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In an ever-expanding world of fashion, it is like a breath of air when we get a new designer who is exploring new and interesting corners where online and offline realities converge, Rohan Mirza, is one of those fresh breaths of air in the fashion world. At 22, the Paris-based designer has already made his impact on the fashion world with his debut during Paris Fashion Week. especially with his new Spring/Summer 2025 line, 'NUKETOWN', which thrust him into the global spotlight. The collection is evidence of his strong passion for all things cyberpunk, video games, and avant-garde fashion.
Mirza's childhood could not have been further from the glamour of this world of fashion. The son of Pakistani immigrant parents, his youth was influenced by street fashion and French hip-hop, not haute couture. Coming from small niches that grew to become a culture of their own, he helped shape these corners and grew with them. Fashion wasn't even on his horizon — his first taste of working in the business came as a model. He was discovered on the street at age seventeen. It was an introduction to fashion, and that would spark his love for design.
Even with his increasing passion for the industry, it wasn't easy to convince his family. His first studio was in his dad's souvenir store. There, he started fiddling with design, something that would come to be much bigger for him in the years to come.
Mirza did his studies in fashion design at Duperré in Paris, where he was introduced to the world of 3D printing. It was here where he unleashed his potential. First applying the technique to elaborate nail art, he soon made a name for himself, drawing attention from Florence Tétier. His design progression further extended to eyewear and accessories, which gave him the ability to collaborate with artists such as Grimes, Quavo, and Beyoncé's team.
NUKETOWN, is the most recent creative creation by Mirza. His SS25 collection is a journey through liminality, one that's caught in the grey area between the digital and real worlds. Taking inspiration from horror video games such as Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Slender as well as internet culture, and anime, the collection is a cyberpunk dystopia that's made to feel real with fashion design elements.
We all grew up with the internet and social media as an integral part of our lives. The collection embodies this experience, incorporating elements that mirror the eerie and glitchy aesthetics of the online world. One look featured a prosthetic flesh embossment on a model’s back, spelling out "Hardcore" and "93", referencing his suburban roots. In a different design, he showed money hanging from a waistband, evoking the aftermath of an underground fight club victory.
The exhibition itself was like entering a real-life video game — flashing lights creating the element of stress and anxiety replicated the eerie feeling of Slender, and the flower of Undertale was reimagined in his favourite 3D-printed format. One of the most striking pieces was the Crinoline Dress, which was made out of leather with a mould-like gradient that took the fashion world by storm. In another look, we notice a black bra top with laces made of leather, accompanied by silicone pants that are tattooed with detailed patterns in collaboration with artist Loise Hulin.
Science fiction and cyberpunk continue to be the hallmark of Mirza's explorations. Drawing inspiration from H.R. Giger's dreamlike, biomechanical drawings for 'Alien', his designs seamlessly blend the organic world with the mechanical. His nail art, more often than not in the form of tendrils and veins, transforms human features into something extraterrestrial, as do his sculpted leather accessories and prosthetic-like add-ons.
Mirza's achievements stand as proof that fashion's future is its increasingly limitless frontier. His commitment to 3D printing isn't simply an aesthetic option — rather, it's an intent to move past the transient value of virtual fashion.
