J.W. Anderson Spring 2014 Runway Review

The J.W. Anderson woman is a kind of understated tomboy with a London-cool edge. And the designer is always employing a hodgepodge of influences and looks—from sharp menswear-inspired tailoring to killer prints—to define his signature, which is mostly to say it’s all over the place, in a good way. Anderson has a way of making any old silhouette his own with a few cool and unexpected flourishes.

Though Anderson’s never been a straightforward designer, spring saw him moving in an even more conceptual direction—many of the pieces weren’t super realistic; consider the two-piece outfit comprised of a ruched, transparent baby-dress-like tunic and a matching bodycon maxi skirt. The aforementioned outfit was rendered in three colorways (white, black, blue-gray) but Anderson didn’t stop there with the sheer tops: boxy crops resembling breastplates, another with cascading bows in contrasting fabric. There were also belt-knot-esque tops that left just enough to the imagination and coordinating outfits of string arranged to mimic a jellyfish.

Don’t think this show was all about concepts, though, as there were some pieces that should have wider appeal: neat pieced-leather top/skirt combos were realistic but with a touch of Anderson cool, so they looked like wearable collage; a sheet-like structured tank that billowed at the waist was just weird enough to be interesting without going completely off the deep end, and was paired with a trio of just-plain-pretty midi print skirts.

Overall a fairly “weird” collection, but one that should please the progressive Anderson demographic: the gutsy woman willing to try out new, rather out-there things.