What Caroline's Looking Forward To for 2025
We get a million press releases a day here at Because HQ, and we delight in sifting through them to edit down what we think matters, and explain why.
2025 is going to be rough. There’s no two ways about it - from politics to social media to fashion, the tension is present. But it’s at these moments when there is the most opportunity for change. So we’ve asked some of our team to share the things they are most excited about for 2025 - from fashion, to music, to exhibitions and more in case they inspire and provide another lens in which to discover.
Sleepwear as outerwear
There was a time when a printed silk PJ was appropriate for daytime wear. See Prada, For Restless Sleepers et al. Then we went back into minimalism, and “quiet luxury” - but in these challenging times, I think it’s time to bring back extravagance, even if it means wearing your PJs in the day. So i was delighted to discover Dorso Sleepwear - their silk Pyjamas made in Italy have glitched up the smallest of details so that collars feel like part of a cowboy boot and colours are terracotta and minty green. They are weird and seductive, and perfect for a daytime pick me up.
Soft Mountains Jewellery represents to me the kind of brand that I want to lean into for 2025
Small, artisan focused, made with heart. They make pieces that will get your friends to lean in closer, inspect and ask, “Where did you get that?” Soft Mountains was founded in 2017 by Ziwei Longhong and is based out of Shanghai, China. The founder and her team graduated from the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London and the images that come from the brand bring me to a world I don’t know but fill me with soft emotion. And that’s what I’m looking for in 2025 - emotional brands that connect me to makers and creators.
New year, new closet clear out
But I have also unearthed some bags and shoes that have lay dormant, waiting for the right time to bring them back out again. I recently saw a TikTok about viral bags from the mid 2000s and it looks like if any of you have kept those bags, it’s time for a refresh. So out will come by Stefano Pilati Yves Saint Laurent Muse bag, big enough to carry, well… everything really! Time to take out the black satin shoes with flower heel from 2008 that Prada created, sitting in its shoe box unloved. And if anything, I’m looking for those pieces that got away from me the first time around and sites like Mae Vintage find the perfect piece. So I’m excited to shop old, whether from my closet or from a vintage site now.
Retail Revolutions
Our office is just by Oxford Circus, and recently VANS went through a big refurb. They’ve added a skateboard ramp in their flagship and I think it’s a brilliant idea. The never-ending Ikea refurb in the old Topshop space next door has opened to sell its blue shopping bag only while we continue to wait for the store reveal - but it’s these special retail moments that get me excited about retail today and I’m going to be looking for stores who make special experiences or moments and don’t just want to sell me a thing.
The year brands realize some of us don't care about celebrity-carrying-a-bag sightings
Please let this 2025 be the year celebrity red carpet press releases (and “sightings”) become a thing of the past?
Doing a Do
I vow in 2025 to figure out how to do a good hairstyle. My default ponytail deserves more - I’m thinking 1950s old school glamour waves, so am going to need a new arsenal of hair products. I have to say that the Hershons Almost Everything cream has been a discovery of 2024 so will be experimenting with others to see if they hold up!
