JW Anderson's Newest Collection For Uniqlo Goes For Homespun Charm
The designer opt to keep things simple this season, with homespun details such as embroidery and smocking the star accents of this collection.
In recent years, there've been rising interest in artisanal crafts – be it ceramics, using natural dyes, weaving and more – as a reaction of sorts against digital burnouts, possibly. This thirst for evidence of the hand has only exacerbated with the pandemic last year.
The latest JW Anderson x Uniqlo collection is full of whimsy.
JW Anderson was working with this in mind for his latest Spring/Summer 2021 collection with Uniqlo. “I was really thinking of Spring when I was working on this collection. We were all staying inside and I was looking forward to when we could venture out again," said Anderson. "I also wanted to incorporate a feeling of craft, as it’s very important to me”.
Fans of the Northern Irish designer would undoubtedly be aware of his mania for craft – he's an avid collector of ceramic pieces, and at Loewe, where he's creative director, Anderson has inaugurated initiatives such as the Loewe Craft Prize, which supports diverse crafts from all over the world.
The collection is heavy on homespun details like smocking.
He's infused that fervour for tactility into this charming Uniqlo collection, adding subtle details such as wildflower embroidery accents on accessories, as well as blanket stitching on T-shirts and denim pieces. Women's dresses and skirts also feature colourful smocking details.
All in all, while the collection comes across as simpler than Anderson's previous collections for Uniqlo, we're digging the child-like whimsy here. The collection launches April 23 online and at the Japanese giant's flagship store at Orchard Central.
Below, we single out our favourite pieces.