Fashion takes itself seriously. Worth £21billion to the economy and employing almost 900,000 people in the UK, it should do. JW Anderson knows it’s a serious business - despite being framed as a female-focused frippery in some circles. Eye roll.
During each fashion capital’s carousel of biannual fashion shows, London is known for being home to young designers that rely on the wildness of their talent, creating raw collections that sometimes lack finesse yet always major on passion. However, the hottest name one season can drop off the schedule and melt into the wider fashion landscape the next…
Believe it or not, the official start of winter is only just arriving.
Sometimes, though, a designer will score the golden ticket, moving their creations into the fabled sweet spot where concept meets commerciality and they will rise beyond the days of showing in car parks to unlock elite level. In the fashion world, that equates to heading up a European house and becoming part of the LFW fashion firmament.
Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson has done just that in his role as Creative Director of Loewe (responsible for the most coveted bags on your FYP) while also heading up his own eponymous brand and creating waitlist worthy collections for Uniqlo.
And it's their hottest shoulder bag release yet.
Even the busiest talents need to let of steam sometimes so we’re relieved to see that simple play seems to be JW Anderson’s R&R of choice. Show-goers received a block of plasticine along with their invitations and the significance became clear as the first looks exited onto the runway. Shaped away from the body, chic grey shorts were made in moulded clay with a similarly sculptured hoodie in colour-pop orange...
It was weird and wonderful and while those quirky separates called to be squeezed (and maybe sniffed - who else dreams about that nostalgic play-school plasticine smell?) the collection moved on to some of the most useful - yet exquisite - clothes we saw throughout the whole of LFW. A navy V-neck knit came with ruched satin panels under the arms. Double-breasted blazers had sleeves long enough to curl your hands into. Evening skirts were constructed of layers of glimmering woven sequin strips.
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It may take a while for your eye to become accustomed to these bolder proportions and crafty textile finishes, but it will be worth it. These are the staples that fashion editors implore you to fill your wardrobe with. The basics that don’t have to be boring and those elevated essentials. Or in the words of JW Anderson’s press release “A sense of plainness that is not so plain… putting playfulness in pragmatism.”
A collection that was practical and answered the needs of our wardrobes to be purpose-led and useful - but also sparked joy? Isn’t that exactly what everyone wants when they get dressed? Now we know where to find it…
Read more from Glamour UK Fashion Director at large Alex Fullerton here or follow her on Instagram @alexandrafullerton
The best clapback to a misogynistic remark we ever did see
