It is a sweet spot for a designer to have the full industry attention. Even better when it is a weekend morning show, the sort of official opening of the European calendar. With his latest show Anderson has arrived in a new comfort zone or simply taken his brand onto the next level. He masters daring shapes, commands inventive fabric mixes, sculpts leather and still manages to anchor the collection based on the image of a real woman. In fact, very young women who want multi pocket cargo pants and decorative feathers in their collar. His clothes are fresh, feel new after a long summer and already define the season with a concise contemporary bent. Let’s call it new British sportswear. Few designers manage that, it’s clear and while Helmut and Phoebe, two masters at the skill, are out of fashion (or still), welcome to the new status quo definer JW Anderson. The fact that he curates a fine art exhibition in a Mayfair gallery after the show with works by Lucian Freud or Frank Auerbach juxtaposed with pieces like the skateboard sweater from his collection just add to his stature.
Feathered collars and trims
Multi pocket cargo pants
Inventive fabric choices
Spanish leather craft meets England?
Never has Anderson’s approach to Loewe and his own brand felt so close. Let’s face it, no designer pulling double duty could avoid that but here the Irish Londoner used his Spanish main job’s artisanal experiences to sculpt his opening looks of leather pieces like children’s clay which added a deft hand.
Leather manipulation to look like clay
When a hoodie becomes fashion not streetwear?
Using hoodies throughout the show which are synonymous with streetwear and are a big no-no on a runway at this point, Anderson turned them into fashion by cropping and leathering them. Design, function, and fabric quality are at the core of Anderson’s universe so he can perform these tricks.
JW Anderson presented many variations of the hoodie
The news?
While there used to be a more conceptual fashion vibe to his shows, now it feels like Anderson is the leader of youth core fashion. Barely a model was over 18.
Super young casting
