Vetements - 2 Years After They Broke the Internet, It Looks Like Nobody is Buying Vet

[bc collector]

I don't think JW Anderson will last long.

I am afraid I agree with your opinion rather than Lola's. It's true that he's grown as a designer, but then, who wouldn't after ten years in the business and a contract with a heritage house like Loewe; that said, after a quick look at his last menswear collection, fresh off the catwalk, I can't help feeling once again he's more of a poser that a real designer because he lacks a solid technical base to support his convoluted, confused ideas (the comparison with Lee McQueen is absurd: in this case you had from the start an unfaltering technique at the service of a raging creativity; I'm not sure JWA has still any idea of what tailoring is and it shows in his work, all layering and loose shapes).
The kid is ambitious, smart and sure knows how to play the game in today's fashion, in terms of communication and marketing, but I can't think of one single idea of his that has so far had any particular resonance in the market at large, the way you would expect of a designer his league. Unless you consider his t-shirts with a knotted sleeve a groundbreaking invention...

 

[Lola701]

^^
Of course the comparison with McQueenis absurd as he had the love of tailoring in his background. Different rules for different eras.
But I remember people being totally dismissive of Lee in his earlier work..Even more when he did his first Givenchy collection (that was criticized for technical issues) and overtime he became really respected.

I don't think JW Anderson will last long.

I loved his early stuff, but I feel he bas been doing the same collections again and again and again for the last 3 years.
He went from super conceptual/interesting to repetitive/commercial I think.

I think that as a designer he will represent the era. I also think beyond the idea of interesting/conceptual and all.
The struggle for all the talents in the 2010’s was to make that transition to commercial. We saw it with Katranzou, Kane...etc. They had a lot of ideas but when it was time to make clothes for people to wear, the dynamic shifted.

We are not in the era of designers, we are in the era of creative directors. It’s much more important to have a vision than a technique. In a way, a lot of designers of this era are really limited but I think that out of all the limited designers we have today (I put people like Maria Grazia in that list), JWA will be the one who stays. In womenswear, i’m a sucker of techniques. I love seeing designers experiment with Drapes, plissés, biais cut...etc.
I don’t even know if designers knows about Madame Grès or Vionnet. I’m sure they knows about Tom Ford and Prada. And we all know they pretend to know about Lang and Margiela. That’s the culture of fashion today unfortunately.

 

[grimm]

Vetements: A star that burns twice as bright, burns twice as fast.

 

[donyan]

We are not in the era of designers, we are in the era of creative directors.

This is so true sadly, there are very few Designers in the truest sense today, it’s all hype and hot air, not made to mean anything, stuff to buy or not . I have high hopes in Lutz Huelle at Delpozo though

 

[fashionista-ta]

I am afraid I agree with your opinion rather than Lola's. It's true that he's grown as a designer, but then, who wouldn't after ten years in the business and a contract with a heritage house like Loewe; that said, after a quick look at his last menswear collection, fresh off the catwalk, I can't help feeling once again he's more of a poser that a real designer because he lacks a solid technical base to support his convoluted, confused ideas (the comparison with Lee McQueen is absurd: in this case you had from the start an unfaltering technique at the service of a raging creativity; I'm not sure JWA has still any idea of what tailoring is and it shows in his work, all layering and loose shapes).
The kid is ambitious, smart and sure knows how to play the game in today's fashion, in terms of communication and marketing, but I can't think of one single idea of his that has so far had any particular resonance in the market at large, the way you would expect of a designer his league. Unless you consider his t-shirts with a knotted sleeve a groundbreaking invention...

His elf shoes were definitely unique to him, but I'm not sure they resonated with anyone. Middle Earth may not follow our fashion? I see they are now very much available on Yoox

 

[entten]

I would have never said it 4 years ago but for me, JW Anderson has the potential to be the one. At first, I was dubitative of his talent his growth but he proved me wrong.

I think he has grown a lot as a designer and can be The one for many years to come.

Even if he is totally different, I kinda see him like Lee McQueen. At first, Lee was really about shock effects, gimmicks. His first collections while very impactful weren’t really indicative of what he could do. Then, he went to Givenchy, learned about the making of the clothes and once you have the technique and good ideas, it’s wonderful.

I think at Loewe, JW really learned about making quality clothes. I would love to see him in charge of a Couture atelier. His ideas with Couture skills can be exceptional.

Demna is a bit like Decarnin (with less talent of course). It was too fast, too early. He was influential but it doesn’t have a long term approach.

interesting. I wouldnt have thought of him. as like @IloveDiorHomme I think that his earlier years/collections were more interesting than now.

but I get what you mean, its more mature now but somehow I dont find it so interesting anymore. maybe its just me,but my impression is also that he isnt that talked about or buzzed anymore like it used to be.

 

[Deleted member 130879]

I do agree with a few ideas discussed here. I do think this is an era of creative directors. And I believe that few will survive - maybe Virgil and Kanye, due to their connection to the hip-hop world. I don't even believe in Michele keeping the hype going unless he goes way out of his comfort zone.

I would even go further and say that every comparison with McQueen is ridiculous because we will never get another McQueen - designers don't care about the construction process anymore. They don't care about tailoring, they don't care about materials and construction quality, it's all about "vision" and "design". When was the last time that you saw a designer on their knees stitching up a garment on the model 30 minutes before the runway? Ironing? I mean, McQueen really loved clothing, craftsmanship and the whole process.

And this current state of affairs goes deeper than social media. This is what is being brewed in academia for years now, the idea of the conceptual artist and that one shouldn't bother with learning basic tailoring and seamstress work because "he will have a team anyway".

 

[ErnstLudwig]

It's the job of the consumers to fix that, by not supporting this sh*tty trend financially and becoming more hype and brand resistant. Materials and construction should count.

I have some hope considering the progress when it comes to foods and beverages (just look at beer & coffee direct trade, sustainability, local production, … are now associated with "quality" and sell well.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I would love to see that too! I make a point of supporting brands like Eileen Fisher and Brunello Cucinelli that are paying attention to some of these issues. She is showing that indeed it is possible to map a complete supply chain. I saw her say in an interview (at Parsons?) that they are having a tough time with a wood-based fiber, rayon I think, being sure it doesn't come from the rainforest. If they can't straighten it out by 2020, they will discontinue use of the fiber. She shows how it's done like a boss.

 

[readings]

It's the job of the consumers to fix that, by not supporting this sh*tty trend financially and becoming more hype and brand resistant. Materials and construction should count.

So, so agree with that. I am really hoping that customer awareness is what will save brands like Jil Sander, Yang Li, etc. that are clearly not surfing the trendy trashy/streetwear/"quotation marks" waves but have always been focusing on a more qualitative, thoughtful approach to clothing.

I won't start writing about everything that I think is wrong with Vêtements because it would take forever (...and I was very enthusiastic about them when I saw their first lookbook which was truly great - remember the oversized trenchcoats, flowers and colored lips?), very interesting discussion nevertheless.

The state of fashion depresses me very much these days. I mean, come on... Off-White? Why does this s**t even exist?