Between the late-night dinners, glitzy parties, and early rises during fashion week, what’s usually missing from the fash pack’s schedule is the opportunity for a decent night’s sleep. Until the JW Anderson show, that is. Sending out a T-shirt stamped with the slogan ‘Real Sleep’ as his show’s invitation, Jonathan Anderson invited his guests to drift off into a dreamlike sequence. “Inhale. Exhale. Are you feeling dreamy? Maybe a little delirious?” asked the show notes.
In a haze, volumes ballooned, twisted, and grew in what felt like a blissful trip. There were enormous knitted bomber jackets that cocooned models’ forms, XXL ties in cartoonish proportions, and leather jackets so squidgy you wanted to reach out and squeeze them yourself. Amongst them were slightly off-kilter interpretations of everyday dress, like blousons with frills at the shoulder, jersey bodycon dresses with giant bows at the waist, or shiny V-neck knits that grew lace at the neckline.
It was as if in this augmented dreamscape, we toured through a myriad of our shared fantasies. To have success (business shirts and ties migrated into hooped striped skirts that danced from side to side). To have the picture-perfect home (knitted frocks mimicked that of idyllic countryside cottages). Even to escape for a few scoops down the boozer (this season Anderson collaborated with Guinness on a genius slew of bedazzled jumpers). If only every night’s sleep was this exciting.
Photography by Christina Fragkou.
