Filson Just Leveled Up a Handful of Its Most Iconic Garments, Proving Workwear Never Dies

It’s like 2012, but without skinny fit… everything.

a man wearing 2 Filson Junya Watanabe Man jackets

Published 22 hours ago

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The fashion industry is a flat circle.

Back in January, Junya Watanabe Man debuted its Fall/Winter 2025 collection in Paris. The esteemed Japanese designer’s collaboration with Filson dominated the show to the point that it felt more like a mid-century workwear fever dream.

a man in a Filson jacket and hat — A Filson hat and a Tin Cloth jacket worn with Levi’s jeans and a shirt and tie.

Watanabe’s signature mix-and-match garment construction was on full display. Archival Tin Cloth jackets had faux leather back panels, top coats were Frankensteined with Mackinaw jackets and wool Jac-Shirts had canvas backs.

Looking past the designer’s idiosyncrasies, the show played like an homage to vintage workwear, and, for anyone over the age of 35, it was delightfully reminiscent of the early 2010s peak workwear era.

a man in a blue Filson Junya Watanabe Man mackinaw jacket — A blue wool Mackinaw jacket.

Watanabe positioned Filson’s greatest hits with dress shirts and ties, unconventionally layering and often anchored by brightly polished leather derbys. This formal-workwear aesthetic was pulled from early-2010s J.Crew and Ralph Lauren and even Watanabe’s own 2012 runway show.

a man in a Filson Junya Watanabe Man jacket — A Filson chore jacket blending hunter-orange Tin Cloth with faux leather.

Timeless is an adjective thrown around so much that it’s lost all meaning. Still, it certainly applies to Watanabe’s vision for his Fall/Winter 2025 Filson capsule collection, the first portion of which drops on August 6.

a man carrying a Filson bag — Watanabe included some iconic Filson bags.

Aside from the fit, which is significantly less trim than in 2012, Filson and Watanabe are drawing from a well that never seems to run dry. From “#menswear” in the 2010s to “grunge” in the 1990s, mid-century American workwear always returns.

Return of the Mack(inaw)

Watanabe and Filson’s partnership dates back to 2012, when some collaborative pieces were included in the designer’s Comme des Garçons sub-label, Eye.

a suede Junya Watanabe Man Filson Mackinaw jacket — A suede Filson Mackinaw Jacket.

The heritage Seattle-based outfitter is on an impressively long list of Watanabe collaborators. Two of the most notable, Levi’s and New Balance, even made supporting appearances in January’s show.

This fully fleshed out capsule collection follows Watanabe’s previous work with another foundational American workwear brand, Carhartt. It feels like the designer’s idealized version of the brand, with garments reshuffled in his mind in a way that never existed.

a Filson jacket — A Filson Tin Cloth Hunting Jacket.

A suede Mackinaw Cruiser elevates the blue-collar icon to luxurious heights, and a boxy Tin Cloth Hunting Jacket looks more British countryside than Pacific Northwest.

I can’t help but think of Todd Snyder’s work with L.L.Bean and Woolrich. Snyder respectfully refreshed and remixed beloved American brands with a deft hand and sartorial genius.

a man in a Junya Watanabe Man Filson jacket — A tartan topcoat blended with a waxed Mackinaw jacket.

But where Snyder provided a boost to companies that were experiencing a lull, Filson is more popular than ever. This Junya Watanabe Man capsule feels more like a message to the menswear universe.

Filson has secured a position as the gold standard of American workwear, and Watanabe is using it to remind everyone how good the genre looks.

If the collection resonates, his message could start a new era of mid-century American workwear dominance.

Availability and pricing

The Filson capsule collection felt abstract when the Junya Watanabe Man Fall/Winter 2025 show happened. Now that the real autumn of 2025 is just around the corner and the pieces are about to hit the market, it feels impactful.

a man in a Filson jack shirt — The back of this flannel Jac-Shirt is khaki Tin Cloth.

Few runway garments make it to market, and no preview of the actual retail collection is available yet, so we don’t know which pieces will be available for purchase or what any of the items will cost.

What I can say for sure is that availability will be limited and prices will be high. The capsule collection will only be sold at Filson’s New York and Los Angeles flagship stores, Dover Street Market, the Filson Milan flagship and select global retailers. At least initially, it will only be available online on Filson’s European market website.

Hopefully, the real impact of the Junya Watanabe x Filson Fall/Winter 2025 capsule collection will be a reinvigoration of the genre, because we’re all better off in Tin Cloth and boiled wool than spandex and Lyocell.

You can see the whole Junya Watanabe Man Fall/Winter 2025 show on Comme des Garçons’ YouTube channel.

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.