On March 11th, at the notable venue of 99 Rue du Temple in Paris, Rui Zhou unveiled the FW25 collection for RUIbuilt, signaling a significant evolution from the personal “Rui Zhou” brand to the more collaborative “RUIbuilt.” This shift emphasizes the brand’s move from a single vision to a collective creative process, deepening its commitment to using creation as a means of communal healing. Since its launch in 2019, Rui Zhou has been fixated on exploring the “in-between,” focusing on the body’s resilience, authenticity, and its nuanced relationship with fabric. The FW25 collection continues this narrative, acting as an homage to those navigating their identities and delicately balancing their true selves.
This season’s presentation transcended a typical fashion show. The staging was a complex combination of the everyday and the extraordinary, decorated with seashells, a ceramic dog, decaying fruit, and other common items, creating a scene steeped in soft contradictions. At the heart of this environment was performer Kominato Yotsuha, whose interactions with the space and her body sparked discussions on autonomy and the objectification often faced by women.
RUIbuilt’s designs cleverly play with the concepts of shielding and revealing. The collection skillfully manages the tension between concealment and exposure, symbolizing breaks and repairs, separations and reunions through its fabric choices and designs. Elastic fabrics naturally split and reunite. This dynamic is fundamental to the brand’s aesthetic, where each tear and mend is not seen as a flaw but as an essential stitch in the fabric of personal and collective identity.
Accessories such as ribbons and shell pendants add layers of meaning, with their gentle sounds and textures evoking a nostalgic, maternal comfort. This blending of elements captures the essence of RUIbuilt’s philosophy: clothing not just as attire, but as an integral part of the wearer’s emotional and physical expression.
Emphasizing the collection’s innovative spirit, this season also explores knots and ties, suggesting themes of binding and connection. These design elements are symbolic of the ties that connect us to our histories, our futures, and each other. The inclusion of vibrant colors and retro rebellious touches like round studs on smooth leather pieces adds a layer of sensual vitality, underscoring the collection’s narrative depth.
RUIbuilt’sFW25 presentation highlights the power of fashion as a medium for expression and healing. It challenges conventional views on body and beauty, encouraging a personal exploration that is as much about the internal journey as it is about external appearance.
Explore the RUIbuilt FW25 lookbook below:
