Spring 2027 designer runway shows have come to a close, but there is always more to talk about in fashion. That conversation resides in designers deciding what they want to say and when.
For the avant-garde American brand ThreeAsFour, reborn in 2005 from the AsFour, that moment is now. Their philosophy, as WWD made note, is a fusion of sacred geometry, biomimicry and cutting-edge technology and remains in the hands of Gaby Asfour, Adi Gil and Angela Donhauser. Since its founding in 1998, the brand’s couture-to-street ethos has garnered the attention of both the fashion industry and other creative sectors while finding a community of supporters who wear the brand and appreciate the trio’s vision.
Nine years ago, the trio accepted an artist in residency and moved their design studio to Mana Contemporary, a large-scale multidisciplinary arts and community space in New Jersey. The move adds to the label’s next chapter, which includes a return to the New York Fashion Week calendar for spring 2027; an award-winning feature film “ThreeAsFour: Full Circle,” directed by Sean Ono Lennon and codirected by Brian C. Gonzalez, set to make its U.S. debut in New York on Nov. 13, and a limited-edition “more accessible” denim capsule.
Here, the trio discusses ThreeAsFour’s latest developments and how the past, present and future continue to inspire their vision.
WWD: What have you been doing between runway shows?
ThreeAsFour: “We’ve been through lots of waves. The first one was AsFour, and then ThreeAsFour. We attempted to bring products at more approachable price points, and then we stopped that. We changed direction, became more of a specialty store [label] and worked with distribution and boutiques, and then we stopped that as well. So we’ve been through many different phases.
“But we have consistently been doing collections since 1998. Most of them were presented on the runway. Some were presented through photo shoots and videos. We’ve also been working on special projects with different artists. One of the biggest projects we did before coming back to the show was a huge theater project with the Public Theater.” (That huge theater project was the costumes for the production of “Henry IV: A Trilogy in Two Parts.”)
WWD: How did the documentary film come about?
T.A.F.: “It started out without any agenda. He [Sean Lennon] just wanted to capture us and capture the work, and then it slowly developed into a feature film. Sean started filming because he believed that we were criminally underrated in the fashion business in the United States.
“He didn’t really have a goal or a plan either.” Lennon began filming the trio in 2011 or 2012, they noted, and continued on and off for approximately five years. “Then it became a bigger project, and he had thousands of hours of footage. He had to figure out how to bring it together. He worked with several editors, and the film took about 12 years. It was something that started out as a fun project and eventually became a product.”
A directorial debut for Lennon, the feature film made its world premiere as a Spotlight Documentary at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.
WWD: Why did you choose to return to the New York Fashion Week calendar this year?
T.A.F.: “This time around, the film made it to the Tribeca Film Festival in June, and we realized that the next step for its international launch was going to happen around this time. We also have a more approachable line that we’ve been working on for the last two years, and now it is finally ready.
“So it was the timing coinciding with New York Fashion Week that made sense to us. We also enjoy the presence of the press and the buyers during that time. We wanted to show the approachable line on people and show it within the context of the conceptual pieces and the show. There was a conscious decision to do NYFW this time, but it doesn’t mean we will do it next time.”
WWD: What does the runway mean to ThreeAsFour today?
T.A.F.: Everything is possible these days. Sometimes doing a film and expressing your collection through other options can be very welcome, and it is much cheaper. However, the energy that a runway gives is very special. Even with a film, there is something different about the live aspect of a show.
“You work so hard for so long, and then there are 10 or 15 minutes. There is something very beautiful about it. You cannot fake a runway situation where something may happen that was not expected. It becomes entertainment. There is something very unique about it that nothing else can replace.”
WWD: What was your approach for the “more accessible” denim collection?
T.A.F.: “Denim is the most democratic fabric. It speaks to everybody anywhere in the world. The five-pocket jean is the most worn garment worldwide. For us, it is the uniform of humanity. We don’t think any other garment has that on an international level. That is the magical thing about denim.”
The trio said they personally visited the New Delhi, India, factory they worked with to assess its workmanship and environmental practices before moving forward.
“Our garments are not typical garments. They need the right team behind them. He [the factory] is also very conscious about the environment and technology. That made us comfortable to bring the line back.
“Whatever we bring now will be limited edition. There are runs of 50, sometimes 75, and sometimes 100. Every piece will have a stamp with its number. So if there are 50, you might get number 13. Every piece is special, like collecting a piece of art.”
WWD: How did your archive and early techniques inform the collection?
T.A.F.: “It’s a combination of three things: successful, wearable pieces from our past; signature styles and cuts that we repurposed, and completely new pieces that we had never presented before.
“The idea behind repurposing was connected to ‘Samsara.’ The Sanskrit word meaning together, complete, or continuous. We wanted to tell that story through materials. We took certain styles that we had done before in denim and revisited them. Some styles look a little different, and some don’t, but that’s OK because it has the same soul, but it’s a different body.
“We chose denim because of the idea of unity — that it is the uniform of humanity. Repurposing materials was telling the story of ‘Samsara’ and reminding everyone: why not repurpose?”
They are also marketing the tagline “Uniform of Humanity” as part of the packaging.
WWD: So, what’s next for ThreeAsFour?
T.A.F.: “Our main goal is to reach a wider audience, expanding into other collections and other types of products.” Their work, they said has to do with collaboration, coexistence and unity — something they believe is necessary today, in a world that is consistently getting more and more chaotic.
“Our goal is to spread this message as far as possible — to as many countries, societies and communities as possible.”