POSED in a gaming arcade, a guide to other realities that make you question what is real or fake, becomes the perfect home for JW Anderson’s spring/summer 2023 womenswear collection. This alternative vision encourages viewers to dive headfirst into the house’s world, filled with eccentric colours, unimaginable silhouettes, and cool gamer-chic aesthetics.
Inspired by a parallel universe where people are trapped in their computers, the collection seamlessly blends the idea of keyboards and screensavers into fashion, whilst exploring out of this world dimensions. Despite the sway towards turning our heads to technology, a strong desire to bring nature to our attention through a filtered digital lense is apparent – like the altered image of a sunset is blown up on a full length, skin-tight dress.
JW Anderson has created a platform where technology, metaphorically, becomes degraded as it shimmers and shines. Objects are trapped within the clothing, just as we are within our phones, and screensavers are casted over the body like we cast our images out to the world.
A strong sense of realism is sent out, each piece delivers a blunt statement of ‘what even is real today?’
Stars of the show include exaggerated, crumpled t-shirts that carry eye-catching washing tags; camisoles so big that one bra cup engulfs the whole top; silhouettes that mislead the viewer as waistlines migrate to the neckline; and giant keyboard keys that become decoration, almost as if to remind us of the ease of typing instead of speaking these days.
Balloon shaped dresses cascade down the room, like a plastic bag with a red fish trapped inside, or a sculpted mirror that captures every angle of a crowd.
The idea of leisure is key in the collection as we see a hammock that becomes a dress and jumpers/t-shirts that cascade upon hangers. There is a focus on the shoulder of the items, as if they’ve been hollowed out from the inside, and quite impeccable tailoring can be spotted throughout.
The enthusiastic silhouettes attract attention and ‘likes’, which helps portray the house’s most important message, “Size matters, for real.”
This arcade is not just for the gamers.
by Alicia Tomkinson