Is it true that we forget fashion and life are supposed to be whimsical and profound? Maybe, considering that there are thousands of things competing for our collective attention on both fronts. Somehow, Jonathan Anderson continues to command our attention with his creations each and every season. For both Loewe and his eponymous brand, Anderson has consistently proven to be one of the most exciting designers in the industry to date, finding commercial success and greater ambition in his work—a delicate balance which few of his contemporaries have managed to achieve in this day and age.
Related article: 10 Best Looks From The Dior Women’s Fall/Winter 2024 Collection
What Anderson makes are not so much clothes as they are thought-provoking pieces, peeking into what goes on inside his head—manifestations of ideas and concepts made tangible through his clever, considered manipulation of fabrics and textures. This season he chose the aristocratic elite as inspiration for his collection. Transformed into a somewhat-ironic meditation on luxury fashion’s own obsession with the working class, making clothes for career-driven women with lofty ambitions of “subverting expectations of everyday life.” Consider the asparagus purse made out of porcelain, the silver ‘fur’ collar on an overcoat, or the impressive beadwork which Anderson likened to caviar. These tricks of the eye are both incredibly fun and thought-provoking, because why else would so many of us be totally engrossed by a vegetable-inspired purse?
Related article: 10 Best Looks From The Dior Women’s Fall/Winter 2024 Collection
Anderson’s mastery of Trompe-l'œil is fitting for the attention economy of the social media age, though his works actually possess lasting power beyond the banality of what goes viral on social media (which virtually guarantees 15 seconds of fame and no more). Appreciating the actual meaning behind his work takes more out of you than merely swooning over the brilliant details. It takes willpower and time to digest the duality of these pieces. How tricky it is to consider the many meta layers at play here; reimagining a vegetable, made of porcelain, further made into a luxury bag. If fashion is all about faking it till you make it, then Anderson stands out as a true exception. He is, for all intents and purposes, very much a real designer through and through, in an industry full of people who are merely aspiring to be and do the same.