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Behind SS25
In Conversation with Luisa Dames

Date: 30.03.2024
Good design has a habit of looking back to move forward—revisiting archives, reviving silhouettes, and reinterpreting existing designs in a new way. But what about looking to a time or place that never truly existed? Enter Aeyde Anemoia—the theme for Spring/Summer 2025 anchored in nostalgia for the never-known.

For Aeyde founder and creative director Luisa Dames, the Spring/Summer ‘25 season marks a moment of reflection and projection. The brand is approaching its ten-year anniversary—a milestone that naturally invites retrospection—but as always, the real focus is on what’s to come. In this conversation, Dames unpacks the delicate balance between honoring the past and embracing the new, the evolving nature of Aeyde’s design language, and why, despite the prevalence of trends, good design takes time.

Aeyde: The SS25 theme is “Aeyde Anemoia.” What does that mean to you, and how does it shape the new collection?

Luisa Dames: So, the collection started with this overarching idea of a new world—something undefined, something we may not even have a clear vision for yet. When we came across this word ‘Anemoia,’ it captured exactly what we were exploring: a longing for a place that may have never existed, but one we as a society dream about. It’s a high-level concept, but we felt it resonated with the moment we’re living in. The world is in turmoil—politically, environmentally, socially. And as a brand, we create dreams. That’s our role: to build something aspirational, something beyond just putting products into the world to sell. It’s about inviting our customers into an imagined space and letting them dream with us.

A: A core part of the concept and collection is the juxtaposition of old and new. Can you talk about how that plays out?

LD: Spring/Summer 2025 is actually the first part of our 10th-anniversary season. The brand officially turns ten in October. And when I look back, Aeyde has always been about continuous evolution. We started small with a tiny team. And from there it was all step by step. I was committed to improving, improving, improving. Now, looking back on the years, SS25 reflects that journey. The collection injects core shapes, like Uma and Thekla, that our customers have known and loved for a long time, but we’re also introducing new developments that push the brand forward. There’s a stronger sense of refinement. It all feels cohesive from my point of view.

A: How do you decide when to stand behind a new design? Is it based on instinct?

LD: There are always one or two favorite styles per collection, but introducing something new always comes with a challenge. Right now, there’s an interesting contrast in how trends take shape. The traditional fashion cycle moves at a steady pace. It takes time to design, produce, and establish a style before it can become a bestseller. On the other hand, the digital space can create trends in a second. One cool person can wear a shirt from an old brand, and suddenly there's a surge in demand and the brand has to respond and produce more. This creates a clash between the slower, structured side of the industry and the fast-paced, consumer side. It’s a super interesting moment in the industry, and as a brand we have to accept these rules and find ways to navigate them.

A: Did you listen to anything while designing this collection? Does Spring/Summer 2025 correlate to any particular soundtrack for you?

LD: That’s the funny thing—I always work in silence. I can’t listen to music when I’m designing—it disturbs my focus. For me, everything needs to be silent. Everyone has to leave the room aside from one or two people. That said, I’ve been listening to a lot of classical music lately. I’m fascinated by Bruckner right now. His compositions feel so powerful, so well-designed in every element.

A: Let’s talk about the collection itself. If you had to describe Spring/Summer 2025 in three words, what would they be?

LD: I would say advanced, nuanced, and conceptual. I think these words capture how the collection pushes forward but also maintains a depth.

A: For Spring/Summer 2025, Aeyde introduces a new sculptural heel shape that has no technical basis in our existing collection. How do you go about creating something that is so brand new? Did designing this differ from something like the Oscar loafer, which was based on a 60-year-old last?

LD: It’s different. With something classic like the Oscar loafer, for me, it made total sense to base it off something that already exists and has historical references. It doesn’t need drastic reinvention, we just need to find our own identity within it. But when we design something more sculptural and design-led, it’s about finding the right balance between heel and toe shapes. We debated for a long time: what does an Aeyde sculptural heel look like? How does it integrate into our design language? And the heel we landed on was perfect because it connects to our top-selling Ella and Elise. Those styles have a similar heel, but skinnier, and we just scaled it up, refined the edges, and gave it a more sculptural feel. You can place them side by side and they actually speak with each other.

That idea of continuous development is also why I don’t love celebrating milestones like birthdays. Even as Aeyde turns 10, I don’t see it as a moment to stop. It’s a journey—we always want to do better next season. Of course, we always believe each new collection is the best collection to date, but when we move into the next, we critically assess what came before to shape what’s ahead. 

A: Onto materials: Aeyde is introducing crackled gold leather. Given this season’s steampunk and Victoriana influences, would you say this burnished gold finish is a kind of antique touch?

LD: Yes! It’s the perfect material to convey the concept. This crackled, bright gold, almost a yellow gold, carries the theme super well. We’ve never done something like this before, so it’s a way for Aeyde to shine in a new way.

A: As well as the crackled nappa, Aeyde utilizes a wide range of materials this season: animal print, satin, suede, and new grosgrain. Is Aeyde still a minimalist brand?

LD: That’s a great question. I’d say yes. Over 60%, maybe even 75%, of the collection remains very clean and minimal. But we like to play with unexpected elements. Think of them as “splashes” maybe. As a minimalist brand, we make sure the application of the materials is still clean, particularly as they are paired with clean shapes. We still have the same design language and handwriting—it’s really about the interpretation of the material. For example, grosgrain is a slightly more durable fabric compared to satin, which is quite delicate and so doesn’t work with every style. So, when we introduce a new texture, it’s about function and longevity. But we don’t overdo it—we apply these more unusual materials to very minimalist styles. There are no bows or glamorous elements. It’s still super clean and minimalistic in the execution. Ultimately, it’s this tension between the familiar and the unexpected that keeps Aeyde’s design language both timeless and ever-evolving.

Shop Spring/Summer '25 here.

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