New York fashion labelPRIVATE POLICYunveiled itsSpring-Summer 2025 collectionat New York Fashion Week, transporting us back to the early 2000s office—with a modern dose of rebellion. DesignersHaoran LiandSiying Qucleverly wove together Y2K nostalgia, contemporary workwear, and pressing questions about AI's role in our professional lives.
From Cubicles to Catwalks
The show's set—complete with cubicles, ringing phones, and the incessant clack of keyboards—provided a fitting backdrop for this sartorial exploration of work culture. Models emerged from this corporate tableau, sporting looks that blended millennial office staples with Gen Z perspective.
Standout pieces included a maroon leather trench coat paired with distressed wide-leg jeans, a cropped burgundy sweater vest atop mismatched suiting, and a playful white button-down adorned with a colorful geometric print. These deftly balanced professionalism with an irreverent spirit by challenging traditional office attire.
Tech Meets Texture
PRIVATE POLICY’s signature checkerboard print received a floral update, a cheeky nod to Miranda Priestly's infamous "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking" quip. These fluid and yet structured patterns, captured the collection's theme of merging human creativity with technological precision.
Fabrics ranged from sleek leather to distressed denim, with unexpected pairings sparking intriguing dialogues. A standout look featured a cropped leather jacket paired with flowing, wide-leg trousers—a juxtaposition of structure and fluidity that spoke to the changing nature of work itself.
The New Corporate Identity
Accessories played a crucial role in driving home the collection's message. Empty ID badge holders and dangling keyfobs served as poignant reminders of the physical office space, while chunky sneakers and tinted sunglasses injected a dose of street style into the corporate world.
The AI Question: Fashion as Dialogue
While the collection's aesthetic was refreshing, its strength lay in its ability to spark conversation. By reimagining Y2K office wear through a contemporary lens, PRIVATE POLICY invites us to consider how we can harness another new tech frontier, AI, without sacrificing human creativity and well-being.
For better or for worse, as we navigate an AI-driven world, PRIVATE POLICY’s Spring-Summer 2025 collection challenges us to reimagine corporate codes and how we approach the nature of work for a new era.