ASHLYN SS2025: The Dichotomy of Dreaming
At the most recent New York Fashion Week, Ashlyn Park, the creative director of the ASHLYN brand, unveiled her Spring/Summer 2025 collection in collaboration with the renowned Cristina Grajales Gallery. The exhibition, titled REVERIE, was more than just a fashion showcase; it was a curated exploration of the intersection between fashion, art, and design. Park used the platform not only to display her collection but to delve into a philosophical reflection on the process of creation, the relationship between past and future, and the blending of dream and reality.
REVIERE at Cristina Grajales Gallery in Tribeca NYC
Park chose the word "reverie" to encapsulate the essence of the collection—a state of pleasant daydreaming, where the boundaries between imagination and reality blur. The concept becomes central to the collection, highlighting the use of past ideas and aesthetics as a way to reimagine and innovate for the future. Park presents her designs as a conversation between eras, demonstrating how the history of fashion, art, and culture can be revisited to generate new, avant-garde ideas.
Since its founding in 2020, ASHLYN has been known for its mastery of modern tailoring and commitment to sustainability. In the SS2025 collection, Park worked with a minimalist palette of red, white, and black, experimenting with proportion, form, and materials. This stark color scheme brings the focus to the construction and architecture of the pieces. Each garment reflects meticulous craftsmanship, with Park applying techniques from both her South Korean heritage and her studies in Japan, where she honed her skills in draping and pattern-making.
The collection was displayed at Cristina Grajales' gallery in Tribeca, accompanied by sculptures and other design objects that further illustrated the dialogue between old and new. The combination of art and fashion allowed Park to transform each garment into a piece of wearable art, conveying her belief that fashion should be a thoughtful, creative endeavor, not just an industry of trends. As Park explained, “the fusion of art, design, and fashion reflects a journey into my reverie, where the boundaries between dream and reality blur.” Park’s approach to designing is heavily rooted in the idea of play, likening her process to negotiating between dreams and reality. “I yearn to break free from the confines of reality,” Park stated during the exhibition. She takes inspiration from her past works and the historical figures of fashion, transforming her designs into more than just garments, but artistic explorations of form and concept. This creative freedom allows her to challenge the conventions of fashion and explore the relationship between clothing and identity.
This imaginative process recalls the Romantic tradition of using reverie as a form of escapism. In the 18th century, writers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau embraced the idea of reverie as a refuge from harsh realities, while in the early 20th century, Sigmund Freud used the term to describe a means of fulfilling unconscious desires. In Park’s case, reverie is not just a dreamlike state, but a source of creative power that pushes her to challenge the boundaries of her medium.
The use of the term reverie adds an intellectual layer to the collection, encouraging viewers to reflect on the deeper meanings behind fashion. Historically, reverie has been central to various artistic and philosophical movements. In literature, it often represents a sanctuary from the harshness of reality, a theme explored by writers like Rousseau. In Romanticism, it became a tool for expressing nostalgia and existential wonder. Freud, in his seminal work The Interpretation of Dreams, suggested that daydreams serve as a way to fulfill repressed desires. For Park, the word is rich with meaning. It suggests both an escape and a confrontation, a space where fashion serves to reimagine the past and reshape it into something new. The collection’s focus on daydreaming aligns with Park’s broader artistic mission: to show that innovation doesn’t stem from forgetting the past but from reinterpreting it in new and meaningful ways.
The REVERIE exhibition at NYFW was more than a showcase of fashion; it was a philosophical statement about the power of imagination and the necessity of reflecting on the past to create a new future. Ashlyn Park demonstrated that the process of designing fashion can transcend mere functionality. Through her exploration of the relationship between art and fashion, past and future, dream and reality, she challenges the viewer to rethink the role of fashion as an art form that speaks to the deepest aspects of human creativity. With REVERIE, Park not only presents a collection but leaves a lasting message: dreams and reality are not as far apart as they seem, and through creativity, we can bridge that gap. In doing so, she invites us all to dream boldly and design the future with inspiration from the past.
