BEAUTY: Clothing--Loewe

J. W. Anderson presented his Spring Summer 2021 collection in what he called a "Show In A Box," seen here...the box includes pieces of fabrics featured in the collection along with inspirational cards and pressed flowers, and of course many different sized images of the garments themselves. And since Anderson is also the current Creative Director of venerable Spanish brand Loewe (founded in 1846!), he curated a "Show In A Box" for this SS '21 collection as well. I love the knitwear aspect in Anderson's work, and of course the accent on the idea of artisans and handcrafted elements is earnest and engaging. It is a lovely, moving idea that feels nourishing for this time. Watch the video and look at that gorgeous shibori shirt.

https://www.loewe.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--J.W. Anderson

JW ANDERSON PREVIEWS MS21 + RS21 PHOTOBOOK FOR PARIS FASHION WEEK British luxury brand JW Anderson will premiere exclusive video footage and still images to the Paris Fashion Week platform. The brand originally revealed their Men’s Spring Summer 2021 collection via a phygital experience: a physical “Show in a Box” delivered to journalists, editors, buyers, VIPS, etc around the world and a digital reveal on 2 July featuring a video of Founder and Creative Director Jonathan Anderson explaining the inspiration behind, and contents of, the box. “The idea is that you can tell and experience the story in your own way. At your own pace. It’s about going back to making and telling stories,” Jonathan said. With this idea of exploration and storytelling in mind, photographer Lewis Ronald captured multidisciplinary artist Carlos Maria Romero in a London home as he experienced the show in a box for the first time. Shot entirely in black and white, the photographs will be curated into a photobook to be released by the brand at a later date. For Paris Fashion week JW Anderson will premiere a video teaser from the photo shoot as well as an exclusive selection of six images.

https://www.jwanderson.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--JW Anderson

Fashion journalist Sarah Mower wrote beautifully, better than I can reinterpret or explain, of JW Anderson's FW 2020-2021 collection at Paris Fashion Week:

Show anyone a pictogram of a house on fire, and it will bring Greta Thunberg’s verbal metaphor urging climate action to mind. But—look closely—the images that are printed, scorchlike, on Jonathan Anderson’s sweaters in the background of this show date from an earlier emergency. They’re prints of the burning-house stencils that the AIDS activist and mixed-media artist David Wojnarowicz sprayed on derelict East Village buildings in 1982.

Anderson is adept at bringing almost forgotten art to the ambiance of his shows—both for his own label and at Loewe. But this rediscovery struck a deeper chord for the generations protesting against establishment intransigence in the face of apocalyptic crisis. It resonated tangentially in Anderson’s remark at the end of the show. Amid the anguish of the AIDS fatalities in the ’80s and ’90s—which Wojnarowicz documented, fought, and eventually succumbed to—“it felt like the end of the world,” Anderson observed. “But it wasn’t. As much as some of it’s really heavy, there’s an optimism. There will be a solution.”

When science and political will are galvanized by grassroots forces, perhaps there can be progress. Maybe that’s the learning, the hope Anderson was getting at. In any case it puts him in line with the search for some kind of spiritual solace, a yearning toward the things that matter, that’s been playing throughout the men’s shows—that and a sharper focus on editing clothes down to a brand’s essential values. (Check Prada, Gucci, and Off-White as recent examples.)

For JW Anderson, as for so many others, it entails looking back and being extra careful about going forward: “Thinking before you speak. Thinking before you act. Following up on things. Making product that is substantial, so it looks like it’s been there forever,” as he put it. In practical terms it meant striking a balance between blanket-wrap poncho-like coats—British trad and monklike, by turns—and expanding the vocabulary of nonbinary design that Anderson was first to explore with his early menswear shows in London.

There were the long, narrow shifts in paisley print carried over from his women’s collections, pleated peplum tops over shorts, skinny knits, and hefty padded coats. With that sure hand he has for eye-catching, Instagrammable branding, he accessorized with heavy gilt chains swathed as belts, blown up as shoe jewelry, and minimized as sewn-on half-necklaces. The JW Anderson anchor-like logo that he invented as a 23-year-old was stenciled into a felted tote bag and worked into a patchwork sweater.

Trying to do better in the wider world while still defending one’s own corner of the market is the dilemma that faces all fashion designers today. Anderson mentioned in passing that he’d worked to source fabrics in Britain—such efforts support heritage manufacturing and local workers and thereby enable more conscious purchasing.

That’s a field that is going to take time to illuminate. Nevertheless, as the gay-rights movement is continuing to prove, change can come. Short term, Anderson is putting his activism where his mouth is by selling Wojnarowicz Burning House sweaters online today, raising funds for Visual AIDS, a community organization founded in 1988 to raise awareness and support for HIV-positive artists.

https://www.jwanderson.com

BEAUTY: Clothing--Misc. Paris Fashion Week

Here are some details I did not want to miss mentioning from the Spring Summer 2020 shows at Paris Fashion Week:

Off-White
Blankets with designs by old-school graffiti artist Futura (who worked alongside the likes of Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat in New York back in the day). I love blankets as an alternative to scarves.

Lemaire
Wide-cut, high-waisted trousers with a 40s silhouette. Beautiful.

Lanvin
Adorable silk shirt and jacket with Babar imagery in this lovely seaside collection shown at an indoor pool.

JW Anderson
Fascinating flip-flop sandal with straps but also a decorative gold leash that reminds me of the type surfers wear to tether their board to their ankles...just without the crystal drops.
And a cute, home-y, felted clog in yummy colors.

ACNE Studios
What at first appears to be a chunky running or hiking shoe with a big lug sole turns out to be a sort of double wrap, peep-toe sandal! It looks great in distressed chartreuse leather worn with funky, slouched socks.

Christian Dada
Beautiful black or white chunky beaded necklaces from a collection based on Japanese pilgrimages to Buddhist temples and shrines.

https://www.off---white.com
https://www.lemaire.fr/
https://www.lanvin.com
https://www.jwanderson.com
https://www.acnestudios.com
http://www.christiandada.jp/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Loewe

Jonathan Anderson is a busy guy. He not only helms his own eponymous label J.W. Anderson (previously here), but he has been Creative Director at venerable Spanish leather goods brand Loewe for six years now, and he has continued to create beautiful, evocative collections for both houses. And for this Paris Fashion Week, he created a soft, flowing Spring Summer '20 collection for Loewe. Even though the house was founded in 1846 in Madrid by a group of Spanish leather craftsmen, and the brand proper originated in 1876 when Enrique Loewe Roessberg, a German craftsman, joined the group, Loewe's heyday seems to have been in the 1960s and 1970s. A certain hand-crafted interest in leather came out of hippie counterculture from that period, and hand tooled leather goods were seen everywhere. Anderson has re-energized that interest and cultivated a sense of artisan-made craft-based clothing and accessories. What we see for this collection is actually very close to the freedom and spiritual expansion that came from the 60s and 70s.

Anderson says the collection reflects "a childlike dream state" and I can sense that in the loose, pajama-like feel of some of the looks (like sleepy boys about to go to bed) as well as the djellabas and ultra-refined suede caftans. (The childlike state is delightfully reflected in the sweet pink leather iPhone case around one model's neck.) The Mediterranean stripes on the lovely knitwear pieces remind me of the beautiful colors and stripes I found on foutas on the Côte d'Azur. It all adds up to a relaxed, dreamy moment.

And of course since Loewe is a leather goods house in Spain, there are glorious Roman sandals, moccasins, espadrille boots (!LOVE!), and slip-on leather shoes.

https://www.loewe.com

BEAUTY: Clothing--J.W. Anderson

A J.W. Anderson collection is usually a very cerebral expression of a variety of oblique inspirations. With past collections taking inspiration from Antoine de Saint‐Exupéry’s classic fable LE PETIT PRINCE, and Christopher Robin Milne who was the real-life model (and son of the author) for the character of Christopher Robin in the A.A. Milne WINNIE THE POOH series, it is no surprise that something small, homespun, and perhaps familiar from childhood would serve as a springboard for this Fall-Winter '17-'18 collection: Grandma's blanket of crocheted squares. And here is where the oblique part comes in...these small squares or patches made a leap to heraldic patches and flags and then to stained glass. Indeed, they do remind me of stained glass, their bright, saturated colors vibrating against the black form containing them. The overall silhouette hearkened back to the tabards and tunics of Medieval dress. Sarah Mower at vogue.com astutely noted: "An instinctive reflex in these apocalyptic times is to picture our days as a descent into the Dark Ages." Stained glass images were appliquéd to tops and jeans. But back to those little crocheted squares...they showed up not only on long, trailing scarves, skirts, backpacks, and on the garments themselves, but as floppy shoe covers. Which of course makes me realize that such historical pieces were made of leather, metal, or even chain mail, for battle. So what does it say that Anderson presents the same pieces made of something so gentle, so familiar, with echoes to home and childhood. Maybe something like, lay down your armor, embrace something softer and more human...fight the new Dark Ages with conscious compassion.

https://j-w-anderson.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--J.W. Anderson

Last season, designer Jonathan (J.W.) Anderson presented a fascinating collection inspired by Christopher Robin, the hero and real-life son of author A.A. Milne's WINNIE THE POOH series. According to Milne's own autobiography THE ENCHANTED PLACES, Christopher Robin had quite a talent for working with his hands. He owned a small tool kit, which he used to disassemble the lock on his nursery door when he was seven years old. In a brilliant move on Anderson's part, this accounted for the little improvised tool kit carried by the models down the runway! Anderson's clothing silhouettes are visceral and immediate but the route there is cerebral and oblique. See the entire collection here.

So, a few days before the runway show for his SS '17 collection just shown at London Collections: Men, Anderson posted a picture of the cover of Antoine de Saint‐Exupéry’s classic fable LE PETIT PRINCE (in English) to his Instagram account. Anderson read it as a child...could this be his own, extant copy?

Thus he brought his amazing, jagged minimalism to another childhood classic. And the execution is just as oblique and cerebral as the Christopher Robin collection. Here, models sport goggles...the type most surely worn by the aviator narrator of LE PETIT PRINCE. On their bodies, models wore loose, baggy clothing that made them look as if they had gotten into their parents' closets to play dress-up (Anderson referenced the idea of "childhood discovered at will" when he said, "It's not about being nostalgic, it's about being childlike,"). A few models wore crowns of what look like coral beads (The Little Prince is a prince after all). But back to the aviator: a wonderful jumpsuit, hooded and nipped at the waist, is again something one would find on a pilot, along with some gorgeous lace-up sneaker boots in brown, pink, and aqua leather which feel a bit retro. And finally, we get to see a green coat like the one worn by the Little Prince himself.

http://j-w-anderson.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--J.W. Anderson

Last season, J.W. Anderson presented a marvelous collection (here) that was obliquely based on--or rather inspired by the notion of--Christopher Robin from WINNIE THE POOH and the real-life boy he was was based on, A.A. Milne's son, Christopher Milne. And here at London Collections: Men we see another oblique offering for Fall-Winter '16-'17 that Anderson claims is based upon the notion of speed and how our modern culture moves so fast. As a way to highlight this fact, he partnered with social app Grindr (a kind of speed dating site for gay men to find quick sex) to livestream the show! Fast indeed. But there is irony in the collection in the form of a snail motif that shows up again and again. There is also a puzzling and cuddly creature that could be a lamb or a rabbit, which I suppose makes sense as a contrast to the snail. Perhaps it is a question that we must ask ourselves: are you the rabbit or the snail...and which one do you want to be? Do you want to rush through it or enjoy the ride?

The silhouettes are still pure Anderson which is a form of proprietary minimalist--often futuristic--luxury. It seems like that could be an oxymoron, but look for yourself. Some of his past collections look like they could be costumes in a utopian or dystopian sci-fi film. Yet somehow he manages to make basic forms swing with sangfroid or splay with languor. To enhance his inspiration of speed, many of the pieces look to be riffs on running or athletic apparel. But however popular "streetwear" is at this moment in fashion (a move I mourn), he can't bring himself to completely embrace such a pedestrian concept (pun intended), so we have unique elements like rabbit fur dyed blue on white or red on black peppered here and there, and acrylic studded collars. His intellectual concepts combined with his unique approach to garments makes him, to me, an artist in his medium. Now, if he would only use synthetic fur...

http://j-w-anderson.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--J.W. Anderson

J.W. Anderson's Spring Summer '16 collection just shown at London Collections: Men is a great example of why I love fashion as art. It is a very cerebral expression of a variety of oblique inspirations. I rarely copy and paste reviews from others since I like to interpret what I see for myself but over at Style.com, Tim Blanks' musings on the collection are tight and spot on:

"Jonathan Anderson's collections walk a confounding tightrope between naïveté and decadence. Much of his new menswear looked like clothes for a futuristic, spiritual retreat (Anderson himself said he wanted something "laid-back, Zen-like"), but the buckled patent shoes were purest dancehall honky-tonk. The fitted leather jackets were pretty flashy, too, especially when contrasted with multi-pleated pants in plainest calico or denim.

'He took himself seriously,' said the voice-over that launched Michel Gaubert's stirring soundtrack (a journey all in itself), but that felt like Anderson poking a little fun at his own expense—or at least anticipating reactions to his quirky rationale. He insisted his collection was actually like an imaginary world that a child might create for himself, akin to the tree houses he and his brother used to build. The preciousness that such a boy would bestow on things that are essentially valueless was reflected in the ordinary objects—keys, tools—that were transmuted into jewelry, the board game that mutated into a constructivist jacquard, and the calico or denim artfully constructed into the pants that made up the foundation of the collection. Some of the models were carrying a small metal frame on which curious little things were suspended, almost like charms to ward off who knows what.

That subtly occult tinge has become something of an Anderson signature, the way he disturbs the refined with the raw, for instance—a thin strand of bamboo or a bandage of calico nipping the waist, or a crude smear of paint across a tulle top so fine it is barely there, or even a white feather stuck to a shoulder. Such touches feel last-minute spontaneous, but also off-kilter, which is exactly where Anderson wants to keep us. But his work is now so consistent that off-kilter is proving a rather pleasant place to be."

I too find the collection to be in keeping with a certain kind of jagged minimalism Anderson has shown in the past. It is entirely intriguing and unique. But unlike the future angularity of his past collections (previously here and here), there is something so small and touching about the image of this child that Anderson invoked...it resonates with me on a personal level since I recall, being an only child, how all my toys and objects and things I found were my friends, bestowed with the preciousness Blanks mentioned since, well, something in this life has to be precious. Indeed, there is something hard to put my finger on in this collection. Despite the red patent leather shoes, the silhouettes and models have a childlike innocence. They look like little boys carrying their homemade toys. As I meditated on this collection, particularly on that cropped sweater with long arms and (for some odd reason) on the sheer shirts, I flashed on Christopher Robin, the hero of A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books. Suddenly, the little red patent leather shoes make complete sense. Sorry Tim, they are not dancehall honky-tonk: they are the type of shoe a little English school boy would have worn many, many years ago. And here I seem to have cracked the collection: this is A.A. Milne's real life son, Christopher Robin Milne who, according to Milne's own autobiography THE ENCHANTED PLACES, had quite a talent for working with his hands. He owned a small tool kit, which he used to disassemble the lock on his nursery door when he was seven years old. This accounts for the little improvised tool kit carried by the models!

Even Anderson looked like a lonely little boy as he came out for his bow...as if Christopher Robin grew up to be a designer.

And this is the actual Christopher Robin Milne with Pooh...in little buckled shoes of what certainly was oxblood red leather.

Watch the video of the complete show here, which, as Tim Blanks noted, begins with a voice over saying, "He took himself seriously..." and continues with a fascinating soundtrack of Madonna, and emotionally resonant piano and electronic music.

http://j-w-anderson.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--J.W. Anderson

Wow: a minimal yet ornate FW '15-'16 collection by J.W. Anderson for London Collections: Men. Statement buttons--little works of art in and of themselves--adorned otherwise sleek, simple-lined garments. Buttons aside though, there is something about the silhouette and strong lines, and the mod-retro-future-vibe (check out the enlarged lapels, the splayed butterfly collars, and pieces in what rightfully should be velour but are actually mohair) in this collection that emphatically recalls Pierre Cardin in the late 70s and early 80s. Shirts feature French cuffs without a button hole for a cuff link so that they flop around... and a wonderful and inventive touch is the addition of the same French cuff but at the hem of the trousers! Lovely. There were also some really beautiful, substantial scarves that could double as blankets with a fringe that looks like it could be hair or fur. Throw in a purple leather jacket and you have a fantastically evocative collection.

Please do click on the photos for a better view of these stunning buttons which could be creations by Lalique.

http://j-w-anderson.com/