ZOESTONE Fall/Winter 2025
Performance art and couture took centre stage for ZOESTONE’s debut collection, presented in three distinct acts at this year’s Fashion Art Toronto (F.A.T). A recent graduate of George Brown College, designer Zoë Stone of the eponymous brand demonstrated a masterful command of contrasts: crafting a series of yin-yang narratives. Through her designs, opposites didn’t just attract—they blended seamlessly, forming a cohesive vision that defied convention. For a debut, it was nothing short of captivating, setting the stage for Stone as an innovative designer unafraid to take the path less travelled.
The first act, titled CREATION (looks 1, 2, and 3), set the stage for the in-the-beginning narrative with an artistic flourish. Models emerged as blank canvases, transitioning into their garments in real-time—a textured green maxi dress (womenswear) and loose, dark-wash denim with wave-like embroidery at the hem (unisex worn on a male model). But this wasn’t a traditional backstage change. Instead, the models carried their wardrobes onto the runway—literally. The centrepiece? A striking closet installation, its denim panels evoking rippling water and its intricate detailing nodding to the planet itself. This seamless interplay between nature and structure underscored Stone’s ability to weave storytelling into fashion design.
ZOESTONE’s Opening Act
The opening act of ZOESTONE’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection titled ‘CREATION’ was a performance of wardrobe change where a closet installation revealed the first few looks.
The second act, INTERCONNECTEDNESS, revealed Stone’s harmonious blend of fabrication and creativity. Elongated bell sleeves with delicate web-like detailing shimmered in crumpled metallic textures (look 4), paired elegantly with a sheer, ruched, flowy maxi skirt. This piece was paired with an asymmetrical long-sleeve bubble top (look 5), echoing the previous silhouette but adding a playful edge. As for the bottoms: is it a skirt? Is it trousers? No, it’s a pinstripe navy skousers (skirt-trouser combinations)—a Y2K-inspired design trend that populated the runways in 2023.
The oversized saga reached new heights with the next duo of voluminous puffer shrugs. A denim iteration with a sculpted high neck (look 7) balanced utilitarian edge with couture sophistication, while its green counterpart, featuring the signature web-like detailing, exuded an organic elegance. The standout of the act (look 6) married the green shrug with a gleaming underbust corset, its outward flaps artfully cascading over a structured metallic-grey bubble skirt. Together, these looks underscored Stone’s mastery of proportion, texture, and theatricality.
But it wasn't until THE FINALE, a show-stopping piece and extravagant moment, that F.A.T.’s audience truly gasped at the range of Stone's innovation. The pièce de résistance (look 12) featured a striking silhouette with a minimalist black top that gave way to a voluminous skirt of cascading ruffled layers with burned edges. The ombré gradient, transitioning from deep black to earthy green hues, breathed life into the giant-sized creation of rigidity and flow consistency. It was Stone’s vision of merging opposing elements emphasized into a breathtaking display.
As a debut, the collection offered a bold exploration of contrasts, weaving together rigidity and fluidity, boldness and delicacy, into a cohesive narrative that feels both innovative and timeless. From sculptural silhouettes to intricate textures and finishes, the collection unfolded with each look in perfect balance. Stone’s ability to harmonize opposing forces marks her as a designer to watch—a creator whose vision transforms the runway into a space where art and fashion collide.
COLLECTION
