Jonathan Anderson changed the fashion stage when he took the stage wearing Ireland’s secret Canterbury shirt for the Rugby World Cup in France in September. This was a sweetly personal nod to the closeness of his home life, as his dad, Willie Anderson, was the captain of the Irish Rugby Union team. Anderson’s collection was based on his own culture but also spoke to a wider audience. He used Cornishware, a style of ceramics that was once popular all over the British Isles, to decorate the set and the backstage area. The blue and white stripes were blown up to a huge size.

Rugby shirts, which were an important part of Anderson’s childhood, had Bar-jacket-style hips and were made of knit or stiff jersey. Fine-knit sweatshirts came with V-notches that were way too big and had to be cut out. Anderson also used knits to create looks with fronts that looked like balls of yarn. Mopheads were the inspiration for looks 27, 28, and 45. The only things that weren’t knit were the clogs, the mock-croc shirts and shorts in pastel colors from Miami, the cropped collarless shirts, the asymmetric folded-hem pinstripe dresses, the mid-length leather overcoats with tabard fronts, and one longer leather trench with a cracked worn finish.

Anderson’s main goal is to change the way we see things through design. He wants to turn the boring into the bold, the normal into the strange, and the extra into the everyday. His collection tonight was a perfect example of this, as he used his own culture and experiences to create something that spoke to a wider audience.
JW Anderson is an award-winning British fashion designer, businessman, and creative director, heralded for his bold, innovative, and experimental approach to fashion designs.

Born Jonathan Anderson, the pioneering clothing designer and entrepreneur established JW Anderson in 2008. From his humble beginnings in London as a retail menswear shop, Anderson has established his label as renowned for its high-end womenswear and avant-garde, gender-fluid menswear. He has achieved mainstream success due in part to his creative, often unexpected, play on proportions and gender fluidity.

In addition to menswear and womenswear collections, the designer has launched several iconic accessories collections, including leather bags, belts, scarves, and jewellery. His mood-driven designs spotlight the intertwining of prints, textures, and styles seen in his collections.

In addition to receiving multiple awards, including the British Fashion Council’s prestigious Menswear Designer of the Year honor in 2019, the iconic designer is highly sought-after by celebrities for his signature looks and appearances at leading fashion shows, including London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.

Twice elected to the British Fashion Council, JW Anderson strives to produce inclusive and sustainable fashion lines. He is a long-time vocal advocate for the ethical treatment of animals, his designs featuring a variety of eco-friendly materials, including hemp, recycled nylon, bamboo, and organic cotton. He is also a champion for diversity, taking a fair and equal stance with models, casting, and LGBTQIA+ rights.

As JW Anderson continues to revolutionise the fashion industry, he continues to inspire emerging fashion designers and fashion enthusiasts alike.