Thom Browne closed New York Fashion Week on September 15, 2025, with a garden on the runway. Across the overgrown grass came butterflies, bees, ladybugs. On the shoulder of a checked jacket, bees built one by one from tulle and black beads settled in place. Draping that wraps you in a butterfly's wings, volume lifted straight from a beetle's shell, and layering stacked like leaves in a garden filled the show. The collection began with an animated film.
Last June, flying from Milan back to New York, Thom Browne watched the 1998 Pixar film 〈A Bug's Life〉 and it took hold of him. The film tells the story of survival and solidarity among small creatures in an ant colony. After the Milan show, Thom said with a smile backstage, "I thought it was a charming story to play with and reference for these times that we are living in." That charm materialized as a garden on the runway.
Shoes and bags followed the same logic. Mary Janes grew insect toes, and platform heels hosted a butterfly landed on top. Accessories shaped directly from garden creatures. Bags translated butterfly wings and bee forms into three dimensions. Thom Browne's signature tailoring this time followed the structure of nature.
This garden was not mere stage design. Thom Browne transplanted the entire world of 〈A Bug's Life〉 into the heart of New York. Models walked inside volumes that mirrored insect exoskeletons, and the audience watched from the viewpoint of small creatures on the grass. The final show of New York Fashion Week ended in a garden.
Shall we play in Thom's garden together?
Last June, flying from Milan back to New York, Thom Browne watched the 1998 Pixar film 〈A Bug's Life〉 and it took hold of him. The film tells the story of survival and solidarity among small creatures in an ant colony. After the Milan show, Thom said with a smile backstage, "I thought it was a charming story to play with and reference for these times that we are living in." That charm materialized as a garden on the runway.
Shoes and bags followed the same logic. Mary Janes grew insect toes, and platform heels hosted a butterfly landed on top. Accessories shaped directly from garden creatures. Bags translated butterfly wings and bee forms into three dimensions. Thom Browne's signature tailoring this time followed the structure of nature.
This garden was not mere stage design. Thom Browne transplanted the entire world of 〈A Bug's Life〉 into the heart of New York. Models walked inside volumes that mirrored insect exoskeletons, and the audience watched from the viewpoint of small creatures on the grass. The final show of New York Fashion Week ended in a garden.
Shall we play in Thom's garden together?
FAQ
When was the Thom Browne 2025 New York Fashion Week show held?
It was held on September 15, 2025, as the final show of New York Fashion Week. Set in a lush garden, the collection featured motifs of butterflies, bees, and ladybugs.
What inspired the Thom Browne garden collection?
The 1998 Pixar animation A Bug's Life. Thom Browne watched it on his June flight from Milan to New York, calling it "a compelling story to play with and reference the times we live in."
What designs appeared in the Thom Browne garden collection?
Butterfly-wing draping, beetle-shell volumes, and grass-blade layering were featured. Check jackets carried tulle-and-black-bead bees on the shoulders, Mary Janes had insect toes, and butterflies perched atop platform heels.
