Everything you want to know (and have) about JW Anderson and his Uniqlo collection
When you say JW Anderson, you say the Pierced bag, a beauty of a logo and of course the love for Loewe. It is mainly the wishlist where JW Anderson is on many fashion people's lists. But guess what? That is going to change starting today thanks to a dream collaboration with one of our favorite brands: Uniqlo. Starting today (so now now now both online) and in the Uniqlo store on Kalverstraat is shoppable) for the very first time in the Netherlands, you can score the new collection of Uniqlo X JW Anderson. I admired the collection last week during Paris Fashion Week (LOVE!!) and interviewed none other than JW Anderson himself about everything and more:
Why are JW Anderson and Uniqlo such a good match?
‘First of all, because I am a huge Uniqlo shopper. I regularly wear white boxers, socks, T-shirts, and cashmere knitwear from yes: Uniqlo. These are pieces of clothing that I wear on a daily basis, which is why I immediately knew I wanted to embrace the collaboration with both hands with the main goal: reunderstanding of clothing.’
What is the story behind the collection?
‘My biggest source of inspiration are the fashion classics. This is because I grew up with them and because I think that the combination of British culture, Japanese art, and Uniqlo’s LifeWear philosophy has become a unique combination in this collection.’
Between the classic stripes and checks, it is the Paisley print that stands out. Why?
‘The Paisley print serves as a guide in my work: with everything I have done in the past design years, it is the Paisley print that I have always had a special bond with. The Paisley patterns of the JW Anderson catwalk collection have been adapted for this collaboration. My love for the Paisley print originated from my grandfather: he was a print designer where the Paisley print was always a big challenge to design because the repetition of this print can be very tricky.’
A large part of your collection is unisex, yet you have a number of items that are not unisex. Why is that?
‘Unisex has always intrigued me. My father used to be a rugby player with a gigantic sports collection. Not only my father, but also my grandmother wore his rugby T-shirts. Not because she necessarily liked them, but mainly because they were functional. Pretty cool, right? Although I believe in the unisex concept, I find the word unisex too trend-sensitive and still do not believe in a store or collection that breathes all the way unisex. I am definitely a fan of gender-neutral items, but I believe it is not up to me to decide this for the consumer.’
Can you tell us a bit more about the materials used in the collection?
‘The cool thing about Uniqlo is the investment in the development of materials. ‘For example, Uniqlo introduced a collaboration with a manufacturer of high-tech materials’, which is super revolutionary. When you are asked as a designer to enter into a collaboration, the first thing you want to do is use things that you normally cannot use, and that is absolutely the case with my Uniqlo collaboration.’
Do you have a favorite from the collection?
‘When I think of Great Britain, I think of a lot of rain, so a fabric that is water-repellent is a must. In combination with the reversible designs, it is the raincoats and trench coats that are my favorite items from the collection.’
Have you always had a love for designer pieces, and if so, when and what was the first item you bought?
‘Believe it or not, but I only scored a designer piece once in my hometown. It was a pair of pants from Tom Ford that, despite the designer price tag, had a terrible fit. The only store that came close to a shopping paradise was the TC Max store, where branded clothing with a production flaw or awful color combination was sold haha. For a serious designer shopping street, I had to travel to Dublin, where, once I arrived in a casual look, I was approached with difficulty as a serious shopper.’
This week not only marks the launch of your Uniqlo collection, but also the show of Loewe and JW Anderson during Fashion Week. How do you keep track during a hectic time?
‘I actually just really enjoy it. If I am not working, it doesn’t feel right, I work with different teams on different projects, which means I will never mix up my work. I know very well what I want, but without my amazing teams, I could never realize it. Postmodern is an abstract period, you have to keep going and do what feels right for you, where it is important to believe in your own vision and never let yourself be influenced from the outside.’
