Jonathan Anderson - Designer, Creative Director of JW Anderson & Christian Dior

[TomBlanksFullFatMiuMiu]

Im surprised how many think he is the top designer of the moment. I mean his Loewe was ok but then there is also his mainline.... which looks like british jacquemus.

And when thinking of someone running a heritage house, he is definitely not what comes to mind. Usually there wasn't a lot of finessee in his clothes and they could look like unfinished experiments. He is similar to marc jacobs in that he cannot build a "look" for a house.

Exactly, his menswear was alright.
His womenswear has been very interesting over the past five years because they were all showpieces. He didn't create many 'real' clothes except for a few sweater and jeans looks here and there, and that one long dress with the belt...

 

[90sfan]

there's no way that you're not trolling. does his tenure at jil sander not exist to you?

Dearest,
His “tenure” at Jil Sander was designed by Patrick Van Ommeslaeghe. Learn some facts/history, then come back to troll me :-)
🙏

 

[chalayan]

Dearest,
His “tenure” at Jil Sander was designed by Patrick Van Ommeslaeghe. Learn some facts/history, then come back to troll me :-)
🙏

my dear, i literally know people who worked for jil sander for fifteen years, and i can guarantee that you're wrong and don't know what the f*ck you're talking about.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

I’ll admit I’m intrigued. More so at the idea of a unified vision for Dior. It’s been a long time since this has happened and it’ll be a curious thing to see.

Hopefully it doesn’t mean coed collections. I don’t want that for Dior as it’ll make the split between men’s and women’s really muddied. It’s an easy cop out but I really don’t want that for Dior. There has to be a realm of separation to keep the aura going for the two.

Not entirely confident about it all, but kind of welcomed…? The Dior woman is certainly a more ornamental one, and it’s been like that throughout all the Creative Directors in different ways. And excessive. Anderson better not use that idea to transpose some strange Duchampian surrealism to his Dior vernacular, but I’m sure it’ll happen. I’d just like to see women and men modelling for Dior. There needs to be a visual maturity. Maria and Kim didn’t offer that fully when it came to casting and it really effed a lot of things up. Great for visual digestion and approachability because it dumbed it down, but it became tiring and exhausting. Anderson’s penchant for twinks leaves little to be desired, so yeah hopes aren’t high but I’m still intrigued.

 

[PDFSD]

my dear, i literally know people who worked for jil sander for fifteen years, and i can guarantee that you're wrong and don't know what the f*ck you're talking about.

curious what they said about Patrick Van Ommeslaeghe contribution at his time at Jil

because it can't be denied his hand /signature is not all over allot of jil sander by raf dresses And coats
Patrick even post allot of his work for Jil from his archive on his ig
instagram.com/patrickvanommeslaeghebis

 

[tourbillions]

Exactly, his menswear was alright.
His womenswear has been very interesting over the past five years because they were all showpieces. He didn't create many 'real' clothes except for a few sweater and jeans looks here and there, and that one long dress with the belt...

Yeah, unfortunately he cannot turn his showpieces into real life clothing unlike what roseberry is doing at schiaparelli. Where his couture serves for the showpieces and his rtw a convincing everyday wardrobe that stems from his couture ideas.

If everyone takes a step back and check what was actually being sold in loewe and his namesake, there was really nothing to write home about. And just like lee at burberry... the pricepoint will be a problem. No one spending at dior prices would like to look like a lab rat from his experimentations and the ones who could confidently style his clothes are probaably thrifting for it.

 

[fashionmarketeditor]

I’ll admit I’m intrigued. More so at the idea of a unified vision for Dior. It’s been a long time since this has happened and it’ll be a curious thing to see.

Hopefully it doesn’t mean coed collections. I don’t want that for Dior as it’ll make the split between men’s and women’s really muddied. It’s an easy cop out but I really don’t want that for Dior. There has to be a realm of separation to keep the aura going for the two.

Not entirely confident about it all, but kind of welcomed…? The Dior woman is certainly a more ornamental one, and it’s been like that throughout all the Creative Directors in different ways. And excessive. Anderson better not use that idea to transpose some strange Duchampian surrealism to his Dior vernacular, but I’m sure it’ll happen. I’d just like to see women and men modelling for Dior. There needs to be a visual maturity. Maria and Kim didn’t offer that fully when it came to casting and it really effed a lot of things up. Great for visual digestion and approachability because it dumbed it down, but it became tiring and exhausting. Anderson’s penchant for twinks leaves little to be desired, so yeah hopes aren’t high but I’m still intrigued.

Delphine Arnault confirmed to Vogue Business that Dior has no plans to switch to co-ed shows

 

[Cocteau Stone]

^ Thank god… let’s hope it stays that way.

 

[90sfan]

my dear, i literally know people who worked for jil sander for fifteen years, and i can guarantee that you're wrong and don't know what the f*ck you're talking about.

Dearest, yes, a-ha, ok, yeah, sure darling. I love you too!

 

[tricotineacetat]

I’m happy for him.
Of course, it’s not a new info but now that it’s official, it’s great.

I think he has everything that is needed for a house of Dior. He has ideas, a commercial sense, a sense of fashion and he is versatile.

Part of the secret in being able to stay for a long time at a brand is to be versatile. I think his Loewe was fantastic. And it’s a it of testament to him that Loewe became a huge hit towards the end of his tenure.

I have never been more excited for Dior.
And finally, all the women working at Dior will maybe stop looking like Housewives and more like fashion people.

I’m actually excited that he starts with menswear because Dior Homme is lacking in terms of statement. I’m really curious to see how he may introduce that idea again.

And I’m so glad that he is using the old Dior logo again!
I hated the Fabien Baron designed one…

He is a higher profile joining Dior than they were when they both joined Dior.
Loewe is bigger than Valentino.
So he is getting more than both of them. His bonuses are probably going to be crazy.

The goal of LVMH is really make Dior be as big as Hermes in size. There’s a lot at stake here, more than when MGC took over in a way.

I’m curious though what kind of versatility you mean - The ability to adapt different times, address a diversity of clients, or issue hit products in different categories?

The main assets in J.W. Anderson’s appointment are that he’s got an impressive track record with Loewe and proven to work well with Delphine - But nothing in his career so far ever hinted any shared interest or alignment with the identity of Dior - The formalism, the type of elegance, the sensual hourglass shapes favored by Monsieur Dior. In fact, I’d go a step further and argue that the Loewe and J.W. Anderson woman couldn’t be further apart from what we commonly associate with Dior.

 

[Lola701]

I’m curious though what kind of versatility you mean - The ability to adapt different times, address a diversity of clients, or issue hit products in different categories?

In terms of style, of fashion. He is not Alessandro Michele to make it short.

Me personally, in terms of pure fashion, I prefer Loewe from the early days. It was a bit sexier, womanly, totally my style. Then it became a bit more playful, surrealist and while less my personal style, it was still good and impactful.
And then also, he is a good product-oriented designer. I know it’s a controversial debate on here but I also love how a strong idea on the runway that may not be produced may then be translated in many desirable items. The commercial collections at Loewe were very great! Even the current prefall collection is fantastic.

I have always said it in multiple threads that I think JWA is a fantastic commercial designer. He is totally pretentious and pompous but he really shines when he makes clothes that we can wear.


Benjamin Bruno will style all these collections! My god! I hope his contract is also insane! Collections + campaigns and maybe special projects!
Loyalty is really something that I respect so really kudos to that too.

 

[fenty]

Im not excited for what's to come but very curious about how his debuts will play out

 

[tricotineacetat]

In terms of style, of fashion. He is not Alessandro Michele to make it short.

Me personally, in terms of pure fashion, I prefer Loewe from the early days. It was a bit sexier, womanly, totally my style. Then it became a bit more playful, surrealist and while less my personal style, it was still good and impactful.
And then also, he is a good product-oriented designer. I know it’s a controversial debate on here but I also love how a strong idea on the runway that may not be produced may then be translated in many desirable items. The commercial collections at Loewe were very great! Even the current prefall collection is fantastic.

I have always said it in multiple threads that I think JWA is a fantastic commercial designer. He is totally pretentious and pompous but he really shines when he makes clothes that we can wear.


Benjamin Bruno will style all these collections! My god! I hope his contract is also insane! Collections + campaigns and maybe special projects!
Loyalty is really something that I respect so really kudos to that too.

Yeah no, I really hate it when designers put on a show full of looks, fabrics and impossibly crazy expensive items on a ready-to-wear runway that don’t represent what you will later find in the stores.

Take the fully embroidered open toe boots from LV‘s last pre-collection for an example: Featured in the majority of looks and arguably one of the key items from the collection, as they are both comfortable and versatile - It doesn’t seem plausible, though, why they didn’t put at least a few more sellable iterations of them in the show, as the ones we saw were all hand embroidered by Ollier in Paris, therefor likely only to be given to brand affiliates.

I will probably say this a hundred times over, but you gotta give it to Rick Owens to have always put even the most outlandish stuff in production.

 

[Lola701]

Yeah no, I really hate it when designers put on a show full of looks, fabrics and impossibly crazy expensive items on a ready-to-wear runway that don’t represent what you will later find in the stores.

Take the fully embroidered open toe boots from LV‘s last pre-collection for an example: Featured in the majority of looks and arguably one of the key items from the collection, as they are both comfortable and versatile - It doesn’t seem plausible, though, why they didn’t put at least a few more sellable iterations of them in the show, as the ones we saw were all hand embroidered by Ollier in Paris, therefor likely only to be given to brand affiliates.

I will probably say this a hundred times over, but you gotta give it to Rick Owens to have always put even the most outlandish stuff in production.

I hate it too. It was my issue with Prada for years (even more when Prada is very commercial and that nothing was produced but stores were filled with black nylon) but at Vuitton, personally, it has never been my issue or a reality.

It’s just that with leather goods maison doing fashion, my expectations are not the same because the reality isn’t the same. I think the structures things in the last resort won’t be produced. I don’t mind as I wouldn’t buy them anyway. But I hope they will make something inspired by them…
I talked to my SA but I didn’t want to pre-order stuff tbh. Yes the fully embroidered boots were available through pre-orders and some will be exclusive to some stores but those are essentially the moonlight boots from 3 years ago.
Some stores still have version of them but from what I have been told, they may probably become part of the permanent collection.

I think RO can do it because it’s a fashion brand and there’s a direct relationship between his fashion and his clientele. At Vuitton, the majority of women aren’t devoted to NG’s vision. They collects the Petite Malles and the Capucines but they don’t have a personal attachment to the designer. And it was the same during Marc’s years. And that’s maybe why Marc was so comfortable doing 360 changes from seasons to seasons.

And in a way, sometimes regarding Vuitton, I can’t be mad about the most crazy pieces not being produced or only being produced through orders. In Paris we are very conservative in our buys. I remember the collection with the exaggerated details (zippers, locks etc). A lot of things were produced surprisingly and even the commercial collection was kind of bold…I end up buying the oversized cardigan from the show. They told me in Asia, some women bought the dresses with the big zipper in the front. I would have never! LOL.

 

[tourbillions]

i think at current vuitton, you can feel ghesquires touch in the current products and that it was something coming from the runway. With marc, i cant say the same.

And as you said with prada... whats in store couldnt be more basic and the store themselves dont even feel like miuccia had any input at all.

We will see how his dior will go but im not so hopeful, i rather he stayed at his namesake and do what he want there. As someone mentioned, his design language couldnt be more far from dior. He will be even more believable at chanel.

 

[Lola701]

And as you said with prada... whats in store couldnt be more basic and the store themselves dont even feel like miuccia had any input at all.

Prada was the worst!
I know the New York and Milan stores had cool stuff but the Montaigne store in Paris? For years I was so frustrated. Ok, the precollections were always produced but the runway collections!? Sometimes they told me they had 1 size for 1 coat!
And Prada between 2006 and 2015 was practically hits after hits. Some collections were fairly produced, then others, nothing!
But at the same time, they produced the accessories.

They slightly changed it when they had troubles. It seems like since RAF came, the stuff is produced but since I don’t really check for Prada anymore, I can’t really tell.

But I’m sure it’s still 80% black nylon in stores.

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

I hate it too. It was my issue with Prada for years (even more when Prada is very commercial and that nothing was produced but stores were filled with black nylon) but at Vuitton, personally, it has never been my issue or a reality.

It’s just that with leather goods maison doing fashion, my expectations are not the same because the reality isn’t the same.

Wouldn't it be the same not expecting Dior, Chanel and Balenciaga to be at the same level in the leather goods department, just because of their couture heritage?

I am super intrigued by the coming Hermès Haute Couture.
But if it is underwhelming, I will say it. The fact that they are originally a LG house is not an excuse.
If you play the game, you have to play it well.
Excellence is the standard.

Concerning Prada, I agree with you that, except for the shoes, it was a bore (imagine the mens).
Surprisingly enough, as far as Inknow Miu Miu, they used to have strong pieces in the stores.

 

[Lola701]

Wouldn't it be the same not expecting Dior, Chanel and Balenciaga to be at the same level in the leather goods department, just because of their couture heritage?

I am super intrigued by the coming Hermès Haute Couture.
But if it is underwhelming, I will say it. The fact that they are originally a LG house is not an excuse.
If you play the game, you have to play it well.
Excellence is the standard.

Concerning Prada, I agree with you that, except for the shoes, it was a bore (imagine the mens).
Surprisingly enough, as far as Inknow Miu Miu, they used to have strong pieces in the stores.

I personally never expect the same. I don’t get people comparing Chanel to Hermes for example. I dont mind comparing fashion houses to each others in terms of products even though sometimes they are different in terms of prestige.

I have an exception though when it comes to Gucci, Prada and Fendi as those are brands that really established themselves in terms of strong fashion statement.

A brand like Vuitton for example has a lot of stores in France but those stores only sells bags and accessories.

The thing about HC from Hermes is that they have the money and the culture to do HC. Essentially, HC is clothes made by hands.
For me, Hermes, Vuitton, Bally, Ferragamo, Tod’s, Bottega Veneta…are still leather goods maisons that happens to do fashion.

I don’t expect Hermes HC to be like Fendi HC for example. Fendi had that heritage with furs but also, the person who invented fashion at Fendi was a Grand Couturier.

About Prada men’s, I know that well too. When they did the golf collection, I wanted one of the short sleeves shirts from the show. Some were exclusives to some stores and i remember there was a shirt with some red and blue print, stunning! They had the long sleeves version in store with the print all over but not the spécial version from the show.

And years later, when they did the comics strips collection, they produced everything.

Sometimes, on some shows, I can totally understand why some pieces are special enough to be only produced through pre-orders or produced in limited quantities but at Prada, it’s always a mystery. And one would think that with Miuccia being the owner of the brand, she would, with Bertelli, push her ideas to the forefront…But no.

 

[PDFSD]

And one would think that with Miuccia being the owner of the brand, she would, with Bertelli, push her ideas to the forefront…But no.
@Lola701

Bertelli is hyper commercial and even designs with his merch team products to override show versions it has been constant push and pull between the two camps, it's also the reason you see commercial prada items that are a version of x brand this is Bertelli school 1 on 1 (even if most big brands they all do it now even hermes its the merch items based of trend and market research)

as far is my experience is with show items its depends on CD wish list input versus merch director & team with an eye on balancing post show collections and the balance of key items from show to support the vision of that season and commercial version of show pieces and risk taking each season its not a set rule as far seen all the years and know from other brands as well.

 

[Frederic01]

Jonathan is going to sell gimmicks and hype which will mainly translate into accessories sales, but as for real clothes that people will actually wear? I don't think so. Which is why this appointment is going wild on social media with all the fashion people who get given things for free and get invited to shows for free but not really exciting the current client base that actually buys Dior.

He is a brilliant designer but in all honesty he really struggles to do classic and chic clothes, which is really what Dior RTW and HC is all about. I know Dior wants to be at the cutting edge of fashion and blah blah blah, but at its essence, it really is a classic kind of brand. And Jonathan is literally the opposite of that.

You just watch, they're going to sell the most basic RTW ever in stores (t-shirts and knitwear with logos) when he comes on board because 90% of the Dior client base is not going to wear stuff like this, even if it does have a Dior label on it....


LOEWE