In the world of Hodakova, discarded materials are more than remnants of the past.

A zipper isn’t typically meant to be seen, but Ellen Hodakova Larsson decided otherwise.

For her spring 2025 collection, the Swedish designer and recent LVMH Prize winner redefines the function of the ordinary. A standout dress from the collection is constructed entirely from vintage and deadstock zippers, forming a fluid, fringe-like silhouette that moves with quiet drama.

Shown at Place Vendôme in Paris, the collection, titled Conventional Collection 112409, opened with surreal visuals: rolling buttons, breathing fur, shadow puppets. These moments set the tone for a show rooted in transformation. “Materials that usually serve as a complement now become the main attraction,” Larsson shared.

Every look draws from memory. Oil painting canvases turn into sweeping dresses. Tea towels become delicate co-ords. Starched collars are pieced into structure. Buttons are given form, while belts appear in bags and white drop-waist gowns. The palette and texture echo Larsson’s upbringing in the Swedish countryside, where intimacy and instinct shape everything.

“My designs are a reflection of my upbringing, where nature and memory intertwine,” she said. “Each piece carries the intimacy of familiar landscapes and the materials that once surrounded me.”

At Hodakova, fashion is less about perfection and more about presence. Every piece invites the wearer to look closer, to embrace the beauty of what once was, and to wear the past as part of the now.

By NEIL DE GUZMAN. Photographs by JOHNNY DUFORT. Styling by Lotta Volkova.