Fashion in the Digital Age.
Charli Cohen’s collection explored the contradictions of contemporary youth culture, bringing together fashion, technology, social media and the increasingly blurred relationship between identity and consumption. Presented as a digital screening and live presentation, the collection examined a generation surrounded by influencer culture, celebrity merchandise and an endless stream of online imagery. Rather than treating these ideas as a background concept, Cohen translated them directly into the clothing. The result was a collection that combined recognisable streetwear codes with exaggerated silhouettes, protective details and a deliberately futuristic attitude.
A Wardrobe for the Digital Generation
At the centre of the collection was the idea of being overwhelmed by modern media. The title CC2S and the repeated word “CONSUMED” appeared across safety harnesses and garments, turning clothing into a visual commentary on the pressures of contemporary consumer culture. The collection questioned not only the speed at which fashion is consumed, but also the way social media encourages constant comparison, self-presentation and desire. The clothing therefore felt more like a statement of identity than a conventional seasonal wardrobe.
Streetwear with a Futuristic Edge
Cohen’s signature connection between fashion and activewear remained visible throughout the collection. Pastel outerwear was combined with suspenders and sweatpants, while elongated black slip dresses were layered over white long-sleeved tops. Oversized puffer coat dresses introduced volume and protection, giving familiar sportswear shapes a more architectural quality. The result was a wardrobe that occupied an unusual space between streetwear, performance clothing and fashion experimentation.
The Freedom of Childhood
One of the collection’s most interesting contrasts was between the freedom associated with 1990s childhood and the pressures of young adulthood. Cohen used the relaxed proportions and familiar references of childhood sportswear as a foundation, then distorted them through more sophisticated silhouettes and conceptual details. The tension reflected the collection’s wider exploration of growing up in a world shaped by technology, celebrity culture and constant digital visibility.
A Restrained Palette
The colour palette gave the collection a softer, more understated visual identity than its subject matter might suggest. Sandy nude and grey tones formed the foundation, interrupted by powder blue, metallic gold and graphic black and white. This restrained palette allowed the unusual construction and proportions of the garments to take centre stage. The combination of muted neutrals and sharper graphic elements also gave the collection a distinctly contemporary, almost digital quality.
Protection and Exposure
Cohen’s use of harnesses and suspenders introduced another important contradiction: protection versus exposure. Harness-like details suggested restraint and control, while slip dresses, exposed layering and oversized openings created a sense of vulnerability. The clothes appeared to question how much of ourselves we choose to reveal: and how much is demanded by an increasingly public digital culture. This made the collection feel particularly relevant to its subject matter without relying on literal technology-inspired clothing.
Beauty Kept Deliberately Natural
The beauty direction was deliberately understated. Models appeared largely makeup-free, with fresh skin allowing the clothing and conceptual details to remain the focus. The minimal approach also reinforced the collection’s commentary on appearance and the pressure to present a perfected version of oneself online. There was something particularly effective about this restraint. In a collection concerned with image, visibility and self-presentation, stripping the beauty look back created an unexpected sense of honesty.
Fashion as Social Commentary
Cohen demonstrated how fashion can communicate an idea without sacrificing wearability. The collection’s oversized outerwear, sweatpants, layered dresses and graphic harnesses were rooted in recognisable contemporary clothing, but their combination created something more confrontational. Every proportion and detail contributed to the wider conversation surrounding consumption, celebrity culture and digital identity. It was fashion designed to be looked at, while simultaneously questioning why we look.
CARRO Studio Behind the Lens
CARRO Studio’s photography captures the visual tension at the heart of Cohen’s collection. The combination of oversized silhouettes, layered garments, graphic details and contrasting proportions creates strong photographic shapes, while the restrained palette allows individual textures and construction details to remain clearly defined. The images preserve more than the individual garments. They capture a moment in which fashion was beginning to increasingly confront the influence of social media and the changing relationship between clothing, identity and the digital world. Charli Cohen’s collection demonstrated how streetwear could become a vehicle for more complex ideas. Sportswear, protective details, oversized proportions and youthful references were transformed into a visual language about consumption and identity. The result was futuristic without becoming purely technological, conceptual without losing its connection to everyday dressing. For CARRO Studio, it offered an especially compelling subject: fashion that communicates through silhouette, detail and attitude, while leaving the viewer to consider what it means to be consumed by the culture around us.
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