Gabe Gordon FW25
Making his NYFW runway debut last week with his collection entitled "Rubber Boyfriend," Gabe Gordon has stepped firmly into his title as the hottest up-and-coming designer. Gordon, who founded his brand in 2019, focuses on the interplay of textures, examining themes of queer identity and nostalgia through fashion.
Gabe Gordon, Photo courtesy of Dazed © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Featuring 29 unique looks, Gordon's NYFW debut brought back the long-lost narrative-based approach, delivering a cohesive and inspiring collection. The show featured references that ranged from '80s athletics to textural gender play, with some of the most daring looks combining the two. The hand-woven details and consistent Adidas footwear gave the collection a sense of normalcy, while the constant latex socks reminded us of Gordon's love for the dark and twisted. Watching the show's first half, the audience wonders if the socks are the only rubber the collection possesses. If perhaps "Rubber Boyfriend" referred more to an idea, one devoid of physical manifestation. The answer comes swiftly in the final act of the show when latex tank tops and mini shorts storm the runway, a shock to the system.
Gabe Gordon FW25 "Rubber Boyfriend", Photo courtesy of Gabe Gordon © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Fashion exists as both a mirror and a mirage—reflecting reality while distorting it just enough to provoke thought. In today’s landscape, where algorithms dictate taste and trends move at the speed of a refresh, the most impactful collections refuse to conform. Instead, they lean into narrative, crafting garments that tell stories rather than simply serve as commodities. This season, Gabe Gordon proved this with a collection that felt both intimate and universal. Clothing became a vessel for emotion, a coded language that speaks to both individual experience and collective nostalgia.
Gordon’s commitment to world-building and exploration of adolescence allow this collection to shine, and the details just cinch the victory. Comfortingly retro hair and glass skin brought a camp nostalgia for better times in what can only be understood as a political statement. Behind the model's shadowed eyes lay a yearning for the past, a vulnerability to say, “right now sucks, and that's ok.” The collection stokes a feeling of disorientation and uncertainty with its oddly familiar yet evasive references and motifs. The garments remain timeless, both recognizing today's troubles and holding a not-so-rose-tinted lens towards the past, where the length of a skirt in the hallway was the most pressing matter.
Ultimately, in his "Rubber Boyfriend" collection, Gabe Gordon has offered a reconfigured take on nostalgia and given fashionphiles a window into the future of the industry. A future where trends and codes are replaced with storytelling and references, and eroticism takes the reins. Together with his partner Timothy Gibbons, Gordon kicked off fashion week with a latex-covered foot, his bold decisions and willingness to play with every textile in the fabric store a welcome and needed sight.
