JW Anderson makes us want to take a nap

But not out of boredom, but out of a sense of comfort that came over after the designer welcomed us into his surreal dream sanctuary with his Spring/Summer 2025 men’s and Resort 2025 women’s collection.

55 photos

Jonathan W. Anderson captured the mood of the third day of Milan Fashion Week with a collection that invited people to get comfortable and take a nap. The invitation to the show already foreshadowed what was to come: a T-shirt printed with the slogan “REAL SLEEP” in peculiar and uneven letters.

In JW Anderson’s dreams, things are very particular: they inflate, elongate, becoming gigantic, maximized, exaggerated, and above all, fun. “Allow things to inflate, let the details become gigantic,” read the program; this permission transformed the runway into a stage where loafers took the shape of bags, enormous waffle-design coats emerged from old knitted blankets, and pillows materialized into silky knee-length coats.

In Anderson’s vision, the everyday, like the houses of his native Ireland embroidered on sweaters, and the surreal, like inflated or deflated balloons protruding from garments, intertwine, forming a collage of ideas and memories of home that Anderson habitually navigates. Playing with dimensions and textures, he celebrated the tradition of his homeland and the surrealism that characterizes his vision. Wool sweaters depicted facades of typical British houses, while traditional clothing transformed into giant fabrics. The fishermen’s rain jackets from the north were reinterpreted in wide, almost cape-like versions.

True to his roots, Anderson also paid homage to his Irish heritage with a collaboration with Guinness. The result? Knitted pieces with illustrations related to the world of beer. In looks 45 and 53 of the show, there is a screen print of a smiling pint and ‘foam’ made of embroidered pearls. In look 55, Jonathan Anderson’s signature is machine-embroidered in the style of Arthur Guinness on the back.

For JW Anderson, the goal this season was to “achieve a state of sleep. Real sleep.” A feeling of being at home. Without a doubt, he has succeeded.

For more on the Spring/Summer 2025 collections, click here.