Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen Spring 2027

For Spring 2027, Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen placed the body at the centre of her designs, combining revealing silhouettes with unusual construction, handmade details and a rebellious attitude.

Whalen’s latest collection continued her interest in clothing that challenges conventional ideas of dressing. Lingerie-inspired pieces, cut-outs and dramatic backs brought the body into focus, but exposure was never the sole point. Utilitarian and vintage-influenced elements provided a counterpoint, creating a tension between delicacy and practicality.

The designer’s distinctive swirl motif appeared through cut-outs and lacing, while sculptural details and unexpected proportions gave familiar shapes a more unconventional character. Traditional references, including ruffs, were reworked alongside contemporary lingerie dressing, creating silhouettes that felt deliberately difficult to categorise. The result was provocative without relying entirely on shock.

Craftsmanship remained central to Whalen’s approach. Sourcing materials herself, hand-drafting patterns, sewing and constructing garments in her studio gives the collection a distinctly personal quality, with intricate details balancing its more revealing elements. Influences including Comme des Garçons’ “Lumps and Bumps”, Bread & Puppet Theater and Bikini Kill reinforced the collection’s interest in creative resistance and alternative forms of beauty.

Spring 2027 ultimately treated body-conscious dressing as a question of construction as much as exposure. Skin, texture and unconventional silhouettes work together to reshape how the body is presented, while the visible hand of the designer gives the clothes individuality. Whalen’s approach feels less interested in following established rules than in making her own.