With another whimsical collection under his own name, the most-adored British designer proved—again—that ideas for men’s clothing need not come from the good ’ol reference point, work wear

JW Anderson is not your usual menswear designer in re-defining mode. He has done all the the reconsidering of what men’s clothes could be that aren’t tethered to the standard offering of shirts and trousers (except, of course, the collaboration with Uniqlo). It still is about how far you can go with a given category of clothing, even if Mr Anderson has not been restricted by them. Among the many ideas he has mooted in the past and executed so deftly, quite a few are from everyday household items. We have seen him reached the home office (keyboard keys), as well as gone into the kitchen (sink strainer), and now it seems he is looking at yet another household item—a cleaning aid, or, specifically, a microfibre, chenille ‘noodle’ dust mop!

It could be because we were watching the show on our smartphone, but that was what we really saw in those shaggy T-shirts (and that colour—the pink—really looked like those from Scotch Brite, minus the telescopic arm!). And not just that. A knitted V-neck vest, as well as a duo of pullovers, seemed like they were made of the same fabric as a highly-absorbent bathroom mat. Underfoot home accessory became on-body fashion wear. Another T-shirt (with one sleeve longer than the other) and matching trousers, both also in knit, could have been once a tea cloth or even hand towel. Has Mr Anderson been enjoying domestic bliss?

But they were manlier references. Rugby, to be exact. Rugby shirts made a strong appearance, but they were not anything akin to what you last wore, playing for your school team. In the hands of Mr Anderson, while the shirts might look familiar, they were tweaked sufficiently to render them a sight on the right field. They were stiffen, to start with, and shaped at the hips in a manner that would do the house of Dior proud! Similar treatment went to the after-game hoodie. There were rather many of these field-to-street staples. Jumpers and their kin were cut out in the middle of the chest, leaving behind the crew neck and a generous open V-front for showing off the results of hours at the gym. Or, for ventilating the body because the day was really hot.

Although a menswear show, Mr Anderson sent out a few items for women (these would probably be purchased by the guys anyway). The tops with small balls of yarn that suggested leftovers from grandma’s knitting were amusing, but, as we lament about the weather, would be curious additions to the wardrobe as the globe warms up. There were also those tops (and dresses) with bodices that appeared to be moulded (or stuffed?) with two parallel wrist rests. More practical (these days, that means different things to different people), perhaps, were those long tank tops with asymmetric hems and a side cut-out on the skirt half that suggested that the garment could be folded and carried about—hence the handle. There was no doubt fun was the operative word in the JW Anderson design studio. What will they look at next?

Screen shot: JW Anderson/YouTube, Photos: gorunway.com