Ayo Edebiri’s Avant-Garde T-Shirt Dress Is From a Rising Young Designer
According to Ayo Edebiri, t-shirts more than belong on the red carpet. Even better if they’re from one of fashion’s most in-demand young designers. At the “A Night Of SeriousFun” Gala in New York City yesterday, Edebiri slipped into an experimental look from 24-year-old Zane Lii’s eponymous label, Lii.
Edebiri’s look, from Lii’s fall 2025 collection, was an abstract twist on the usually very plain t-shirt dress. Instead of just one formless tee, the actor’s version was stacked with various layered shirts in bold red, white, and black. Each had its intrigue—from ruched draping to a piece that functioned more as the typical “skirt.” Edebiri kept things simple with a minimal hair and makeup look and black sandals from Gianvito Rossi.
Edebiri at the “A Night of SeriousFun” Gala, hosted by SeriousFun Children’s Network which is the “leading network of medical specialty camps in the world, comprised of 30 camps and programs serving children with serious illnesses and their families.”
Edebiri often hits the red carpet in luxury giants like The Row and Prada (she just wore a ’90s-inspired look from the Italian label at CinemaCon last week). But, considering her eye for what’s new and next in fashion, it’s no wonder she and her stylist, Danielle Goldberg, would choose an outfit from Lii’s latest offering. The fledgling label, which launched its first collection for fall 2024, is quickly becoming a rising name to watch within the industry. It’s also a red carpet favorite of Edebiri’s fellow cool girl Greta Lee, who similarly works with Goldberg.
Raised in China, Lii studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology during the COVID years before a short stint at the beloved New York label, Proenza Schouler. His namesake line fuses 1990s sportswear—something clearly defined in the comfort of Edebiri’s dress—with the elegance seen in the work of couture masters like Madame Grès and Cristóbal Balenciaga. The designer launched his debut menswear collection in January of this year, a selection he called “more wardrobe-y” than some of his previous offerings.
“People think that if you wear something ladylike or something old-fashioned and traditional, then you’re uncool,” Lii told W recently. “But I don’t think that way; I want to explore the possibility of putting practicality into glamorous dressing.”
