A QR code on the cover of a newspaper, placed strategically at the heart of the Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2025 presentation, led attendees to an excerpt from an essay boldly proclaiming, “We are now in the age of Endcore.” The term, coined by philosopher and curator Shumon Basar, caught the attention of many, including myself, who had been immersed in the collection’s intricate details for weeks. Basar, also a co-author of the graphic novel ‘The Extreme Self,’ delves into the existential questions of identity and individuality in the face of digital influence.
This theme resonated deeply with the inquiries posed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons in their recent Prada show in Milan, a connection hard to ignore. Basar defines ‘Endcore’ as a “widespread acceptance that things we once took for granted are coming to an end. It’s like a meteor hurtling towards us, the end is imminent, but it’s not really coming. So we keep waiting for the end. Endcore is a verb, a predicament, a characteristic of the time we call ‘now.’ It is a bleak reflection that we have entered a post-era, not post anything specific like ‘modernity,’ but rather a post-everything era.”
Anyone familiar with Miuccia Prada knows she thrives on bold, thought-provoking ideas. This fascination with the grand scale of ‘Endcore’ unfolded beautifully in the Miu Miu collection. The presentation, featuring a newspaper designed by London-based artist Goschka Macuga, incorporated multiple QR codes each linking to a different text, a testament to the power of digital narratives. Although Prada denied a direct connection between Macuga’s artistic project and the collection, the undeniable connection was hard to miss.
The collection itself was a masterclass in unexpected juxtapositions. Cotton slip dresses, typically considered lingerie, took center stage, effortlessly paired with sporty tracksuits, cut-out swimwear, and structured uniforms. The iconic 1970s geometric prints, first introduced in the Spring/Summer 2005 collection, made a triumphant return, alongside dresses reminiscent of American diner uniforms paired with Western belts and vintage slip dresses complemented by sporty bikini tops. These seemingly mismatched elements, however, coalesced into a cohesive and captivating narrative.
Adding to the spectacle, the show featured prominent figures like Hilary Swank, Willem Dafoe, and Sunday Rose Kidman, the daughter of Nicole Kidman, as models. ‘Endcore,’ the ‘end of the beginning,’ if we are indeed in this epochal shift, embraces the fluidity of boundaries, the blurring of lines, and the unpredictable nature of the present. What is clear is that the ‘Endcore’ era, as interpreted by Miu Miu, is a symphony of contrasts, a celebration of the unexpected, and a compelling exploration of the future of fashion.
