The collection’s innovative silhouettes, tactile fabrics, and playful nods to art and history reminded us why Anderson remains one of the most exciting designers on the London Fashion Week calendar.
The Northern Irish designer once again stole the spotlight debuting his spring-summer 2025 collection against the striking backdrop of Old Billingsgate, an iconic former fish market by the River Thames.
With Tower Bridge looming in the distance and the sun casting a golden glow, the setting added a touch of romance and history to a collection that was anything but traditional.
In typical JW Anderson fashion, the collection toyed with conceptual designs, but this season, it leaned into themes of youth and adolescence. The runway opened with playful mini dresses featuring trompe-l’oeil details, where hoodie strings and zippers were mere illusions, bedazzled with sequins for that night-out sparkle. Leather tutus and bubble skirts reminiscent of ballerina silhouettes made a bold statement, infusing a sense of playfulness and nostalgia into the collection.
While JW Anderson’s AW24 collection took a more mature turn with knitwear and granny-inspired pieces, SS25 was all about embracing the fountain of youth. From the glittering leather dresses to the structured, oversized bomber jackets, the designs celebrated freedom, play, and imagination, transporting us all back to the experimental days of adolescence.
While the collection embraced minimalism, Anderson still managed to maintain the brand’s signature quirkiness. Chunky knit vests with rectangular cutouts, ballooned trousers, and playful toy-like boots appeared alongside sophisticated dresses in rich silk and leather.
Inspired by art critic Clive Bell’s theories, particularly his idea that good art stirs emotions, Anderson’s collection was pared down to just four materials: leather, silk, sequins, and cashmere. The designer cleverly incorporated optical illusions, with faux pockets and sleek, fluid lines that created a sense of elegance. Anderson’s manipulation of fabric, particularly the wool knitwear and silky slip dresses, proved that less is sometimes more.
The juxtaposition of past and present was a theme woven throughout the collection, with Anderson proving once again that he is a master of manipulating both fabric and history.
The collection’s innovative silhouettes, tactile fabrics, and playful nods to art and history reminded us why Anderson remains one of the most exciting designers on the London Fashion Week calendar.
Watch JW Anderson’s Spring-Summer 2025 entrie show below:
