It was a throwaway comment that sparked the season’s most heated debate: “Everyone borrows from everyone.” While originally spoken by Hunger Games alumnus Josh Hutcherson regarding cinematic parallels, the phrase has become the accidental manifesto of the 2025 fashion landscape. As we close the year, a survey of the runways from Paris to Milan reveals a startling truth: we are no longer just watching the Capitol; we are dressing for it. From the resurgence of “Capitol Core” maximalism to the utilitarian survivalist chic of the Districts, the aesthetic legacy of costume designers Judianna Makovsky and Trish Summerville has not only endured—it has devoured the zeitgeist. In a world grappling with the same stark divides of wealth and resource scarcity depicted in Suzanne Collins’ dystopia, high fashion has found its ultimate muse in the spectacle of survival.
The New Dystopian Chic: A 2025 Retrospective
If 2024 was the year of "Quiet Luxury," 2025 has shattered the silence with the scream of "Capitol Couture." The shift wasn't subtle. It arrived in waves of aggressive structural tailoring, bio-luminescent fabrics, and a return to the grotesque beauty that Trish Summerville masterfully curated in Catching Fire. The industry’s elite have pivoted from the understated to the theatrical, mirroring the flamboyant excess of Panem’s ruling class.
This isn't merely about aesthetics; it’s about the cultural temperature. As the gap between the ultra-wealthy and the working class widens globally, fashion has stopped pretending to be democratic. Instead, it has embraced the "Panem Paradox": the simultaneous celebration of survivalist grit and oppressive opulence. We see it in the armored corsetry at Schiaparelli and the rugged, coal-dusted knits at Balenciaga, creating a visual dialogue between the haves and the have-nots that feels uncomfortably prescient.
The "borrowing" is literal and pervasive. Designers are archiving the minimalist 90s revival and pulling directly from the Hunger Games visual bible. The "Girl on Fire" is no longer just a plot point; it is the dominant silhouette of the Holiday 2025 season, realized in motion-capture textiles that ripple with digital flame.
The Architects of the Aesthetic: Makovsky vs. Summerville
To understand the current obsession, one must analyze the dual DNA of the franchise’s style. The tension lies between Judianna Makovsky’s grounded, depression-era realism in the first film and Trish Summerville’s high-fashion insanity in the sequels. For over a decade, the industry favored Summerville’s vision—the Alexander McQueen-adjacent drama of Effie Trinket.
However, late 2025 has seen a fascinating pivot back to Makovsky’s "District" realism. We are seeing a surge in "utilitarian despair"—garments that prioritize function, modularity, and protection. This is fashion for a volatile climate. The borrowed elements here are subtle: the intricate braiding of Katniss’s hunting gear, the muted greys of District 12, and the heavy, protective leathers that suggest readiness for combat rather than a cocktail party.
Conversely, the Red Carpet remains firmly in Summerville’s grip. The "Lucy Gray" influence—stemming from the prequel’s folk-horror aesthetic—has mutated into a trend called "Toxic Americana." It’s ruffles and corsets, but dipped in acid green or constructed from industrial waste materials. It is nostalgia weaponized, a direct nod to the franchise’s prequel that re-entered the conversation with streaming dominance this year.
The "Borrowed" Star: Jennifer Lawrence’s Enduring Shadow
The "Everyone borrows" narrative inevitably circles back to the woman who started it all. Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen remains the blueprint for the modern action-heroine aesthetic, but her influence has evolved. In 2012, it was about the side braid. In 2025, it is about the "Armor of Fame."
Recent collections have fixated on the concept of clothing as a defense mechanism—a direct thematic lift from the films. We are seeing "Mockingjay" motifs abstracted into sharp, winged lapels and metallic feathers. The "fire dress" has been reinterpreted by three major houses this season alone, not as a literal costume, but as a technological feat. Garments that change color based on biometric data or environmental heat are the new frontier, turning the wearer into a living spectacle just as Cinna did for Katniss.
Critics argue this is a lack of originality—that "everyone borrows" because no one invents. But this misses the point. The fashion industry isn't stealing from The Hunger Games; it is identifying with it. The franchise provided a visual language for a world on the brink, and as reality inches closer to fiction, designers are simply using the most accurate vocabulary available.
Timeline: The Evolution of Panem Style
- 2012: The Introduction. Judianna Makovsky establishes the "District" look (utilitarian workwear) vs. the "Capitol" look (grotesque modification). The side braid becomes a global phenomenon.
- 2013: The Summerville Shift. Catching Fire introduces high-fashion collaborations (Net-A-Porter). Alexander McQueen and Tex Saverio influences legitimize the "Capitol" aesthetic in luxury circles.
- 2023: The Folk Horror Revival. The prequel Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes introduces "District 12 Vintage"—corsets, floral embroidery, and retro-Americana, sparking the "Cottage-Gore" trend.
- 2025: The Synthesis. "Capitol Core" and "District Utility" merge. Luxury survival gear becomes a status symbol. The "Everyone Borrows" debate highlights the industry's reliance on dystopian narratives.
Future Forecast: The Post-Capitol Era
Where does this trend go next? If the current trajectory holds, we are moving toward "Gamemaker Chic"—a style defined by control, surveillance, and artificiality. Expect to see a rise in wearable tech that monitors health (or loyalty), transparent fabrics that suggest exposure, and a color palette shifting from fire-red to clinical white and toxic purple.
The business implications are massive. Brands that can successfully bridge the gap between "survival gear" and "gala wear" will dominate the market. We are already seeing luxury bunkers and "apocalypse-ready" couture commanding waitlists. The lesson from Panem is clear: in a world of uncertainty, the most powerful weapon is how you present yourself.
As we move into 2026, the question isn't who is borrowing from whom. It’s who is wearing the costume, and who is orchestrating the show. For now, we are all tributes on the runway.
Written by Ara Ohanian for FAZ Fashion — fashion intelligence for the modern reader.
