London Fashion Week is celebrating 40 years, a new government is in place with first lady Victoria Starmer who favors humble clothes and has no apparent favorite designer yet, the sun is out and it’s warm and JW Anderson delivered in his role to provide the season’s first credible fashion moment. Judging from the photos we have seen, New York Fashion Week looked predictable with Ralph, Michael and Tommy scoring high on social media and low on fashion news with a few exceptions like Willy Chavarria, Elena Velez, and Luar by Raul Lopez. Anderson ended the summer season with a work session turned into a runway show which was a meditation on four ingredients only: Cashmere, leather, silk, and sequins. Playing with proportion and questioning what you see has become a mainstay with Anderson and he opened the show with tiny trompe-l’œil silk dresses which had an intense girly vibe which was accentuated by an Ibiza club anthem soundtrack. His namesake label is genuinely young now.
Tiny trompe-l’œil silk dresses
The silhouette?
Worn by a super young cast, the super short mini dresses clung to the body and had a super fresh vibe. Anderson quoted his sister as inspiration when she was on a night out with her friends.
Super short mini dresses at JW Anderson S/S 2025
The four ingredients?
Anderson made leather go far by wrapping giant disk-like tutus around the cashmere shells or using the detail of a penny loafer on bags. He showed only one kind of shoe, a short version puss’n boots with zippers which helped the models soar over the runway.
Giant disk-like tutus
Detail of a penny loafer on bags
Short version puss’n boots with zippers
The criticism?
Always critical of industry standards, Anderson used some of British art critic Clive Bell’s writings on the clothes as in his final look. Bell analyzed formalism and Anderson thinks that “fashion needs to refocus its eye. To not lose sight on what it is about.”, which means clothes and not marketing.
British art critic Clive Bell’s writings on the clothes
Willy Chavarria S/S 2025
Elena Velez S/S 2025
Luar S/S 2025
