ORGANIC and wearable were words that came to mind when linen and natural fibres featured in JW Anderson’s LFW AW18 collection. Pleated chiffon, woven accessories, bunched collars, fun colourful paisley, and pom poms all appeared on the runway. From heavy knit to neon trainers with furry laces, the collection was making a bold and complex statement. With Anderson’s own art collection and Martin Belou’s sprouting fungi tubes as centrepiece installations dotted across the catwalk, the relationship between art and the natural world was considered.
The colour palette was predominantly neutral bar a few items that were so colourful they almost seemed to be from a different show entirely. Despite this, the playful factor of the bright colours did still feature in the neutral looks but in a subtler way. Some knitted jumpers were made with 3-D details like the tie protruding from a shirt drawing and the pom-pom bunny.
To add to this humorous aesthetic, doughnut rings hung from cargo trousers and numerous purses were sewn onto belts. The sequin ankle length dress that created an almost lollipop-stick colour-variation was intricately crafted and a definite stand out piece, especially considering sequins did not feature anywhere else in the collection. Another runway hit was the structured bags with a white knit embroidery on the side.
Combining his male and female looks into one show was a new venture for Anderson but a venture that was worth it. Unlike previous shows, Anderson chose to focus on the male and the female rather than unisex which allowed Anderon to consider the different tribes under one umbrella. The dropped waists became a theme of the collection. Anderson raised an interesting point, how far can each gender swing into one another’s arena without upsetting consumerism in 2018?
by Lily Rimmer
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