JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2017 Ready-To-Wear collection
"I liked the idea of a woman wearing something masculine," said Jonathan Anderson backstage after what was one of his most beautiful collections to date. For a dress-centric collection, though, you had to look quite closely for those masculine nods.
They came in the shape of Henry VIII ribboned medieval sleeves and also in the decoration of some of those jackets, the quilting on denim jackets for example, an idea that was sparked by the construction of jackets from that Tudor period. "There was lots of double facing that comes from that era, it was a time when the inside of jackets was just as amazing as the outside."
His silhouette was ultra feminine, bodices on midi-length Irish linen dresses were often boned, while sleeves were cut on a curve, gently cocooning. "I like this idea of exaggeration, something that felt a little surrealistic, this was about not being afraid to push parts of the body." He toyed with body shape further with clever skirt silhouettes, which were cut straight and then curved into an S, leaving panels to spiral. Materials were raw and honest, "organic, calm and tranquil" was how he described it, even though some anarchy popped up via abstract block prints in shocking pink. Other dresses looked crafted from linen placemats, literally arranged around the body for angular hemlines.
This collection was one of his most commercial to date. Any one of those dresses look ready to slot into a woman's wardrobe, from ruched and body-skimming silk styles in degradé pink and blue, to a hessian-coloured sundress trimmed in black, or a version in red and green tie-dye. He also added to his successful bag line - a studded bucket shape with a rope handle is the one to covet now, before or after you decide on one - or several - of those summer dresses.
By Sarah Harris
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