The theory of opposites according to JW Anderson

The press releases accompanying JW Anderson's presentations often recall the poems of Gianni Rodari. Light-heartedly, simple yet effective phrases translate into words a collection rich in metaphors and hidden meanings. For FW24, the designer brought the theory of opposites to London Fashion Week - «to have one thing, one must recognise the other» - but this time also found inspiration in the pop and nostalgic world of his childhood, borrowing some stylistic codes from the series Last of the Summer Wine. Although it is a rather niche reference, reserved for those who have been able to experience British television between the 1980s and the early 2000s, the femininity of the collection was communicated in a direct and unequivocal manner. There were playful proportions, plastic distortions, soft pairings, "old" knitwear, and gray granny wigs: unusualness, a constant in JW Anderson's designs, became a bit more romantic this February.

Elements linked to the daily life of the English countryside were scattered throughout the looks of the new collection, affirming the exceptional protagonism of "Englishness" in Jonathan Anderson's work. Skirts formed by colourful rosettes recalled the world of equestrianism, slipper boots echoed the footwear modernized by the grandmother in the previous SS24, while plunging necklines, ruching, and tassels enriched the garments with an unexpected sensuality. If the first looks left the audience open-mouthed for their construction and odd coloring, with A-line dresses created from long braids in yellow and grey knit, the finale enchanted the audience with transparencies, fluidity, and sorbet shades. What makes JW Anderson's collections a spectacle is the consistency with which the designer combines the most irrational form of creativity with the need for marketability in fashion. Just as last year he managed to translate his love for nostalgic accessories into it-item shoes, with the Frog Mules in collaboration with Wellipets, in the current calendar, Anderson intercepts a discourse that unites the passions of young fashion enthusiasts and his love for English pop culture. It's not exactly clear how or why the fashion industry should be interested in a British sitcom from the '90s, but somehow the sangallo lingerie, the chenille jumpsuits, and the short trench coats embody the imagery of JW Anderson's customer generation. And all the credit goes to nostalgia, to the way it has made even what could never be cool. Like a pair of fuzzy slippers.

With what the brand describes as «Subtle hints of novelty revealed with delicacy,» JW Anderson's new FW24 brought to the runway a patchwork of different measures, a series of future trends that happily reconcile the seemingly unusual relationship between avant-garde and retro. It's not the space-age aesthetic that made fashion quake in the 1960s, nor is it the Matrix world of the 1990s: Anderson has produced a dimension all his own, bounded between a thick wool striped polo and a confetti pink tunic that reveals the model's nipples. In a spectrum of emotions that explores the humor of a men's jacket with anomalous dimensions as well as the practicality of a pair of blue cotton shorts, each item in JW Anderson's FW24 has a specific purpose in the brand's future. Everything except the granny wig. Maybe.