Ethereal Sustainability At Mila Sullivan s/s 25

Mila Sullivan Spring/Summer 2025 did everything right from start to finish. From the moment you walked in you were hit with the “Dirtbag Dream Beach” ambiance, which the designer titled her latest collection. The soothing sounds of waves crashing on shore were played on the overhead speakers and the scent of Vacation Classic Lotion air fresheners lingered throughout the room, reminding you of sunscreen that you slathered on liberally on those beach days to avoid an awful sunburn. It was the perfect last hurrah for Summer as Fall is rolling in.

The lights dimmed and musician Reagan, modeling one of Mila Sullivan’s latest designs, performed a hauntingly beautiful song leaving us absolutely awestruck by her voice. Once she finished singing the show commenced. Each look that made its way down the runway in La Mama’s theater induced gasps from the audience and a girl beside me would whisper “wow”, BECAUSE WOW. Mila Sullivan created a collection full of “unusual fabrics and objects ranging from pearls, shot glasses, shells and lace, all combined as if they were tangled and twisted by the ocean and washed up on shore” that left you looking at every little detail.

There was a top made entirely of pearlescent beige shells paired with striped hot pants, a beautiful knit skirt paired with a lace and taffeta top, a stunning colorful lace and printed set paired with a sailor cap decorated with feathers and rhinestones, hand-dyed ruffle shorts overlayed crocheted bicycle pants, and a gorgeous sunset dip dyed draped train. Sullivan even worked in airbrushed details similar to those seen on boardwalk tank tops. This collection was made from vintage and discarded fabrics that Sullivan collected, and it demonstrated how sustainable fashion could be breathtaking.

“Dirtbag Dream Beach” was inspired by the sun-washed pastel landscapes of Florida beach towns, and it aimed to mix natural beauty contrasted with harsh and artificial neons, but even with all that being said, the collection seemed ethereal. It was one of the best collections presented at New York Fashion Week thus far.