Venia “When You Were There”: A Tender Elegy on Memory, Loss, and the Spaces Left Behind
Los Angeles based avant-garde brand Venia presents their Spring/Summer 2025 capsule “When You Were There”, a poetic exploration of memory, loss, and the ethereal space between presence and absence.
The collection unfolds as a quiet elegy, capturing the fragile beauty of memory and the haunted emotions of revisiting places once shared with someone deeply significant. One figure is seemingly lost in memories of the past, while the other lingers between worlds; both existing in a strange parallel, always near but never meeting. Each piece tells the story of two souls, bound by an unspoken bond, intimate and ghostly. Threads unravel, hems fray, and fabrics weather. Garments trace the contours of longing—echoing the profound connection that endures despite physical separation. Hand-dyed textures of muted tones and faded hues speak to the emotional weight of forgotten moments, while leathers offer gaunt protection against the slow passing of time.
“When You Were There” is not a mourning of what is lost, but a contemplation of what remains—the invisible traces of what is left behind in times of loss and grief—of missed connections and hallowed spaces. A muted, timeworn palette captures the stillness of nostalgia, the sudden resurfacing of memories in places that once held laughter, whispered words, and silent understanding. This collection embodies a moment in time, offering the wearer a chance to complete the story in their own way, reflecting their own truths in memory of their own quiet losses. Venia’s signature aesthetic, marked by raw elegance and intentional imperfection, finds form in languid silhouettes and delicate craftsmanship that embody the beauty of the past colliding with the present.
Brand: @veniacollection
Creative Direction: @keeterly, @christinekoko
Production: @weni.llc
Photography: @_lusan_
Models: @nervousnils, @aikanishiyama_
Producer: @polo__zheng
Production Assistant: @_y0nni
ABOUT Venia
Founded in Los Angeles in 2014 by industry professionals Christine Ko and Keeter Ly, Venia is an experimental atelier dedicated to avant-garde tailoring. The studio draws on philosophy and the paradoxes of fantasy in postmodern society to create thematic collections defined by asymmetrical shapes, innovative materials, and sustainability practices with meticulous engineering.
Through separates, outerwear and accessories, the studio continues to explore these themes of abstract philosophies and world building in a narrative unique to its founders curiosity of the mystique of nature, the hero’s journey, and the human experience. With an aesthetic rooted in graceful rebellion, Venia creates timeless pieces that are meticulously crafted to be lived in, worn down, remembered and passed on.