Monique Fei’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, titled « Monique Fuel », pushes the boundaries of fashion by exploring the intersection of materiality, performance, and identity. Presented in a gas station-inspired setting, the collection draws deeply from the designer’s personal narrative, blending costume and clubwear that challenge contemporary notions of beauty and self-expression.

In « Monique Fuel », Fei redefines latex—a material typically associated with sensuality and nightwear—through an innovative approach. She introduces texture to its reflective surface via intricate print work, including houndstooth and the trendy « bambi » pattern, while experimenting with varying opacities to alter the perception of the body. Sculptural padding embedded within latex garments also reshapes and redefines silhouettes, shifting the material’s focus from body conformity to a celebration of altered forms. This unique manipulation of latex challenges traditional connotations of the material, turning it into a medium for bold self-representation.

Through playful narratives and fantastical character play, Fei confronts complex themes such as body perfection, the male gaze, sexual identity, and the fetishization of queer communities. The collection is also steeped in the eco-history of rubber and oil, reflecting on their industrial impact while linking them to mechanisms of identity and performance.

The show’s stellar casting—featuring icons like Lily McMenamy, François Sagat, Tayce, and Gena Marvin—electrified the audience and made the collection’s narrative come to life. « Monique Fuel » not only questions societal norms but establishes Monique Fei as a visionary in contemporary fashion, elevating latex craftsmanship to an art form that engages deeply with culture and identity.

Discover Monique Fei’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection at Crash

Photo credit: Laurent Chouard