Wonderland.

LONDON COLLECTIONS: JW ANDERSON SS14

Precise, meticulous and mainly monochrome. The buzzwords for this – and most – JW Anderson shows.

JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2014

Bleary eyed and clad in sunglasses, we sensed just a few hangovers as we took our seats at the hotly-anticipated 9am JW Anderson show this morning. After last season’s gender-bending skorts it was always going to take something special to surprise and delight the crowds. But something special we were granted, by way of printed, lacy halterneck tops in red, yellow and blue: Anderson was ‘glorifying the awkward self,’ as he explained so perfectly in his show notes. We agree that’s all well and good, and actually sort of lovely, but I’m not too sure all awkward selves so readily sport crop tops…

The basis of the show was post-apocalyptic leather and cut-up knitwear, and what’s a JW show without a distressed knit or three? He experimented with varying dimensions and shapes for spring/summer, debuting each look with black wide-legged trousers. There were plenty of interesting details on the outfits, too. Oversized pockets, panelling and giant dots on the tops meant there was always plenty to look at besides black trousers. Another lesson from the beating heart of the new young London generation of menswear designers. Jonathan knows how to make us reach for our wallets.

JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2014 JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2014

JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2014 JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2014

JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2014 JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2014

MORE LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN COVERAGE
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Backstage at Astrid Andersen
Backstage at MAN: Bobby Abley, Alan Taylor and Craig Green
Backstage at Lee Roach
Backstage at Richard Nicoll
Lou Dalton collection review
Backstage at Agi & Sam

Words: Sophie Haslett (Follow Sophie on Twitter @SophieHaslettXX)