The biggest name in British fashion is about to open a store, and barely anyone knows about it? Why, because Jonathan Anderson, the man behind the anchor logo is the ultimate contrarian. His now cult gender-fluid designs mean he’s the first designer to win both womenswear and menswear designer of the year at the British Fashion Awards 2015. Then he sat A$AP Rocky FROW at his autumn/winter 2016 collection; turned out the most talked about show of the season, and, streamed the whole thing on Grindr- yes, Grindr, the gay hook-up dating app.
So when we tell you that JW is opening a bricks and mortar store, IRL, today, on Shoreditch High Street in east London, and you’ve heard nothing of it, you shouldn’t be surprised. Nor should you be shocked to know that he was in fact offered the same space, a year ago to open his first flagship but declined deeming the exercise as too “forced- we’re too young, we shouldn’t be operating outside of our means.”
But before you cry “hypocrisy!” JW’s new ‘workshop’ will be anything but a banal pop up. Instead the spot will be a place for people to gather, see some art, hang out and occasionally buy something. Inspired by the Bloomsbury Group's Omega Workshops and Japanese design legend Issey Miyake the 250ft rainbow-coloured square space will showcase his work with a number of creatives, including ceramicists, singers, photographers and editors - with a different artist each month taking the spotlight. First up is Spanish editor of EY! Magateen, The Printed Dog, and C☆NDY, Luis Venegas, who dressed his mates in his favourite J.W. Anderson pieces for a photo book called The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly in the Plain. Next month will see Anderson collaborate with with Ian David Barker, a photographer who captured gay culture in 80's Britain.
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