JW Anderson dreams big with the mini dress at London Fashion Week

London — From leather tutus to unstructured knitwear, the mini dress is the centrepiece of the spring-summer 2025 collection by JW Anderson, the label of Loewe artistic director Jonathan Anderson, presented Sunday on the third day of London Fashion Week.

Under the glass ceiling of Old Billingsgate, a former Victorian fish market in London's City district, the Northern Irish designer experimented with the form, fabric, and colour of the humble mini dress, playing with the possibilities of a garment often relegated to the wardrobe staple "little black dress."

A few models donned summer dresses in sky blue satins and pink sequins, but more looked prepared for a chilly British summer, borrowing thick knitwear and leather from the winter wardrobe.

Some dresses were detailed with vest buttons and sweater pockets printed directly onto the fabric. Meanwhile, pullover and blazer-style dresses brought contrasting aesthetics to the catwalk.

Dance-ready models strutted down the runway in sumptuous tutus and leotards in black, brown, and khaki leather, with others flaunting mini and maxi versions of the "balloon" skirt, which has been making a comeback since spring.

Also artistic director of the LVMH group's up-and-coming Spanish label Loewe, Anderson continues to revisit the classics in his latest collection, adding sweater sleeves or giant knitwear onto simple white or navy dresses.

London Fashion Week, which runs until Tuesday in the British capital, will also see Londoner Sinead Gorey, Erdem Moralioglu (Erdem), and British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker on the catwalk on Sunday (AFP).