JW Anderson Taps Into Our Childhood Nostalgia for Its New Men's and Women's Collections
A celebration of all things youthful and free.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jonathan Anderson reconceptualized the physical presentation of his eponymous label’s collections. Continuing this theme, the designer has unveiled his men’s Spring/Summer 2022 and women’s Resort 2022 ranges with a campaign shot by Juergen Teller.
For their third season working together, Anderson and Teller presented the hedonistic collections in a photo box, filled with 33 printed photographs arriving in various sizes and packaged with cardboard photo frames, emblematic of our school picture days. The campaign’s location – typical British house – serves to celebrate the collections’ essence, the idea of dressing as an act of self-expression, whether that be in public or in the privacy of your bedroom. Speaking on the campaign, Jonathan said, “I liked this idea of creating something which felt a bit like going back to school. When I was younger, we used to get our pictures taken at school and you’d get these packs of photos and frames. I liked that concept of each of the photos being able to stand on their own. You could even put it on your mantelpiece.”
The women’s Resort 2022 collection is fronted by a youthful party girl protagonist, exuding a sense of fierceness and self-celebration. Pieces see a direct yet distorted use of color, such as vibrant yellows, blues and pinks, as well as a series of stripe, daisy and swirl motifs translated onto tailored cropped blazers, playful dresses, blousons, bermudas and slacks.
The men’s SS22 release arrives in a range of vibrant shades, from magenta and green, to poppy red and electric blue. Meanwhile, a large strawberry print adorns some of the selections. The protagonist is a “lad,” who is said to be caught in a moment of sexual awakening and palpable ambiguity. His dressing options are masculine but adolescent in nature, and include crewnecks, running shorts and hoodies, alongside a zip-up tracksuit and a nautical blouson. Most notable is the exaggerated pillow dress, emblematic of the 2020 social media trend where it became normal to switch your clothing for bedding.
As for accessories and footwear, we see brightly-hued plimsolls and slides accentuated by an oversized strawberry detailing, as well as the brand’s signature chain loafers and recently-launched sneakers. Finally, the collection is rounded off by a pair of sunglasses from an upcoming JW Anderson x Persol collaboration.
Take a look at the campaign in the gallery above, and check out the video below to hear Jonathan Anderson talk about the collection.
