s fashion ecosystem. With AvenirModerne, the brand doesn’t just nod to the future, it makes a case for rethinking how we define it. Through material experimentation, cultural reference points, AWR is proving that even something as familiar as a down jacket can be reborn.
the armour look! love the brands from shanghai this season!