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Designer British Fashion for Men and Women

by Jonathan William Anderson

View JW Anderson Fashion collections on London Fashion Review Blog

A Brief History of fashion designer J.W. Anderson

Born in Ireland in 1984, Jonathan William Anderson has achieved much more than most designers of his age. With the original goal of becoming an actor, Anderson moved to Washington DC to study drama at The Actors’ Studio. It was here that he fell in love with stage costumes and as a result, moved back to London to become a stylist – most notably for artist Rufus Wainwright. Whilst working as a stylist, he took his degree in menswearat the London College of Fashion and launched his first collection at London Fashion week in 2007 whilst still a student (Anderson graduated the following year). The brand produces quality womenswear, menswear and accessories stocked (as at March 2011) in the prestigious London outfits of Harrods, Liberty and Browns, and international outfits, Opening Ceremony (US), Colette (France), 10 Corso Como (international), Isetan (Singapore) as well as many online stores.

 

The Inspiration Behind the J.W. Anderson Fashion Collections

The J.W. Anderson man is a man who is:

“…a chameleon, a researcher and open to change. He’s kind of a loner. But overall he is obsessed with taste.” – J.W. Anderson

J.W. Anderson takes influence from a diverse range of inspirations. A love of mystical characters from history and literature, combines with influence from sinister phenomena to create an intense and dramatic aesthetic. There is a story behind each seasonal offering, allowing the garments to gel-together to create a coherent collection.

• Spring/Summer 2009: ‘An Eye for an Eye’. Mythical characters and iconic religious representations were the key influences behind what Anderson describes as his breakthrough collection.
• Autumn/Winter 2009: ‘A Brave New World’. Anderson took influences from early Twentieth century England, and the aristocracy’s (of that time) fascination with exploration. The collection consisted of traditional formal dress with a twist to create new and interesting silhouettes. The jewellery of the collection had hints of a tribal element.
• Spring/Summer 2010: J.W. Anderson continues his fixation with dramatic themes and characters with his 2010 Spring collection. His inspiration for this collection was English romantic painter Joseph Mallord William Turner. Vibrant blues and statement jewellery combine with his trademark billowing silhouette, finished off with customised leather sandals and shoes. The collection had a modern sportswear feel to it with 90’s grunge elements mixed in to create a truly eclectic collection.
• Autumn/Winter 2010: ‘Saints or Assassins’. The Autumn/Winter season of 2010, saw J.W. Anderson branch into womenswear. The launch of the womenswear line saw the emergence of a theme that would be present in all of the J.W. Anderson collections to follow: Clothes that can be shared between woman and man (unisex or ‘gender-neutral’ fashion). Romantic influences meet the 1980’s punk, with a mixture of ripped denim, tartan, colourful prints and bondage-style collars. The use of florals added a soft edge to the ‘brutal’ clothing.
• Spring/Summer 2011: ‘The Devoured and I’. Inspired by the photography of William Gedney, the collection follows the journey of two people as they experiment and get lost in self discovery. The collection is a psychedelic mismatch of clashing fabrics, patchwork and dip dye on a slim fitting silhouette. The pieces throughout are embellished with Swarovski crystals, unifying the collection.
• Autumn/Winter 2011: ‘The Fear of Naturalism’. The collection played with ideas of age and gender, continuing with the idea of ‘girl-boy’ and ‘boy-girl’ dressing. The ideas of geometry and architecture featured heavily within the collection. Styles of the past and present were mixed in the traditional paisley fabrics, paired with modern tailoring and silhouettes  The introduction of Swarovski Elements brings a femininity and sophistication mixed with a multitude of textures and colours.

The British Fashion Council Supports J.W. Anderson

In February 2010, Anderson was awarded the prestigious NEWGEN award by the British Fashion Council for the third time, to showcase his menswear collection on the official London Fashion Week schedule showing under MAN with other up and coming designers including James Long. NEWGEN MEN began in February 2009, building on Topman and Fashion East’s successful MAN initiative. It has since become extremely beneficial in raising the profile of emerging British designers using Menswear Day at London Fashion Week. As well as sponsorship, the program offers winners business support and advice, to help build relationships with press and buyers. Anderson currently collaborates with Topman on their Lens Collection.

Additionally, Anderson is supported by another initiative of the British Fashion Council (with the Centre for Fashion Enterprise), the London Show Rooms. It aims to promote it’s designers on a broader scale, mainly in Paris and New York, to help their businesses grow on an international level. Along with 20 other up and coming British designers, in March 2011, Anderson displayed his collection in New York’s Soho Grand Hotel for the New York Press and retailers. The most famous recent benifactor from this program is Erdem Moralioglu, designer of his own Erdem label, whose celebrity following include Keira Knightly.

 

The Future of J.W. Anderson

In 2010, J.W. Anderson was picked up to be stocked in 30 further stores, suggesting that further expansion of the brand is on the cards. Also in 2010, Oki-ni.com, his chief menswear stockist sold 30,000 of his pieces in just 10 minutes, selling out the collection and tripling the profits of the previous year. This was achieved by working in collaboration with Dazed Digital, to stream the MAN show live and sell the collection straight from the runway- it sold out.

In an effort to maximise the profile of his brand, Anderson uses a range of traditional andmodern media, including film and social media initiatives. Anderson is said to be working on a marketing strategy aimed at projecting an image (or campaign) in every major building in every country in the world. He will certainly have his work cut out for him if he is to achieve this goal! Regardless, expect great things from J W Anderson for years to come.

To take a full look at the recent collections of J.W. Anderson, visit the official J.W. Anderson website

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