Waking to the World
Review of Ulla Johnson Fall 2025 Fashion Show
By Mark Wittmer
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Sunlit. Floral. Feminine.
Sunrise, flowers opening to the light: Ulla Johnson’ Fall 2025 collection is an intricately crafted ode to creative renewal.
A single sculpture by French artist Julie Hamisky formed a gentle anchoring presence in the show space, setting the tone of ephemeral delicacy captured in time that characterized the show. The collection’s jewelry pieces are also a collaboration with Hamisky, sculptural flowers frozen in time.
The opening looks radiate with intricately woven and pleated metallic fabrics, a sunrise crowning over the new day. Johnson brings a vital sense of handcraft to her signature formula of earthy elegance with hand painting and embroidery. A palette of dusty pinks, greens, and ambers evoke morning flowers turning toward the light. The fabrics themselves are intricately crafted, but the garments themselves take it to another level, responding to the grain and flow of richly textured or patterned fabrics to intimately adorn the body. A particularly striking coat is beautifully hand felted with organically dyed wool, with delicate whites and pinks swirling like clouds illuminated by sunrise.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
In a touching and meaningful moment after her post-show bow, Ulla Johnson embraced her daughter who was sitting on the front row, and the two walked backstage together. Johnson’s brand has always drawn power from the practice of women designing for women, and – once again leveraging a thoughtful collaboration with a fellow woman artist – this collection’s narrative of creative renewal offers a particularly intimate and uplifting chapter in that practice.
