Between now and his last presentation, we've saw tremendous success for J. W. Anderson; LVMH (Moet Hennessy | Louis Vuitton group) have not only invested in his company but also named him as the creative director of the Spanish label Loewe. Not forgetting to mention his tremendous success of his collaboration with Donattela Versace for the Versus label which debuted not even a year ago. It leaves me thinking; I'm not sure what the menswear industry would do without Anderson. Would it be still a very masculine image dominating the industry, an aspect that is always shown in Milan Fashion Week. (No disrespect). However with the opening off LC:M (London Collections: Menswear) it has opened the gates for a widespread of new and old talent really revolutionising the menswear industry and of course there is a selection of designers now also involved in pushing the boundaries of menswear but not as much as Jonathan Anderson. Anderson has catered for a new breed of man. Possibly not "new", in fact this man has always been around for centuries but the fashion industry has overlooked him and favored for the strong, tanned and ultra sharp image. Yet here I am, one of many; 5ft5, 28inch leg length, on the skinny side and finding it extremely hard to find clothing to cater. Sizing is just one of the issues, although there may be availability in certain pieces, it comes down to fit. I've lost count of the times I've stood in a changing room and said "it just doesn't look right".Then there's the type of man who wants something just different. Completely different. Where are the soft, feminine edge yet strong silhouettes with interesting, unusual and even complex details that we often see in womenswear collections? Where are the garments in the other thousands and thousands of colours that we see everyday? It's another season for the fashion industry and now menswear collections are beginning to jump on the band wagon of resort and pre-fall. Do I really want to spend so much money of a pair of trousers that I've seen countless times. Oh wait, this one is different; the pocketing is a different shape. I'm not completely trashing the menswear industry as the established brands who cater the menswear element obviously know what they are doing and are catering for the market. Maybe I am trashing the industry because I'm bored. I don't want to part with my cash on something I'm sure I bought last season but in a different colour. I want something new and I'm sure thousands of other men are screaming too. LC:M have proved to be one of the best decisions to be made and as I've said before, it really has opened the gates for a much diverse of talent in the menswear industry. To finish, I've completely went off topic but it is a subject that I feel strongly about and always comes to mind when I see a collection by Anderson. It is not for everybody but it is for some and that's enough for now but there is a revolution of menswear in the air, although quiet it will get stronger. Anderson is surely championing this revolution and writing no apology letters to the press and quite right of him not too. His presentation for Autumn/Winter 2014-15 was undoubtedly magnificent and saw a new change for this season yet still pushing our boundaries, expectations and limits. On that note, I would gladly take the suit with the origami-like folds, spilling at the waistband. See the rest of the collection
here.
