JW Anderson Fall/Winter 2020 Menswear Review

JW Anderson’s stark, witty, and direct collection for Fall 2020 showed the majesty of peeling back. Instead of the “more is more” approach of last season, which consisted of nearly two-thousand pieces, Anderson wanted to get back to basics. Much was the sentiment this season. The billowing coat that hung on the bias and knit peplum tops that rounded out the figure were reworked throughout the collection. Anderson makes clothes for the non-binary. Gorgeous gathered double sweaters decorated with pearls are meant for everyone and will still look great. And the puffed-up paisley scarves were hilarious and actually functional. For the finale, a long black gown resembling a monk’s robe was draped with a single red sleeve, invoking both the ecclesiastical and the feminine.

Seated alongside the show-goers were mannequins with masks of poet Arthur Rimbaud’s face. These were I nspired by the work of artist and AIDS activist David Wojnarowicz who used Rimbaud’s likeness in his work like Andy Warhol used Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Sweaters knitted with a burning house motif, also often seen in Wojnarowicz’s work, will benefit Visual AIDS, an organization created to help artists who are HIV+ and to destigmatize AIDS. This is an example of how Anderson not only uses queer identity for visual aesthetics, but actually supports the community as a whole.

Photos Courtesy of Vogue Runway