Jonathan Anderson (born September 17, 1984) is a Northern Irish fashion designer and the founder of JW Anderson. Anderson is known for his eponymous label and having served as the creative director of Spanish luxury house LOEWE.
Jonathan Anderson | |
|---|---|
 Anderson at a fashion show in 2013. | |
| Born | September 17, 1984 Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland |
| Alma mater | London College of Fashion |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Title |
|
| Parent | Willie Anderson |
Early life edit
Anderson was born in the town of Magherafelt in Northern Ireland in 1984. He is the son of Willie Anderson, who played international rugby for Ireland between 1984 and 1990. His mother Heather Buckley worked as a secondary school teacher.[1]
Anderson grew up in Northern Ireland, but spent a lot of time on the Balearic island of Ibiza, where his parents owned a house. He has since stated in interviews that the contrasting environments played a big role in shaping his sensibilities as a designer.[2] When he was in primary school, he was diagnosed with severe dyslexia.[3]
At the age of 18 Anderson moved to the United States in an attempt to become an actor. He was based in New York at The Juilliard School,[3] but developed an interest in costume design rather than acting. He moved to Dublin shortly after, securing his first fashion-based job at the department store Brown Thomas.[2] He later moved to London, graduating from the London College of Fashion in 2005.[4]
Career edit
Anderson began his career working as a visual merchandiser for Prada, working for Manuela Pavesi. He launched his own menswear collection shortly after in 2008. His first collection under the JW Anderson label received critical acclaim. In 2010, Anderson received sponsorship from the British Fashion Council's Newton committee and subsequently produced his first catwalk collection at London Fashion Week.[5]
The rising success of his JW Anderson label allowed him to secure a second NewGen sponsorship and led to a collaboration with high-street retailer Topshop in 2012. The collaboration was a collection of limited-edition items, known as the JW Anderson x Topshop collection.[6] It featured clothing and accessories ranging from mini-kilts and paisley prints, to Halloween motifs and included a range of stationery, iPhone cases and Rubik cubes.[7][8] The collection sold out within hours of it launching. Anderson and Topshop scheduled another collaboration to launch a year later, with the release coming in February 2013.[9][10]
Later that year, Donatella Versace enlisted him to replace Christopher Kane at Versace's diffusion line Versus, where he showcased his first collection in June at New York's Lexington Armoury.[11][12] In September 2013, LVMH took a minority stake in JW Anderson and named Anderson as the new creative director for Spanish luxury house LOEWE. By 2019, he created 18 different collections each year — six for his own label, 10 for Loewe and two for his ongoing collaborations with Uniqlo.[3] In 2019, he became a member of the board of trustees at the Victoria and Albert Museum.[13][3]
In February 2023, Anderson designed singer Rihanna's red outfit, which she used to announce her second pregnancy during her half-time Super Bowl performance.[14][15] That same year Anderson served as costume designer for Luca Guadagnino's upcoming film Queer.[16] Anderson had previously worked with Guadagnino in 2022, during the production of his film Challengers.[17]
Personal life edit
Anderson is openly gay.[18] He lives in Paris and London, with regular visits to LOEWE's Madrid headquarters.[3] He also maintains a weekend home in Norfolk.[3]
Awards and honors edit
| Award | Year | Recipient(s) | Category | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Fashion Awards | 2012 | JW Anderson | Emerging Talent Award - Ready-To-Wear | [19] |
| 2013 | JW Anderson | New Establishment Designer of The Year | ||
| 2014 | JW Anderson | Menswear Designer of The Year | ||
| 2015 | JW Anderson | Menswear Designer of The Year | ||
| JW Anderson | Womenswear Designer of The Year | |||
| 2017 | Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson | British Designer of The Year - Womenswear | ||
| Jonathan Anderson for Loewe | Accessories Designer of The Year | [20] | ||
| 2020 | Jonathan Anderson | Creativity | [21] | |
| 2023 | Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson and Loewe | Designer of The Year | [22][23] | |
| CFDA Fashion Awards | 2023 | Jonathan Anderson | International Designer of the Year | [24][25][26] |
References edit
- ^ "Jonathan Anderson's Live Mosaic". Business of Fashion.
- ^ a b Van Meter, William (February 13, 2016). "Jonathan Anderson Shares the Inspirations Behind His Brand and Loewe". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ a b c d e f Nancy Hass (19 August 2019), The Man Turning European Fashion Into Something Raw and Real T: The New York Times Style Magazine.
- ^ "Jonathan Anderson is part of the BoF 500".
- ^ "JW Anderson". British Fashion Council.
- ^ Sowray, Bibby (June 13, 2012). "Topshop announce JW Anderson collaboration". The Telegraph.
- ^ Moss, Hilary (September 4, 2012). "First Looks: J.W. Anderson for Topshop". NY Magazine.
- ^ Alexander, Ella (September 4, 2012). "JW Anderson For Topshop". Vogue.
- ^ Alexander, Ella (February 1, 2013). "JW Anderson For Topshop Take Two". Vogue.
- ^ Fox, Imogen (June 13, 2012). "JW Anderson to launch Topshop range". The Guardian.
- ^ "The end of gender in fashion?". Hit-Bag. October 4, 2013.
- ^ Cochrane, Lauren (May 16, 2013). "Versace unveils first Versus collection by JW Anderson in New York". The Guardian.
- ^ Four trustees appointed to the Victoria and Albert Museum Board Department for Culture, Media and Sport, press release of 2 April 2019.
- ^ "Rihanna's Super Bowl outfit 'puts Northern Ireland on world stage'". BBC News. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "Rihanna reveals she's pregnant at Super Bowl half-time show". BBC News. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (2023-04-21). "Drew Starkey to Star With Daniel Craig in Luca Guadagnino's 'Queer' With Filming Starting This Month in Italy (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ "Jonathan Anderson Turns Up the Heat with Costume Designs for Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers'". Hypebae. June 21, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ "Bulging crotches and erotic kink: Jonathan Anderson turns the Tom of Finland man into a RTW collection". Hero. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
- ^ "Our Story". JW Anderson. 2019-07-14. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
- ^ "UK design star JW Anderson wins big at London Fashion Awards". France 24. 2017-12-05. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
- ^ "Jonathan Anderson, Aurora James, Samuel Ross and More Honoured at the Fashion Awards 2020". The Business of Fashion. 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ^ "JW Anderson, Martine Rose and Sarah Burton among winners at the star-studded Fashion Awards". Vogue Business. 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ^ "Qui sont les grands vainqueurs des Fashion Awards 2023 ?". Marie Claire. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Les CFDA Awards consacrent le meilleur de la mode américaine". Fashion Network. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "Selon le CFDA, Jonathan Anderson est le meilleur créateur de l'année 2023". Fashion United. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "Jonathan Anderson, ascension d'un designer distingué". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 5 March 2024.