Ashley Williams imagined a wardrobe for a life lived almost entirely within the confines of home.

Her muse was Bonnie Grape, the loving yet deeply isolated mother from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, whose story inspired a collection about confronting battles that cannot be won and finding a sense of freedom in accepting one’s limitations. Williams described it as a reflection on powerlessness and the unexpected transcendence that can come with acceptance.

Taking a deliberately childlike approach to the character, Williams sent models down the runway wearing identical light pink lipstick and dirty-blond bob wigs with bangs. She described Grape as an overlooked beauty icon, translating her sheltered world into a collection filled with nostalgia and domestic references.

Satin baby-doll dresses printed to resemble wooden walls were paired with torn tights stuffed with bunny motifs, while knitted teddy bears reinforced the childlike atmosphere. Reconstructed floral dresses made from bedding and curtain-like fabrics evoked memories of home and significant moments preserved in time.

A long-sleeved shirt and matching cropped cape were cut from cotton sheets decorated with hand-drawn scenes of people reading books and eating apples, accompanied by the words “happy memories.” The motifs reflected Williams’ belief in finding joy in life’s smallest moments.

The theme of childhood and the security of home continued through the accessories, created as part of Williams’ ongoing collaboration with Chinese experimental jewelry label Yvmin. A faux-porcelain plastic belt featured cuddling Siamese cats as its closure, while a chunky wristwatch referenced a mechanical music box, complete with a miniature dancing ballerina.

The result was a tender, slightly surreal collection that explored isolation, childhood comfort and the complicated emotions of finding safety within familiar walls.