London Fashion Week: J.W. Anderson AW18
For the first time in his career, Northern-Irish designer J.W. Anderson presented his latest ready-to-wear Autumn/Winter 2018 menswear and womenswear collections together on the catwalk at London Fashion Week. Centred on fungal-themed art installations by French artist Martin Belou, Anderson once more delivered a richly colourful collection with a utilitarian understone, with flowing silhouettes on womenswear but this time a more classic take on menswear.
On womenswear, the collection was vintage J.W. Anderson in its use of colour, easy silhouettes and visual print work. The designer employed a variety of classic prints which felt modernised and more relaxed in Anderson’s easy, flowing silhouettes. Key highlights from the collection include the low-waist skirt which epitomised Anderson’s relaxed styling, and the distinct, tequila sunrise-inspired gradient colouring used throughout the womenswear collection.
Yet whereas womenswear was boldly visual, menswear was noticeably more clean, classic and functional this year compared with previous years. The devil of this season’s collection seems to be in the finer details, with jumpers featuring relaxed dropped shoulders and fringe detailing, while low-rise selvedge denim featured contrasting patch details and unconventional pocket placements. The footwear across both genders was noticeably strong, with Anderson continuing his collaboration with Converse this season with an ombré high-top featuring mis-matching laces on men’s and womenswear featuring a highlight selection of boots and bootees.
Overall, the J.W. Anderson AW18 collection was characterised by the designer’s focus on creating well worked, utilitarian and approachable pieces for a new, millennial audience. While the luxurious allure and glamour of the largest fashion houses at LFW can come to feel alienating and distant for some, J.W. Anderson instead presents a functional collection full of contemporary, elevated details that so often set his work apart.
