Five minutes with JW Anderson
1. What was the inspiration behind the collection? Most definitely the British Aestheticism movement. And also Oscar Wilde, and his view on beauty as a form of genius was something that I really feel resonates within this capsule.
2. Who is the JW Anderson woman?I like to think that JW Anderson can talk to all women, no matter their age or heritage, or profession. I wanted this collection to feel modern and feminine but not at all restrictive, hence the focus on fluid silhouettes and fabrics .3. How has your label evolved since your debut collection in 2008? I first started as a ready-to-wear designer and now our brand is so much more well-rounded with a strong focus on accessories.
4. In the past 10 years what have you learnt about a. the industry andb.y ourself asa designer? Fashion is an industry in constant flux, it’s also facing more scrutiny than ever before. In the last years the industry has turned upside down. The way in which we consume media has changed. We will look back on this time and see it as a juncture with the turning point being the delivery of information directly to the consumer from the brand or the product .
5. How do you combine your passion for art into your designs? We should surround ourselves with things that make us happy. I think what Jim Ede did at Kettle’s Yard, his former home in Cambridge, is one of the most amazing contemporary examples of how we can live with objects. It changed my aesthetic and my viewpoint – especially the way Ede had displayed his art and possessions, balancing the preciousness of a stone to the preciousness of a Brancusi to a piece of textile fabric.
6. Social media: what do you love/hate about it?We are so dependent on digital media that we need to counteract that with something more human. We live in an Instagram society, it’s easy to like something, but to really engage you have to go and see it and spend time with something and understand it. You have to emotionally engage with it, not just flick through it on your phone. I’m finding it more and more important to learn the craft and to take my time.
7.Howhas the fashion industry evolved since you started out? The world is going faster and so is our industry! When you start off as a designer you want to be the best creative director, you want to make the best shows. But then you want the best shows and the best press from it, so then you want more editorial but you don’t care about the sales. Then you start to add the show and the press and the sales and being able to manage it all. So, your pressure is fundamentally managed by yourself. The key today is to be an entrepreneurial creator.
8. The fashion industry is the second most harmful to the environment, as a brand what are you doing to mini mis et his? LVMH has a minority stake in my company. The group has conducted environmental audits at most of its houses since 2002, enabling precise measurements of the contribution of logistics to its greenhouse gas emissions. I hate it when people use sustainability as a marketing tool. I try to work it into objects so that they become timeless, or on the idea that they will be re-discovered in a second-hand shop and someone will buy them again .
9. What advice would you give to young designer son the importance of self-expression in their work? The best advice that I ever received was from Manuela Pavesi – she told me to never compromise.
10. Why did you choose Net-a-Porter to launch this exclusive capsule collection? This collection is actually our second capsule for Net-a-Porter–we first did a small capsule with them about three years ago, and now it feels like a good time to go back and build on that relationship.