JW Anderson Fall Winter 2023-2024 “Willy Nova” London Fashion Week. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: JW Anderson.

Every designer tells his own story when creates the collection. There are many stories and worlds out there. 

Jonathan Anderson is a Northern Irish fashion designer and the founder of JW Anderson. Anderson is known for his eponymous label and having served as the creative director of Spanish luxury house LOEWE. In 2015 he won Best Woman Label and Best Man Label Awards at the British Fashion Council ceremony. 

But it took him 7 years to get to the hearts of the public and became somewhat known to the fashion lovers by his Cap Bags and huge chains on the slippers and shoes. Many critics and the public appreciated his funny looks and designs. Too much for a good thing.

Today Jonathan Anderson presented his new collection filled with all kinds of Willies. And I don’t mean funny cartoon man. I mean… How shall I put it… as Mrs Doubtfire once said: “Sink the sub… Hide the weasel… Park the porpoise… A Bit of the old Humpty Dumpty, Little Jack Horny, the Horizontal Mambo… The Bone Dancer, Rumpleforeskin, Baloney Bop, a Bit of the cunning linguistics…” That kind of Willy. 

So let’s see who are the takers… Who would want to wear a t-shirt with a huge Willy on it, or Willy Bag? And of course with Michael Clark Dance Company. Is it Michael Clark Willy?

When I was at school and some boys drew a huge Willy with chalk on the school walls they got detention for defacing public property and inappropriate content. I don’t think that would be different this time. 

There’s nothing intellectual or creative in that. It’s just another dick on the wall, as part of… “who has the biggest of them all” type of story. And it’s pathetic. 

What? Your teacher punished you hard when you were a little boy? So now when you grew up you put a huge poster on a theater wall? Is that it? A vengeance or psychosis? You have doctors for this kind of things…

It takes years to go way up, and it takes only a few days to make the same way down. “Willy Nova” collection presented today by Jonathan Anderson at London Fashion Week would be the last thing to remember him by. 

See all looks JW Anderson Fall Winter 2023-2024