Between farm core, erotic stamps and leather, in Milan, JW Anderson Menswear collection leaves us with footwear thanks to the Wellipets collaboration
The kink in having fun – JW Anderson Menswear Fall 23 collection
JW Anderson’s show in Milan is a hybrid. With subtly inserted pieces from the womenswear pre-fall 2023 line, the Northern Irish designer presented the Menswear Fall/Winter 23/24 collection. A camouflage of sorts, there’s more hidden when it’s out in the open.
The show opened with models parading in knitted undies accessorized with fabric rolls. Production extravaganza as opposed to controlled creation is subject to sustainable prioritization in fashion. The work of JW Anderson gracefully erases any expectations of sumptuosity and tones down the prejudices about dressing up. «It’s a very raw state of mind. That’s what I wanted for this collection. The sweater is the sweater, the trouser is the trouser, the jacket is the jacket».
A mixture of nostalgic prints and unexpected textures
An English accent is evident in the designer’s strong figures and unrestrained tailoring, regardless of the overall Italian atmosphere. Leather is ever-present, overshadowing the first ruffle shorts trademarked at the beginning of Anderson’s career. Jackets with low cuts allow the skin to take center stage. Altogether there’s a playful yet powerful vibe, parallel to the inspiration drawn from Vivien Westwood.
«I liked the idea of looking at subversion. Especially in London, especially in the ’70s and ’80s, and looking at great masters like [Vivienne] Westwood. I think we shouldn’t be scared of subversion. I think it’s more about not shaming, it’s ownership».
Acknowledging the cultural scene that has strongly marked the inception of subcultures in England and Europe, the designer embraces a mixture of nostalgic prints and unexpected textures. «I think of fun. As we reduce — because I think we’re heading into a season of reduction — and strip back, I also think that if we still don’t have humor I think it’s hard».
On fashion agism and bringing British footwear to Milan
Think of The Princess and the Frog, but the prince is a brand new pair of Wellipets rubber slippers. JW Anderson knows how to make a fashion moment viral, and with the Wellipets collaboration, he digs deep into childhood memories. JW Anderson is ultimately about innovating footwear. His work with Loewe already brought dadaistic references to the fore, evoking an aesthetic of randomness through objects or animals. «It’s about connecting to something. That’s what JW Anderson is; our accessories are about a cultural reference».
The rainwear house was founded in 1983 and has since dressed, among others, Prince Harry, quickly becoming an anthem of a childlike careless aesthetic. It dwells on being a constant reminder of a foreseen bond with nature’s vocabulary. At the same time casual and straightforward, the frog mules are worth their while if they can pinch out a smile. «Something about them reminds me of my childhood, they were such a thing to have. They were the ‘trainer’ as a child. It is the only surrealist moment in the collection which, ultimately, is like a cassette player. It’s an icon of design, it’s in the design museum and in every institution, and I think it symbolizes something. They were worn in better days with our Royal Family».
JW Anderson: Rabbit and frogs
Even while not strictly about it, the show alludes to upcoming debates on agism and dressing for your number. JW Anderson’s many childhood references stir nostalgia, but mostly they question the norms and codes of adult clothing. Rabbit drawings and frogs become relevant motifs for fluidity, blending masculinity with a more innocent allure. While used to hacking gender rigor, there is something about the rules of status that condemns borrowing cheeky mixtures. There’s something about taking yourself too seriously that JW Anderson fully disregards with this Fall/Winter collection.
Masculinity sweeteners and comfort clothing
The collection acts as a softener to well-preserved masculine dress standards. Then there’s the question of nudity. Are we only dressed when we cover the parts that sometimes justify modesty, or will it become our choice to be fully covered in garments? These are all questions and debates that can be withdrawn from JW Anderson’s show.
JW Anderson’s minimal craft
With minimal craft and little room to ponder over outfit details, the 23/24 menswear Fall-Winter collection is a conceptual expression of the state of fashion. However, it is not only about gender norms, it’s about purchasing behaviors and season-divided collections.
The Irish designer delivers shorts, mini gowns, rusty trenches, and underwear instead of heavy blazers and layered outfits. His work is a response to our persuasive attempts at change. If you come to think about it, lifestyle fell into a modern maze of human manipulation of weather conditions. In winter, we escape to sunny islands, while during summer’s hot storms, almost anyone can hide on the highest mountain peak.
The Fall/Winter line makes room for evolving into a more tonic styling. Falling in love with short pants while thermostats call for the lowest temperatures makes more sense when designers purposely deliver freedom of choice.
«It’s working with tensions; this idea that the bag becomes the shoe, the shoe becomes the bag». A bit chaotic, a bit uncertain, with JW Anderson you rarely know what you’re looking at. He embraces the idea of comfort clothing, something that isn’t meant to better your wardrobe or skyrocket your likes but is surely something that can warm your heart.
Tomato stains in JW Anderson’s show
How to dress when you want to eat pasta in bed? Tomato stains on the skin, on the sheets, tomatoes everywhere – all white looks like the right answer. How do you dress when you want to elope to the countryside?
While pulling off the barn core, yellow fluffy cardigans and ducky rain boots can ironically steal the show. The city’s mundane context turns boring when the clothing of today is meant for expression. Tromp d’oleil erotic hints to vintage men’s builder physics came printed on T-shirts leaving room for the wearer’s face. Embrace a kink or fantasize about the dream body, it’s all the same.
«There’s an idea of three colors working together — the blue, the yellow, and the brown — there’s something about color therapy». With blues and mauve hues, bright yellows, and creamy whites, the designer coordinates a comic book palette, synchronizing varnished textures with fluffy oversized knitwear.
How long until our clothing will wear a chip or a SIM?
«Working in fashion we get so scared. I think it should be about a constructive dialogue — I love menswear and I can’t do what I do without working with a menswear wardrobe because I feel like it helps me contradict myself».
As the show invite arrived as an oversized sim card, JW Anderson’s attachment to technology is even more prominent. He takes advantage of his shows to discuss culture and relationships, raising questions about ownership and hybridization. If nature steals the show in this collection, a SIM card becomes a nipple cover, frequently attached to necklines.
The relevance of artifices comes from their slow metamorphosis into concrete objects. How long until our clothing will wear a chip, or even our bodies incorporate a SIM? Fashion puts the future there until it becomes the past, and with the rapid rhythms of an ever-changing zeitgeist, we’re only closer to one or the other.
JW Anderson FW23
Jonathan Anderson returns to show at Milan Fashion week with his FW23 and Women’s Pre-Fall 2023 collections. The Irish designer focused his fashion show on reducing, compressing, condensing, arriving at the primal and minimalist.
