Fashion

Jonathan Anderson Talks Hats, Anarchy And Brexit Ahead Of His AW19 Show


Fashion insiders know this to be true: it is impossible to attend a JW Anderson show and not leave with a wish list as long as your arm. That is part of Jonathan Anderson’s talent; his innate ability to bring together a seemingly random and potentially incoherent array of inspirations, motifs and techniques, and create something utterly sophisticated.

In his white-washed Dalston studio, Vogue meets the 34-year-old designer, days away from his London Fashion Week show. It’s bright and early, with the winter sun shining through the tall windows onto the collection lining one wall of the room.

Bright pinks, primrose blues and pistachio greens pop against the more sombre neutrals, partly due to the colour contrast, but more so because of the architectural volume of the sleeves, skirts and dresses. But, as is always the case with Anderson’s designs, all is not as it seems.

“I like the outrageousness of it,” he says, holding a fuchsia fil coupé dress, “the threads look like feathers, but they’re not. It looks like fur, but it’s not”. Further down the rail, a knit dress combines a classic JW Anderson jumper with a silk skirt in a buttery caramel shade.

“Quite egg-like,” jests Anderson, referencing the sculptures of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore that inspired, in part, the architectural twists of this collection. “But also quite aristocratic. [This season is about] creating modernity in volume without becoming too nostalgic. Nostalgia,” he warns, “can be a double-edged sword: sometimes we need it, but at the same time, I feel like it can crush you.”

Not that Anderson, it seems, will be crushed by anything – not even the current political climate. “It is such an amazing moment to be a British brand, and even though the country is going through a weird transition [with Brexit], I think we have to stick together and support each other. We have to believe in British fashion, and we have to survive.”

Here, Anderson discusses his tone-setting first look, the ironic use of a headpiece, and how he hopes British fashion will navigate Brexit.

On the ideas behind the AW19 collection

“Fashion and trends have to be pushed. You have to be able to explore within yourself, and lose control of what you like, because ultimately, then, you are exploring different avenues. This collection is about exploring volume. It’s about how to take different volumes and juxtapose them with the world, exploding things or compressing them. It has also, for me, the idea of youthful elegance, which I think is interesting: where you have solidness to a garment, where it doesn’t feel like it’s under worked, but is very measured. There is an element of something that is playful but solid too.”

On capes and continuity

“[The idea of volume for the show] started off with the very first look and the double-faced cashmere cape. There’s a prettiness to the blouse and a masculinity to the trouser; an overall youthful elegance. As much as it looks classic, there is a sharp edge. It doesn’t become too nostalgic. We’ve explored capes many times, there’s something very dramatic about them that I like – but this one is more numbed, it is less gothic, less ’40s. There is something impressive about where you cut the body with a cape. It feels like the wearer is going somewhere with purpose.”

On the ironic use of a hat

“We were playing with the hat on top of the head, and I liked this idea: where the hat is detached from the body; like a fascinator, but not. There’s something twisted about it: you want to push it down, but it doesn’t go down. Instead, it creates volume and elongates the look. There’s an odd irony to it.”

On making people feel part of the show

“When I was thinking of the collection, I wanted people to see it in the round, on a very thick carpet, so it feels intimate. So the viewer can see the [entire] look, as if it were turning, and make each individual feel part of it. I think today – because of social media, because of the industry – we judge brands based on their financial success or failure, which is quite scary. We sometimes ignore the clothing, and I try to make sure that we create looks that everyone feels connected to. It’s not just me, I want the whole team to go home and feel that we have pushed it as far as we can.”

On commercial know-how

“When you have two companies and you’re working for a corporation, ultimately, as a designer today there is pressure to be creative, but there is also pressure to be commercially savvy. As much as I would love to design clothing that does not sell, that can’t happen anymore. But when it comes down to the commercial rack and bags, there has to be an obsession with reality [and wearability], and I enjoy that. I will always be the first to question commerciality – no CEO will ever do that to me, because I am already aware of it.”

On being a British brand

“I think it’s important that no matter what happens politically, [we remember that] this has been the birthplace for some of the greatest designers of all time – Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen – and I think it’s important that [British fashion] keeps the anarchy, but at the same time that we work in a way that protects it and builds upon [that legacy]. It is very difficult to survive in fashion now as a British brand, and I think it is important that we, like in America, protect homegrown talent, on all levels.”





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